Hacker

All right guys, calm it down a little bit. We're getting wrapped up in some minor terminology issues here that, obviously, don't make sense. The problem is, boys, an airplane does not get a RWR indication for a surface-to-surface anything. If it was a SCUD, a Seersucker, a FROG, an ABABIL-100, or BM-21, any airplane out there would have had zero indications outside of the visual acquisition of the smoke trail at launch. These weapons are not radar-guided, so they would not have some kind of radar pointed at an airplane to aim them prior to launch. The other problem is that outside of the BM-21 rockets I don't know of any S-S missiles being used against aircraft over in Iraq. So are we really talking about that...or was FB311 actually trying to describe a ballistic SAM launch, which happened a sh*tload of times in Iraq because the SAM operators were scared of the HARM. EDITORIAL COMMENT: Thanks, Weasel Dudes!! So...to translate the post -- there was a ballistic SAM launch at the 135 and 130, they got no RWR warning, it flew out in front of them, and they flew through the smoke trail after the missile passed. The boomer saw the launch and was scared because the guys up in the front office did not maneuver. The 135 co-pilot had all the SA while the pilot was scared and whizzing his trousers. The grizzled Gunship crew laughed about it.

10K over Karbala on the 2nd week of OIF when I was shot at by two ROLANDs. Both of them detonated less than 100 feet behind my tails. There's not enough $ in the world to make me go back to that place/time again -- EVER.

Wearing the nametag on the shoulder comes primarily from wear of a loaded survival vest, although you'll have F-15C and Viper guys tell you it's because of the COMBAT EDGE vest. Guys were doing that long before the counterpressure vest came along, though. The reality is, they're both good reasons -- the name can't be read under either item of gear, and also can get caught up under that stuff.

Looks like you *have* learned something in the mighty Smurf! There's still a long way to go after OB-4 solo, but looks like you've got the right sight picture, so good luck. Let's hear an update when it's time for DB-4. For what it's worth...you won't "smell the cordite" when you shoot the gun in real life (unless you're going to a Hog). As a matter of fact, the actual gun shooting is pretty anti-climactic -- it's the part where the bullets impact which is really cool.

Wait until your first Phase I or Phase II ORE/ORI...then it will allllllll make sense! The short story is that they're simulating generating sorties while in a chem/bio attack environment. Pilots will wear the regular helmet with the mask up and visor down to simulate wearing the the Aircrew Chemical Defense Ensemble, which is basically a complicated gas mask you can fly with. It's easy to damage the real thing by wearing it in an exercise, and because the field of view is pretty poor through the eyepieces, it's safer to fly during an exercise with it simulated. I don't think he's going to go fly with the flak vest on...it's likely just there while he's on the ground prior to getting in the jet and going. [ 07. June 2005, 20:02: Message edited by: Hacker ]

I was told yes by the LS techs at CBM - even the clear visors.

Gotta love those in the cockpit shots showing a dude's hands maneuvering the jet, yet there are OFF flags on the instruments. [ 02. June 2005, 01:09: Message edited by: Hacker ]

Rock Ridge...nice to know that guys back in The Storm had a little sense of humor when they named the bullseye. If only they had named the Ocean Parkway procedures in OIF the 'William J. LaPetomane Thru-Way'. "Somebody's gonna have to go back and get a sh*t-load of dimes!"

The kid's name was Todd Jarret Banker, and I think he climbed back under a rock once Sean Long "outed" him to the guys at Mountain Home. You're right, his website was entertaining, but also recognizable as a load of crap to people who knew any better. The worst part was that he put guys' actual names from the 391st who were on an OSW deployment out there on the 'net. He was like his own little Bold Tigers intel gathering network.

RaptorKiller has a good story there about beating up his WSO with some maneuvers. Gotta love when you can put the F-15E into a "9.2G bank" that put the 'pitter to sleep. That's a new one on me. Toro what are you teaching the kids at Shady J these days?! Seriously, if a guy did that stuff in real life he'd be getting his a$$ reamed in the Ops O's office and getting busted down to wingman or grounded if he was a wingman all ready. Stories like this are funny to people who aren't in the business, and instantly recognizable as BS to people who *are* in the biz!

