HELICOPTER vs JET

[bor0101]

Hi, could someone tell me why the girls think that fighters guys are more popular than the jets? The reasons that i got from them: "fighters are faster, fighters have biggger guns"-i think those reasons are silly.

But anyway, even if you cant answer this question, i have another one. In case of helicopters, which service has the more interesting jobs? If you were to compare marines, army, and the coast guard?

Some of the things i'm looking to are flying a smaller aircraft. For example i dont like the larger transport helos, but would like the smaller ones like blackhawks so i could either shoot people like the way they did in somalia or save people out of the water(coastguard sar). And i am very much interested in the hours of flying time, for example how many hours/wk do they get for training/missions, etc? Is coast guard the most active of the services?

And for lifestyle, i like that marines take the pft seriously, and i can get near 300 and think tbs would be a fun experience, but i am more interested in your lifestyle once you become a pilot, do you have the weekends off or any other days when you dont have to go to work at all?

Also, i saw on the news the marines helos, but they were all large transport helos. Do you have any that are smaller and could be used in inserting people at night into a building or helping people fight rebels in the mountains?
Thank you.

 

[RyanVR]

If you would pick an aircraft based on what "girls" think about the pilots of that aircraft, it's a bad thing.

Furthermore, if you want to fly because you view it as a "hotshot" type position where you can do whatever you want any time you want, it's a bad thing.

Which service has more interesting jobs is a subjective question. It depends on what you view as interesting. If you believe what someone says is the "best platform", it's a bad thing.

I can't give you any details about specific hours each pilots get but from you post it sounds like you are interested in aviation primary for the percieved benefits of the aviator "high life".

If you were to join the military, i'd advise it to be for reasons other than these.

Do more research. It would take but a few moments to find information about the helos that the Marine Corps employs.

In the Marines, you are a Marine Officer that happens to be an aviator, not the other way around.

Ryan Von Rembow
PLC-186 combined Candidate

 

[reapergm]

bor0101 -How old are you? Are you in school?

 

[bor0101]

Hi, i like the Cobra AH-1 and also the coast guard. I heard that the coast guard pilots fly the most, and they work like the firefighters. That is they are 2 days on, and 2 days off(when they stay home). Is it true about the coast guard pilots?? Also i havent heard anything about the work-hours of the marine chopper pilots? Please tell me about their hours! I for one always thought that flying a helicopter was the coolest job.

Yes, i do value the girls' opinion. If they tell me that coast guard pilots are glorified ambulance drivers, it pisses me off. But in reality, i want to know more about exactly what they do on their job. And when the time comes for me to choose, i'll weigh everything.

Reaper, i am 20, studying math at a university

 

[bor0101]

Ok to make my questions more clear:

1) How many hours/wk does a coast guard pilot fly when not deployed? How many hours/wk is the coast guard pilot on duty (as in not free to go home)? Same question for the marines.
2) What kind of training sorties does the marines cobra pilot go on? I.e. is it normal to fly around california several days/wk and fire live ammunition at various targets?
3) Anything else interesting to compare the lifestyle of the marine and coast guard pilots?
thanks

 

[phrogdriver]

1st, the Blackhawk and the CH-46E both are primarily used for the same mission, one for the Army, one for the Marines. They are both considered medium-lift. They are the workhorses that get troops into LZs, rooftops, ships at sea, rappelling, parachuting, etc. The Marines can use the Huey in some of these, but it's not as well suited for these missions. These "transports"--we prefer "assault support," are as much, if not more, in the middle of the action than the shooters.

To go to the later questions, Marine helo pilots can expect about 20-25 hours of flying a month when not deployed. You can expect to be on deployment 6 months straight during a given 2 yr period, plus some shorter trips for exercises. That's assuming no wars, etc.

Most Cobra training involves simulating the missions without using bullets--i.e. flying the profiles without sending rounds downrange. Those things are expensive. You might expect to put bullets or rockets downrange once every few weeks, a live TOW or Hellfire missile maybe once a year. Nowadays, you might get a chance to shoot at the real thing.

