MasterBates
Well-Known Member
Dude, you need to turn up the gain on your sarcasm detector...
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Pilot broke rules when he buzzed Downtown
- Thread starter aircav06
- Start date
Dude, you need to turn up the gain on your sarcasm detector...
Ask Brett for the proper spelling on that, he likes that $10 word
Sounds like a damn good flyby to me!!!! Not a reason for uproar!!!
The navy expects us to launch off a carrier into a storm, go feet dry, get shot at, drop bombs and kill people (or just jam) and then return for a pitching deck night trap with no questions. That takes a pretty big ego and to think that ego isn't going to slip out every once in a while in a situation like this is stupid. Should they have done it dangerously? no. Should they lose their wings? NO! I have seen plenty of IDIOT mistakes that have lost jets, hurt people, killed people, or all of the above and the pilot and aircrew continued flying. If you all want to strip wings for a flyby, then we need to take a look at a lot of other people out there. A senator's or spectator's "percieved" danger is nothing to losing a jet over the side because of stupidity! All of thos aircraft returned home safely and NO ONE was hurt. Slap on the wrist, Agreed. Talking about losing wings? Ridiculous!
Again, I agree in spirit, but we have to operate within the bounds of reality as it is. There's a way to do a cool fly-by and there a way to get yourself and your community in a bind for doing it in a non-standard manner that gets negative attention. It doesn't matter if the danger was real or not because it's the perception that counts (like it or not). There's a time and place to exceed the limits of SOP - combat ops come to mind, but a stadium fly-by ain't it. Bottom line, mature, responsible aviators know the difference and act accordingly. What those guys did was stupid and there's no defending it.
Brett
So was a guy who put a jet in the ocean by doing the wrong checklist and inducing further problems on a jet that wasn't really broken. My point being is where is the outrage over that? I'll take a pilot who buzzes downtown over one who lost one of my jets any day.
The Prowler guys blatantly violated the rules, weather notwithstanding. I have not done a flyby but if there is a place not to blatantly break the rules it would be in front of 50,000 or so people. You can do a good flyby and still follow the rules, the best I have ever seen were both legal and they still impressed people.
In todays enviroment and scrutiny, busting the rules like the Prowler fly-by and the Hornet guy is going to cost you. Are things like they used to be? No, but the accident rate is a fraction of what it used to be too. A couple cold hard facts: planes cost more (a lot more), training aviators costs more, there is more political scrutiny, there are more rules and in our post-Tailhook enviroment there are many who look for any excuse to hammer Naval Aviation.
Do I like all of the above? Not at all. But those are the facts and no one here can change them. As for having fun at the limits of the rules, I have had plenty, at the right time and place........Overseas (especially in third world countries), in the middle of BFE and over the big blue sea. Over a stadium and at a local airport, nope. Choose your battles wisely, are your wings really worth one stunt?
Are you talking about the one who rolled the jet off the deck? If so, he did not go to a boat squadron like he was supposed to and I believe eventually became a non-flying pilot. He was in Brett's squadron......
Yes. However, THAT incident didn't get them taken. That jet should not be at the bottom of the ocean. I can think of other examples too. Just saying I think we need to level the field here. I can think of a ton more incidents to be upset about other than a sweet flyby that scared the people of Seattle.
True......true......I agree with you there.
One was intentional, the other was a mistake. Nobody is excusing what Cubby did and he is no longer flying - got what he deserved. Again, it doesn't matter whether we do or do not get "outraged" about any particular event. The fact is that people in positions of power got outraged about what they saw for the fly-by, and the guy leading that flight did it on purpose for no good reason and should have anticipated the end result. Two wrongs don't make a right, so arguing that others have made more egregious errors is meaningless.
Brett
Are you talking about the one who rolled the jet off the deck? If so, he did not go to a boat squadron like he was supposed to and I believe eventually became a non-flying pilot. He was in Brett's squadron......
He was in my squadron for his first sea tour - in the 90s, when 133 was a boat squadron, so don't lump me in with that Martian.
Brett
Give me a break. There is no comparison of 'fun' between in "the middle of BFE and over the big blue sea" and raging around Stevens Pass in front of the ski bunnies. I'm not promoting flat-hatting, but I agree that it's those moments that do send the message that Naval Aviation is special and, when required, that the same bravado and demonstration of precise flying just witnessed will be the same that keeps the commies off our shores. The key, if caught, is to be able to say "yes, that was me, I was at "precise altitude," at"precise airspeed," my power was set at "per cent RPM," I cleared the area 'X' many times and ways and, while I shouldn't have done it, please don't confuse precise, controlled safe flight for reckless flathatting. I used the same precise flying principals I used in combat. My error was not taking into account the impact on local citizens. I humbly apologize."