It was an F-15E versus a Hind - hit it with a GBU-10. It actually wasn't intentionally an air-to-air kill; they dropped the bomb with the '24 on the ground and while the bomb was in flight the Hind took off. The WSO just kept the laser spot on it until the bomb impacted, which just happened to be while the helo was in flight. According to the SOF guys on the ground who watched the whole thing happen, the helo vaporized "like in a James Bond movie". The WSO who lased the bomb was my first F-15E Squadron Commander and put up with us newbies constantly asking him to tell the story. As an aside, I've seen the type of helo reported both on the internet and in books as anything from a Hip to an MD-500. Having talked to both guys who were there -- Rhino and Chewie -- they say it was a Hind. The "official" kill went on the books in 2002 (10 years after the fact!!) as a Hind. Out of curiosity (and if you can say so on the internet) how do you know if you're being lased? Realize that depending on what kind of LGB is headed your way, you may only get 8-10 seconds of warning even if you can detect the laser spot on you. Even if you move, the guy lasing the bomb in can follow you and guide it all the way to impact (unless you can get more than a mile or two away in 10 seconds). I don't think you'd find any fighter outside of a Hog staying low to fight a helo. Personally, I'd stay high, where you can't get to me (as you said) and reach out and touch you with a heater, LGB, or (if I was feeling really sporting) a strafe pass. I would think that if there were a fighter that wanted to get down in the weeds to tango with ya, you'd at least have a chance of getting a snap shot at him with your gun, or popping a heater off at him (if you have some -- not sure what the standard Longbow loadout is).

The "Shockwave" saga from over at studentpilot.net back about 5 years or so is one of my favorites. I like the Princess Diaries one, mostly because I was deployed to Al Udeid flying OIF sorties while Toro was bringing it to peoples' attention. I was simultaneously amused and pissed off at the situation.

Probably an accurate assessment of the scenario. Remember, though, that at least one fighter has an LGB-versus-helo kill, so be careful of where you decide to "hide". Of course, you could also just wait for the Viper to bingo out or flame out, and then you'd be okay.

Don't believe everything you see. As Toro can tell you, nobody is going through the B-Course with their sights set on getting any awards. The only award that students want is graduating and getting on to an operational unit in their fighter. I haven't watched the whole series, but I saw the episodes that were broadcast, and I work with one of the guys featured in the show. I can assure you that they were not "competing" for a Top Gun trophy while in their B-Course. That is something made up by the show's producers to create some sort of excitement for viewers of the show.

If anyone here is a SOF, I suggest you spend some down time talking to the tower watch supervisor about exactly this subject. From the conversations I've had with a couple different sups at Moody, it seems that tower controllers are *required* to say "check wheels down", regardless of if pilots have reported it or not.

Remember...AMOC spelled backward is 'COMA'.

In OIF in '03, at least, KMART was the CAOC and JEREMIAH was the actual MFWIC.

My take on it is...why would I want to go to the O'Club Bar when there's one in my squadron -- one where all my friends hang out and the alcohol is (more or less) free. I was a club member when I was a 2Lt because my SQ/CC told me it was the thing to do. I haven't been a member for the last 8 years or so, and aside from a dozen times when I haven't gotten a discount at lunch there, I haven't seen any negative impact.

It's against the life support technical order.

Curious, what is your position in life at Columbus? Student, IP, Wing Commander, Janitor, Casual Student? The reason I spoke to these particular officers -- two Majors in flight suits and a JAG officer -- was because they wanted to talk to Flight Commanders in IFF. If you are in that category, than you are right to be irritated that they did not talk to you. If you are not in that category, then there is probably a reason they did not talk to you. They wanted to know very specific information; how does academic testing work, how do relationships with our students work, stuff like that. There actually weren't any questions posed to us regarding the difference between gouge and cheating -- that portion was one way: they transmitted and we received. The whole point was moot, anyway, since we don't have any flightline testing at IFF, anyway, but that was the topic of their visit. Now sure which 'company answer' you're referring to, but I can assure you that out of eight fighter pilot Captains, there is not a lot of towing-the-line that happens. When it was opinion time on this subject, we definitely had a lot of 'em, and none of them were politically correct.

Yes...depending on how the patch cord is wired, you can either hear just intercomm or intercomm and radio. It plugs directly into the "mic" plug in the camera, a 1/4" jack. This isn't something you do every day, mind you. I certainly don't do it on the 0.7s and 0.8s I'm flying in the Smurf, but on pond crossings, ONE sorties, deployments to Nellis, and other long boring flights that I did in the Eagle, it was a nice thing to have.

It is probably a controlled 3-year tour (just a guess). The F-16 TX course is probably somewhere on the order of a month to 6 weeks.

8,000 feet for the T-38

If by "you" you mean the MAJCOM CCs who are issuing the medal to everyone, then yes, I think that's exactly what they're saying. I'm in favor of giving it to those it was intended to go to...and *not* to everyone, as has happened. 123abc, I'm the furthest thing from a "ribbon chaser"...read my post where I talk about being concerned about having participation in ONE operations on the *service record*, and notice I don't mention anything about what is worn on the chest of your mess dress or class As.

The fine art of avoiding use of the words "box" and "head", at least, greatly pre-date Tailhook. I had a neighbor growing up who had been an A-6 driver in Vietnam, and he jokingly used the "alternate" terminology as a matter of habit. Can't speak for the other word games, though. Light Gray Eagle guys are gonna have to ditch the whole "blivet" thing soon, heh heh.