What is the role of fixed-wing aircraft in the Coast Guard?

[CoastieFlyer]

To the OP...nobody in the group of Coasties I went through flight school with wanted fixed wing. We selected in groups of 20 (15 helo, 5 fixed). They had to make 5 people go fixed-wing each time. I was around for 5-7 of these selections. All those guys now say that they love it, but we all know they are crying inside.

Wow, the rotary/fixed debate is ageless! When I was a flight instructor, I transitioned countless rotary pilots into the Falcon and every single one of them was humbled and pleasantly surprised. The majority of incoming CO's/XO's of large air stations opted for fixed wing transitions for various reasons....and they had the choice to fly whatever aircraft they wanted. If I were asked to transition to rotary some day, I would begrudgingly oblige and probably eventually love flying helicopters.

Very true, everyone seems to want to go rotary right now.....largely in part to the publicity it has received in the media from disaster coverage stemming back to Katrina to the Coast Guard Alaska/Florida shows. When I had gone through flight school 10+ years ago, it was (and had been for a while) a fight to the death for Coast Guard students to get fixed wing....primarily because of the lucrative pathways it provided outside of the military. Things have obviously changed in that regard, but I think if you see a resurrection of the commercial airline career path that many are predicting within the next 10 years, the scales may tip the either way. But in any case, I've never understood the pissing match between the communities. Some take it for what it should be (good natured ribbing) and other get really emotional about it.

With that being said, anyone with a true love for military aviation, or aviation in general, should be pleased with whatever aircraft they get selected for. I mean, come on, can any of us believe we get paid to do this instead of sitting in corporate America all day?

 

[danpass]

I remember reading a pilot/crew survival story. Delivering a plane to Hawaii. They only made it as far as the crash site.

The C-130 (with NVGs) out of Hawaii saved their butts.


Found it: http://www.equipped.com/1199ditch.htm






_

 

[Catmando]

Flyer, your views seem pretty old... may be you from the steam gauge era?

 

[Catmando]

There is no White-out on the limit section, so not quite~

....and the steam compass correction card on the back - if anyone ever looked - is way out of date too.

 

[CoastieFlyer]

Flyer, your views seem pretty old... may be you from the steam gauge era?

Ha, ha.....depending on your aircraft, many of us are still in the steam gauge era!

I'm just over 10 years out of flight school, so my post just goes to show, it doesn't take long for views within communities to shift. Everything is cyclical.....except flying fighter jets, I think that has always been considered cool!

 

[CoastieFlyer]

I just have never heard of the "fixed-wing-envy" in the Coast Guard, as you say. We all seem to work well together, but the helo guys love their gig, and most would not trade.

I wouldn't say there is fixed wing 'envy' at all in our community. Sorry, I guess my post lead you in the wrong direction. I think the majority of Coast Guard pilots are absolutely happy with the aircraft they are flying and probably wouldn't trade it for another. I've rarely met a pilot who badmouthed their aircraft....then again, maybe they were just too proud to admit to it!

I was just countering the idea from another poster that somehow most of the people flying fixed wing in the Coast Guard are unhappy because they didn't get to fly helicopters. Using a bunch of green flight school students as the basis of that statement just seems wrong to me. Students finishing primary/intermediate in flight school and putting their request in to fly fixed/rotary is the equivalent to asking a sophomore in high school what they career path they want to pursue when they leave the house. They both have a general sense of what they want to do, but neither has enough experience in their field to know if they are truly making the right decision. Both are making educated 'guesses' and hoping they end up liking the results of it down the road. I would argue that until you make Aircraft Commander in your respective aircraft and truly understand the mission and capabilities of it, saying you wished you were flying something else is a bit premature.

 

[e6bflyer]

Holy shit, I just always assumed the Coast Guard was one big happy family. Who knew they were so dysfunctional? This is like eating Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws.
I have worked closely and still converse with many Coasties in the fixed wing and rotary worlds. Both love their jobs, both wouldn't trade it for anything. I have never met a Falcon or Herc guy who has told me in confidence that they wished they flew helos. The same is true for all my friends flying Jayhawks. There are huge benefits to doing both.
At the end of the day, you are eventually going to get out/retire from the military. Flying fixed wing will give you a marked advantage if you are considering flying for a living wage on the outside. That, I would say, is a definite advantage. Of course, you aren't going to have as many cool stories to tell.