Survival Gear and Preparation...

[Uncle Fester]

What's the deal with carrying weapons while flying? I was always under the impression that you can only fly with an issued M9, but I'm hearing talk of .45s and M4's and M-16 mags on here. What's the official word?

It's usually a command decision. Big Navy doesn't care, but skippers and CAGs get twitchy when everyone starts going out and buying .357s and Desert Eagles that they don't know how to handle.

Helo bubbas have more room for personal arsenals, and more likelihood of making emergency landings right by pissed-off locals than the fast-movers.

 

[raptor10]

My dream survival kit:

One forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.

Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

 

[Semper Jump Jet]

...and I like guns, but I didn't plan on shooting my way out of anything. Just carried for last ditch maneuvers and signaling --- so I carried a .45 w/2 mags, the issue .38 w/all flares and a pocket .25 w/one mag. Mix or match at your discretion. If I had to do it again today, I'd carry something for flares (.38?) and a small 9mm.

I'd hate to see what you'd carry if you WERE planning on shooting your way out!

I carry enough ammunition to support my E & E plan, which is to car-jack some fool and make him drive me back to base so I don't miss mid-rats.

 

[phrogpilot73]

What's the deal with carrying weapons while flying? I was always under the impression that you can only fly with an issued M9, but I'm hearing talk of .45s and M4's and M-16 mags on here. What's the official word?

Issued weapons are what you carry. M-4's and M-16's are issued, and it is our option to bring them with us or not. The 53, 46, and Huey guys generally get M-16's, the Cobra guys get M-4's (not enough room in the Cobra for an M-16). I had my pistol on my body, and my M-16 in the cabin. .45's used to be issue, but no longer. The M-11 that MB referenced is the military designation for the Sig P226, I thought it was only issued to SpecWar, but I guess not. Still an issued weapon though.

Don't be "that guy" that tries to bring a personal weapon, or ammo. After the squadron we turned over with left Iraq and we cleaned the barracks, we found 20-some rounds of 9mm hollow point. Big no-no. As the S-4A, it was given to me. Quandry here - can't turn it in, don't want to throw it away, what to do, what to do... I waited until I was flying with a crew I trusted, then gave the rounds to my AO. During the test fire, we heard the distinct "boom, boom, boom" of the XM-218 followed by the "pop, pop, pop" of a M-9.

one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles

You do realize that we're currently at war in a country that speaks Arabic, right? Hell, there's no Russian on the blood chits which should tell you something...

 

[Uncle Fester]

You do realize that we're currently at war in a country that speaks Arabic, right? Hell, there's no Russian on the blood chits which should tell you something...

Come on, brother! Don't tell me they don't teach the classics anymore!

Slim Pickens as Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

 

[Pugs]

The M-11 that MB referenced is the military designation for the Sig P226, I thought it was only issued to SpecWar, but I guess not. Still an issued weapon though.

Yep, standard issue for Navy ejection seat crews but I thought it was a the more compact Sig P228 vice the 226.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Yep, standard issue for Navy ejection seat crews but I thought it was a the more compact Sig P228 vice the 226.

Yup, it is. I stand corrected.

 

[Gatordev]

Yep, standard issue for Navy ejection seat crews but I thought it was a the more compact Sig P228 vice the 226.

On the Navy side, the "rules" are you can bring your own weapon (command approved, of course) since you have the weight, but you have to be qual'ed w/ the weapon (and it doesn't take much). However, to get officially qual'ed, you have to shoot w/ Navy ammo (there's a few ways around that but that's the general rule). So if what you chose to fly w/ isn't 9mm, guess what?

Again, those are the basics of the rules. I'm sure there's plenty that can give anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

 

[A4sForever]

I'd hate to see what you'd carry if you WERE planning on shooting your way out!.....

You got that right.

Actually, the 1911A1 was my Dad's from WW2 and he gave it to me just before I "shipped out" the first time ... I didn't always carry it, just when the occasion "felt right". The .25 in the left arm cigarette pocket was a popular backup/hideaway after we heard how Frank Pendergast saved his butt w/a similar arrangement ... while his pilot, CDR Charlie Putnam died running from his gook pursuers down a beach near Thanh Hoa.

That's right; for those who can't handle it, I used the non-PC term of the period -- "gook". They killed a fleeing shotdown pilot, shot him in the back from all accounts. One of our own -- could have been any one of us, but for time and place. What would you call them ???

For the story see: Osprey Combat Aircraft #51, "RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat" ...

 

[CWJones411]

Link to story:
http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/p/px03.htm

 

[hscs]

What would you call them ???

I prefer sh-thead or haji....but that is for this war...and still not pc...

 

[MasterBates]

Durkas also works.

 

[Achilles]

That's right; for those who can't handle it, I used the non-PC term of the period -- "gook". They killed a fleeing shotdown pilot, shot him in the back from all accounts. One of our own -- could have been any one of us, but for time and place. What would you call them ???

I always thought it took balls for McCain, as a politican, to repeatedly use that word in public. After staying in one of their luxury resorts for 5 years I feel like he earned the right to call them that.

Reference

 

[MIDNJAC]

The great Survival Gear thread, or What Works Out There?

Mods please move this if incorrect forum

So I have access to one of the best, most extensive outdoor supply stores in the country over the next few days and am considering picking up some things to supplement my flight gear. If I recall correctly from API/DJET/etc we get an extra 5 lbs of extra stuff, so I'm wondering what you all who have BTDT (in some way, shape, or form) would recommend. I know that the existing "load out" contains a lot of stuff oriented to water survival, but in all likelihood, if I ever needed to use it in the next year or two, it would be over land and probably in the woods. Thoughts?

My initial ideas were picking up some sort of camel back set up, which I heard is weighed empty, and perhaps a land-based GPS as well. That said, I know there have to be a lot of other useful things to have as well. Also, if anyone has suggestions for other types of climates, that might help other members who are flying elsewhere. Thanks in advance!

 

[ea6bflyr]

1. Leatherman or Gerber
2. Lightweight skull cap & gloves
3. Single handed matchlight
4. Additional fishing gear.
5. Handsaw (thin wire with two rings)
6. Safety wire
7. Good compass
8. Good Whistle

If you have access to a SEAL-A-MEAL, you can use it to suck all the air out and make it waterproof.

-ea6bflyr