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Marine Jets: The Good, Bad, and Ugly.

jarhead

jarhead

UAL CA; retired hinge
pilot
ElFuego said:
I see this post hasn't been talked about for sometime now. I was reading through everything (just selected Harriers West) and there is some new developments that have happened in the last year and a half or so, ie. hornets in Japan being G-limited, Harrier's service life being extended(to include getting a new radar and the procurement of the Harriers from the brits), the unfortunate destruction of the 6 Harriers and loss of LtCol Raible, the Commandant supposedly extending fleet tours to 4 years to save $ on moves(which was undoubtedly finished with a direct knifehand, safety off), the JSF pooooosibly coming on line this year, getting told that Marine Tacair is looking pretty sorry right now and that there are too many of us, the upcoming drawdown in A-stan, etc. How are these developments affecting flight time, receiving quals, life enjoyment, deployment scheds, yada yada yada in the fleet? I've talked to a bunch of Harrier guys (still the best group of VT IP's as a whole out there, unanimously), but they've been here in the VT's for the last couple years so their info may be a little out of date.
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Dude, that's some very bad gouge. 242's jets aren't G-limited. No Marine F/A-18 squadron's jets are G-limited. No Navy F/A-18's are G-limited.

If the Growler community doesn't quit BFM'ing their G's, the quickly rising FLE might get them G-limited though...
 
Pugs

Pugs

Back from the range
None
RadicalDude said:
God they love to BFM those things. And won't shut up about it either.
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In the 80's and early 90's the VAQ community was big on BFM and spent many many hours on it as well as used up wing life that later we wished we had back. Getting a DEFTAC qual was a big deal for crews even though the it was a one trick pony of oppose the nose go nose low and extend. Certainly a Growler has a lot more options but I suspect that like the Prowler it will be regretted later.

Don't get me wrong, it was a lot of fun and no doubt made us better crews but was never worth the OPTAR and FLE we expended against it compared to other work we could have been doing.
 
usmarinemike

usmarinemike

Solidly part of the 42%.
pilot
Contributor
ElFuego said:
I see this post hasn't been talked about for sometime now. I was reading through everything (just selected Harriers West) and there is some new developments that have happened in the last year and a half or so, ie. hornets in Japan being G-limited, Harrier's service life being extended(to include getting a new radar and the procurement of the Harriers from the brits), the unfortunate destruction of the 6 Harriers and loss of LtCol Raible, the Commandant supposedly extending fleet tours to 4 years to save $ on moves(which was undoubtedly finished with a direct knifehand, safety off), the JSF pooooosibly coming on line this year, getting told that Marine Tacair is looking pretty sorry right now and that there are too many of us, the upcoming drawdown in A-stan, etc. How are these developments affecting flight time, receiving quals, life enjoyment, deployment scheds, yada yada yada in the fleet? I've talked to a bunch of Harrier guys (still the best group of VT IP's as a whole out there, unanimously), but they've been here in the VT's for the last couple years so their info may be a little out of date.
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I understand your enthusiasm, but get to the FRS and start picking brains there. This community is very small, and you can control your destiny. It will get interesting over the next few years as far as manning and hours go. You'll have a really good time in the FRS because their mission got cut by a third but they'll have the same number of jets and IPs. When do you get to Cherry Point?
 
MIDNJAC

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
jarhead said:
Dude, that's some very bad gouge. 242's jets aren't G-limited. No Marine F/A-18 squadron's jets are G-limited. No Navy F/A-18's are G-limited.

If the Growler community doesn't quit BFM'ing their G's, the quickly rising FLE might get them G-limited though...
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To be fair, when I was at -101, we had some FLE red jets that had to be creatively scheduled. There were no limits placed on RAG students in those jets (a safe escape is a safe escape, etc), but they didn't flow them for BFM hops or whatnot. Maybe FLE is what he was talking about, or self imposed limits or something......obviously there is no NATOPS restriction on anyone.
 
pourts

pourts

former Marine F/A-18 pilot & FAC, current MBA stud
pilot
Recovering LSO said:
If either of you can get the T/R matrix rewritten that would be helpful...
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While we are at it, how about an honest assessment of what it actually means to be current, proficient, and "turn boxes green." A former TOPGUN IP squadron skipper with 2000 hours doesn't need to log a BFM code as often as the guy who just got his wingman qual.
 
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