Remember when you became a pilot?

[Gatordev]

Junior hear highschool actually lol, Im sorry for all the post! I've always wanted to be a pilot but was told it was impossible because I was "colorblind" I recently went to a.m.e , and passed a class 1 physical with a 100 on the falant, and was told I have no problem being a pilot. So I'm just filled with excitement knowing I can reach my dream, and just wanted to be totally prepared when the time comes

I, like others, appreciate your enthusiasm. That's what will keep you going through whatever pain (perceived or otherwise) you'll encounter along the way. However, I would recommend going through some of the threads here. The stickies are a good place to start as it will probably cover a lot of your immediate questions. The search engine is less than optimal, but you can try that too. Then you can come back with specific questions that apply to your desires and what you've read here/get told along the way during the process.

Also, keep in mind that (if I'm understanding you correctly) the person who told you you would have no problem being a pilot was a (well-respected) guy on the internet. You'll still need DODMERB and the Navy to confirm that.

 

[DecodaGrant]

I was told I was colorblind from a school nurse because I can't pass the plate test, I was around 10 and just wanted to fly, I went in and saw a doctor this week and got what I believe is called an ame. I got a class 1 flight physical and instead of the plates to test my colorblind I took the falant, which is what the navy uses too, I didn't miss any on it, and the doctor told me I have no medical problems to become a pilot, finally being told yes I am just eager to know everything about flight!

 

[SynixMan]

BusyBee, where was the Padre Island Range? Where the national park is now?

 

[DecodaGrant]

Yes it was the faa class 1. I'm getting a private pilots license and was only required a class 3, but specifically asked for a class 1, because that's what the doctor says to be closest to the naval physical. After everything was done I was told there's no medical reasons for me not to be able to fly in the navy, and that I'm not colorblind.

 

[DecodaGrant]

Thanks very much I'll take your advice! And thanks all for the great stories, it's cool to hear how people got there!

 

[BusyBee604]

BusyBee, where was the Padre Island Range? Where the national park is now?

I can't say for sure it's been so long ago and we only had a couple of quick bomb fam hops. I think the target was near the southern end of Padre Island. The target was small & kind of ratty, nothing like the 'Major League' targets/ranges at Fallon and Yuma.
BzB

 

[wlawr005]

I think you missed Pags' point. You start your post as a difinitive statement and then say it's your opinion. It's all anecdotal when SNAs start giving their opinions. You're only seeing a small subset of guys and you don't fly with them nor see their ATFs.

But alas, I'm biting off on the bait and we're going down this path again.

By the way, what was a "raining command?" Is that where they teach you how to throw your money around?

You know me, just trying to hit that 1,000 post mark

 

[PhrogLoop]

DG, you've got a great attitude and thick skin for a new guy, so I'll bite.

I was an impressionable 9 year old when Top Gun came out. I said, "I wanna do that." Lots of people told me, "kid, you're a Nuyorican from Brooklyn...wanna set your sights a little lower?" That just made me dig in my heels and work that much harder. This was before the interwebs, so I read books like Flight of the Intruder, Lords of Discipline, and the Great Santini. I went to airshows and asked the guys in flight suits how they got there. I visited the USS AMERICA during Fleet Week NYC 1988 when I was 11. I went up to one of the VF-102 Diamondbacks and asked him if they had received AMRAAMS yet. He and his RIO belly laughed and said, "kid, you're going places." I got good grades, was captain of the swim team, senior class president dork. Got into the Academy and rowed crew. Drank a lot and barely graduated, but back in 1998 there were more pilot slots than qualified applicants, so I got into flight school. Tried to apply my Academy study habits to flight school (epic fail) and found a moment of zen when I realized how lucky I was to even be there after dreaming it for so long. It's easy to lose sight in flight school how many other people would literally sacrifice a left nut to be there. So I buckled down, gladly took my helo selection, enjoyed HTs and got my first choice selection, Phrogs out of Norfolk. Many adventures since, some of them recounted on this site.

Best of luck!

 

[Schnugg]

"Remember when you were with the Beatles?"

 

[Jim123]

...

"Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?!?"

 

[DecodaGrant]

Great story prog! Nice that you did what you want, I hope to also

 

[blackbart22]

Re targets on Padre Island. There were four targets on Padre Island in the 59- 60 time frame, reading from north to south they were Caffee, Duck, Eddie, and the Impact area. Caffee (yes with an A) Duck and Eddie had a bullseye and were raked (a guy on the ground checked your dive angle on each run). They were for dive (60 degrees) and glide bombing (40 degrees) or if the weather was nasty "mast head bombing. The impact area was for rockets and strafeing. They had a few old air-to-air banners stretched out on the ground for targets. In ATU-301 (later VT-30) the majority of our training flights were weapons delivery training. only got to do masthead bombing once , roll in at 1000', level off at 50' and with the right lead, pickle when the piper crossed the bullseye. Only hits from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock counted. A guy in my flight asked the instructor what to do if the radar altimeter didn't work. He said " There's a sign on the fence around the target. It says Government property, keep out and some other stuff. If you can read the top two lines and not the other stuff, you're at 50'. The fence posts are 6 ' tall and your prop sticks 7' feet below your aircraft. Do not hit the the fence posts with your prop."

 

[banana380]

...
You are basing this on what?...

I base the statement on what nearly every instrument instructor said: "you're hardly ever gonna use this shit in the fleet."

Humility I have; my statement was merely a reflection on the fact that I feel confident in the aircraft, its abilities, and mine within it. I am aware the -57 can and does continue to surprise, as evidenced by the flurry of R&I's about twistgrip manipulation.

 

[scoolbubba]

For those who may wonder...The A-4 SpcWpns "over the shoulder" loft maneuver (Idiot Loop)!
View attachment 11063
Entry: 500 kt. 100' alt. - when over target 100% power, 4g pullup, auto wpn release ~120 deg., continue over the top then @ 45 deg. nose down roll upright, descend to deck, then close your eyes...pray, and RUN LIKE HELL!
*It's actually not a loop, bu a 1/2 Cuban 8...
BzB

I assume the "Idiot" part of it is because it requires you to not only overfly the people you intend to turn into bright hot white light, but to also pull up higher into a threat envelope while losing energy to release a nuclear weapon on top of them (and you).

Did McNamara think this up?

 

[BusyBee604]

I assume the "Idiot" part of it is because it requires you to not only overfly the people you intend to turn into bright hot white light, but to also pull up higher into a threat envelope while losing energy to release a nuclear weapon on top of them (and you).

I honestly think the "idiot" part was for just being a VA pilot (A-1/3/4/5/6/7) during the cold war. We knew that the Skyhawk was designed as a 'throw away' one-time, big-boom tosser. Most of the actual targets assigned, planned & debriefed were 'one way', fuel planning showed that! Like the VT Sqdns at Midway, target destruction trumps all, pilots are expendable, as it should be in critical times. They could not be considered 'kamikaze', as Safe Areas for ejections & SAR arrangements were thoroughly planned and briefed.

Did McNamara think this up?

Nah, it was developed in VX Squadrons early in the cold war, when the head "Whiz Kid" was a 'coffee gofer' at GM!
BzB