New Guy here from FL

[jmcquate]

Once in awhile they do, and sometimes the airplane just decides it's not it's time to die. We had one airplane that every time we put it on the end of the runway it would break. So we'd tow it back it in put it in the hangar, test it and nothing would be wrong with it. It did this like 9 times, well the 10th time was the charm it took off and now it's sleepin with da fishes

You guys should have painted a cat on the nose and named it Morrris.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I spoke to the pilot and he told me that the guys flying the drones put up a fight and every once and a while cheat death and RTB.

Suffice to say that not every shoot is planned to end with killing the drone(s). When I shot my Sparrow, it was never intended to be a kill shot.

 

[BusyBee604]

We had one airplane that every time we put it on the end of the runway it would break. So we'd tow it back it in put it in the hangar, test it and nothing would be wrong with it. It did this like 9 times, well the 10th time was the charm it took off and now it's sleepin with da fishes

Well, it's tough knowing you're going up on your last flight, at least it was for me the week I retired...but it's much better than going up, not knowing it's your last flight.
BzB

 

[Phantom309]

BzB I've seen so many fini flight, I bet for a pilot that has be a hard thing to do.

 

[Fog]

Suffice to say that not every shoot is planned to end with killing the drone(s). When I shot my Sparrow, it was never intended to be a kill shot.

Sure . . . that's your story and you're stickin' to it !!

 

[BusyBee604]

BzB I've seen so many fini flight, I bet for a pilot that has be a hard thing to do.

My final flight(s) was a fun X/C from NAS Lemoore to Westover AFB MA in NP 401, the famed "Lady Jessie"... offered to this retiring 'staff weenie' by CDR Stan Arthur, CO VA-164.

Flight Itinerary: (wingman LTJG Stan Buletza VA-164)
07/19/74 NLC-CVS-CEF 5.6
07/21/74 CEF-ABQ-NLC 6.5

*For the interesting story on how 'LJ' was named, google: Lady Jessie VA-164.

BzB

 

[Phantom309]

@BzB How cool is that! What an honor to fly the ole'girl cross country on your fini-flight.

 

[Phantom309]

@kow-aka "Spanky" I'm extremely proud of my time in the Air Force. It's the best thing I ever did to better my life. It was the little things that drove me out of it. Sometimes I do wish I had joined the Navy because as an outsider looking in, it would appear that the Navy is deep in tradition as where the Air Force lack tradition due to being the youngest branch of service.

 

[BusyBee604]

...it would appear that the Navy is deep in tradition as where the Air Force lack tradition due to being the youngest branch of service.

Unfortunately, during this PC cycle the military is enduring, the Navy has seen fit to 'cleanse' itself of some of our most cherished traditions. Two of those being CPO Initiations, and Polliwog to Shellback ceremonies crossing the equator (hazing?). Sad really, even our traditional uniform have been assaulted and changed to a point that often you cannot distinguish the service affiliation or rank until up close. I believe that someday the PC crowd will fade away, and traditions restored, but probably not in my lifetime...
BzB

 

[Phantom309]

We can truly hope that it will fade away and traditions restored. I've always felt that as long as it's kept safe then no harm, no foul. I probably won't see it either.
I've heard of the crossing the equator ceremonies from a guy that come to Tyndall to work on a radar site.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Two of those being CPO Initiations, and Polliwog to Shellback ceremonies crossing the equator (hazing?).
BzB

Was talking to the CMC the other day, and I was surprised to hear how recently (according to him) the initiation rites to CPO'dom changed. To be honest, and this is from his perspective only (since I obviously never have BTDT), some things have changed for the better. I had my "wog" ceremony in 2005 aboard the Kitty Hawk, and it was basically an exercise in getting wet. I think maybe one person out of my entire group had to go see the greasy fat chief. I think we heard more about reporting hazing, than we did from the shellbacks. Even then, some shoe female LCDR was complaining, and fully refused to do some of the activities. As an aside, I accidentally called her "sir" at one point during that mid cruise, and I'm sure you can guess how much she loved that

 

[Phantom309]

I bet that went over about as well a babyruth in a swimming pool. This is off topic, one of the uh-oh moments I ever saw was in basic training. After we ate chow we would have stand out in formation and wait for the rest of the flight to finish eating before we could go back to our barracks. My flight would stand in one location and our brother flight would stand next to us.

One evening after eating chow standing there waiting on there on the rest of my flight with our brother flight next us, out walks our squadron commander, and my flight leader salutes and greets, and my brother flights flight leader gave the sharpest salute I've ever seen and greets the commander. His main downfall was he saluted with he left hand...

 

[ryan1234]

Sometimes I wish I had gotten involved with Navy aviation instead of AF, from an outsider looking in, it would appear that the Navy has a stronger heritage and cooler traditions.

Hey Now!


How long have you been doing the F-4 gig? Do you know a crusty old guy who used to be around those parts... Jive?

 

[Phantom309]

@Ryan I've been in the F-4 gig for 10 years, If it's the Jive I'm thinking of he was one of our pilots, not sure where he's flying now though