Marines - Helos or Jets?

[Pridgen]

Ok, got a big broad question that no one can really anwser but myself, but I would like to get some other peoples views, especially from Helo pilots.

I am on a flight contract with the Marine Corps through PLC and have only six more weeks of OCS left, thank god! I know I have plenty of time to decide what I want to fly, but I wanted to get some other peoples opinions.

I've always been that Top Gun wannabe, wanna fly jets with my hair on fire and all that good jazz, but I've never been up in a helo either, so I don't want to rule that out. I mean, I kinda like the idea of being able to get down and in the dirt so to speak with the grunts and help them out. How hard is flying a helo though? It looks pretty damn complicated to me! What kind of things should I read or look at or do to maybe help me in my decision process? Or should I just say screw it and tell the Marine Corps to do with me what they want? haha, that last one kinda sounds like a bad idea to me. Any help would be great, thanks guys!

 

[Fly Navy]

Top Gun wanna-be? You're in the wrong service. Maverick was in the Navy.

 

[Pridgen]

haha Trust me, I realize this, I have seen the error of my ways, which is why I am Marine Corps OOHRAH! ... besides, I think Air Force guys like that movie more than Navy guys!

 

[skidkid]

Well the Marine Corps is going to do with you what they want regardless of whether you say screw it or not but Ill try and give you some info.
As you finish OCS and TBS you may have firmed up your desires a bit. At flight school you should be exposed to guys from all communities and part of their job as instructors is to tell you what it is like in the different communities. As for flying a Helicopter it is like anything else once you figure it out I wont say ti ever get easy becuase when you think flying is easy you end up in a mishap so enough of that.

I went through college wanting to be an A-6 guy but then they retired it so I thought Harriers or Cobras were where it was at and honestly it kind of came down to this: I met a bunch of Cobra guys who had come down for an NHA fly in and I thought to myself these are my people, in the same week I met a Harrier Major who happened to be an @sshole so I deiced I wanted Cobras and stuck to it through training and glad I did. I love every minute of it.
The bottomline is there are no bad choices all platforms have merit and enjoy what they do.
Good luck at OCS and get some sleep.

 

[phrogdriver]

Truth be told, everyone is going to stick up for their platform, even if it's a 35-years-old and has bullet holes patched with Budweiser beer cans from Vietnam (wait...that was MY old helo). No one at your phase of training considers it, but give KC-130s a thought as well. Think of the missions you'd like to fly, not about the particular platform. Do a search on this topic, as well, as I don't want to get into another "helos v. jets" flame war.

 

[BigWorm]

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3833&page=1&pp=20&highlight=platform+smack+talk

Hey man – here is a thread that I started when I was going through the whole selection process. When you show up to P’cola, all communities are not represented equally. There will be about one IP from Jets, a handful from C-130s, and a bunch from Helos. You will feel some heavy anti-jet sentiment, but at the same time as long as you keep a good attitude, the instructors will help you get what you want. What I mean is understanding that maybe you had awesome grades, but there are no jet slots, or were a prior 46 crew chief that wanted nothing more than to fly Phrogs, but selected Jets. The guys that look down on a platform, or throw temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want are the ones that get into trouble.

 

[skidkid]

Sorry current systems status wont be discussed on this board.

 

[Banjo33]

wanna fly jets with my hair on fire

Fire is not your friend.

(unless it's in the combustion chamber or on your enemies)