Coasties fly more. Their mission is just as dangerous, but for different reasons. They rescue people in trouble. When do they get in trouble? In bad weather.

 

[phrogdriver]

Oh, and as far as helping "fight people in the mountains," the king daddy in the mountainous environment, e.g. Afghanistan, was the CH-53E Super Stallion. That's the biggest helo in the US inventory. It has the extra power necessary to carry a decent payload in a high alt environment. Most other birds will severely restrict their useful loads up that high.

The AH-1 has a very hard time hovering with a decent weapons load at a high alt, and even the AH-64 Apache has some problems up high.

Work hours--vary greatly. Typically, you might work 0800-1630 if you're not flying that day. If you're flying, expect a 10-12 hour workday. Weekends are usually off. Getting ready to deploy, or on deployment itself, all bets are off. They own you 24/7/365.

More facts on USMC helos are in the "factfile" at usmc.mil

 

[bor0101]

Thank you very much! Also, in the coast guard and airforce, do you also work 0800-1630 on a regular day? And what is the schedule for getting promoted? I read that in the air force you become 0-3 rigt after you get your wings, but you only get O-4 at the end of your commitment, at the 10 year mark.

 

[Skid27]

If you fly Cobras you will shoot more often than every few weeks. The only time there are dedicated SIMCAS missions is at the end of the FY if the NCEA is running out. Otherwise, at least some ordnance is carried on all CAS or BCWD missions. As a stud you will shoot plenty of rockets and guns. PGMs are harder to come by, but there are normally 5-7 Hellfire and TOW per Squadron as well as donated missiles from VX-9, EWGTPAC/LANT, etc.. As an IP you will shoot the majority of rides.

 

[phrogdriver]

Promotion rates are dictated by federal law. Your time in service will be almost identical by length of service in any branch.

 

[TNWhiskey]

I agree with Ryan's post above...as a Marine you will be a Marine Officer first and TBS isn't known as 'The Big Suck' for nothing. While weighing your options between services is a smart thing to do, please join for the right reasons. What girls think is BS unless you're married to one. I'm not any wise old man, but the Military isn't Top Gun, its We Were Soldiers and Blackhawk Down. So while its funny to talk about how much tail you'll get once in uniform the reality is some young Sergeant's wife just got word he ain't coming home.

 

[Pat1USMC]

Phrogdriver already anwered your questions well, so i'd just like to put some input in as well. If you go through life doing things just because of what other people think, you're not going to be too happy. Come on man, 3 years down the line, am I going to care that a girl knows what an F-18 looks like but not a Prowler? I could care less, I know I'm going to be happy, because thats what I wanted. (I think!) I understand that it would start to piss you off, but I think maturing a little will help you get over that really quickly.
Anyway, I hope you make the right decision for you. But I would urge you not to make that decision based on a girls opinion or how fast you will be promoted or how much time off you will have off. None of that will mean anything when you're in week 4 of OCS or month 4 of TBS or on deployment somewhere.
Good luck.

 

[bor0101]

Thank you all!

 

[plmtree]

bor0101, if you're worried about an 9am-5pm schedule then you might as well stop looking here and go check out corporate America. Wether you're a Marine, sailor, soldier, airman or coastie, you're one 24/7/365, not just from 9-5. In a perfect world, you will work a normal workday but in the military you're not guaranteed a normal workday. You train to go to war and war does not stop at 5pm and resume the next morning at 9am.
I'm not trying to bash on you or anything, but from reading your posts, you sound more worried about what the girls think, what the hotshot in the latest action flick flew, and of punching out after 5pm. If that is so, then you're in the wrong place. TNWhiskey and RyanVR are so right its not even funny. I hope you reconsider your reasons before joining.

 

[46Driver]

If you are looking for a 9 to 5 job, you need to look outside of aviation. It sure isn't the military - and the airlines work just as long. Corporate can be on call around the clock.