The flight cap crush/crunch

[Guest PilotKD]

Originally posted by HercDude:

No one is "qualified" to wear it - it's against regs. And it's uber-gay to say that because you are a 500-hour fighter guy/100 combat missions/ROTC with a pilot slot/patch-wearing ABM/whatever that you are qualified to wear it but someone else is not.

Furthermore, a tool is still a tool, even if he crunches his cap.

It is against regs, but our AF Thunderbirds, the very symbol representing our AF to the public around the world, wear their caps like that. :confused:

[Login Name]

As a mx officer I think I'm going to start crushing my hat. Sometimes when I get out on line I'll wear ear defenders...and well, even though I'm not wearing a hat, I know they would be crushing my hat so that should allow me to wear my cover like that.

[Hacker]

Originally posted by HercDude:

No one is "qualified" to wear it - it's against regs.

Where in 36-2903 does it say that?

[Mambo]

Hacker...you are so right! I checked and nowhere in there does it say that you can't. Awesome. I am going to encourage every airman I can find to start crushing his flight cap! I think we may actually be able to use this as a retention tool for the enlisted. I think my first stop will be finance and MPF, I'm sure I can find a couple of one or two stripers there who want to be cool. :D

[brickhistory]

"Bomber crush?!" WTF?

As noted on the first page, it was normally referred to as a "50 mission crush," as the USAAF wheel hat had the grommet in it to keep it circular-shaped. That grommet made the headphones then in use not fit right, so the grommet was removed and the headphones worn over the now relaxed, floppy hat.

After a combat tour, bomber, fighters, transports - try telling the Hump pilots they weren't in combat/doing some really dangerous sh1t or the C-47s pilots who dropped on D-Day or Market-Garden they weren't in "combat" - the hat was permanently misshapen and was the sign of an experienced veteran.

I also think you'll find that most WWII B-17 and B-24 dudes wore something called a 'steel helmet' as flak protection far more than they did a hat during actual missions.

Separate but related, the RAF fighter guys unbuttoned the top button of their coat/tie uniform as their version of "sticking it to the man" esprit de corps.

Both services would fly missions, not all, but certainly a lot, wearing a damn coat and tie either under a bag or even without a bag.

That would blow. Kinda takes the sting out of "blues on Mondays."

Besides, any of the WWII combat vets earned to wear whatever the hell they wanted to wear.

[BQZip01]

It is against regs, but our AF Thunderbirds, the very symbol representing our AF to the public around the world, wear their caps like that. :confused:

...I'm pretty sure their regs are a little different. However, if their regs are the same as mine, I'd like to know where I can get a shnazzy red flight suit too...

As to the basic subject of the thread, I've heard it called all kinds of things: Combat Crush (for those who have combat time), a Mach peak (for those who have been above Mach 1), Bomber Crush (self-explanatory), etc. (see all previous comments). As to who can/can't wear it, I just don't care. If, in your community, no one wears a "crush" until they've done XYZ, then don't wear it until then. If you are wearing it to be like the bomber pilots in WWII, why would you denigrate someone for that? Their emulating some of the bravest men in the history of the world!

On a related note, at Texas A&M, the Corps freshmen wear a peak in the back of their biter (when they changed the design of the hats, someone commented that it looked like a c**k biter...the name stuck, though the etymology of the word is certainly a bit obscure...). The sophomores wear their hats with a smaller peak and the juniors wear the smallest one they can get away with. Only the seniors are allowed to NOT have a peak...

...then again, Aggies have been accused of being a "backwards" school...

Gig 'em!!

[FourFans]

"Bomber crush?!" WTF?

As noted on the first page, it was normally referred to as a "50 mission crush," as the USAAF wheel hat had the grommet in it to keep it circular-shaped. That grommet made the headphones then in use not fit right, so the grommet was removed and the headphones worn over the now relaxed, floppy hat.

After a combat tour, bomber, fighters, transports - try telling the Hump pilots they weren't in combat/doing some really dangerous sh1t or the C-47s pilots who dropped on D-Day or Market-Garden they weren't in "combat" - the hat was permanently misshapen and was the sign of an experienced veteran.

I also think you'll find that most WWII B-17 and B-24 dudes wore something called a 'steel helmet' as flak protection far more than they did a hat during actual missions.

Separate but related, the RAF fighter guys unbuttoned the top button of their coat/tie uniform as their version of "sticking it to the man" esprit de corps.

Both services would fly missions, not all, but certainly a lot, wearing a damn coat and tie either under a bag or even without a bag.

That would blow. Kinda takes the sting out of "blues on Mondays."

Besides, any of the WWII combat vets earned to wear whatever the hell they wanted to wear.

Thanks Brick for getting back on target. The only thing we really have that's close to the "50 mission crush" is our desert floppy hats that is now bleeched white and our dirty name tags. If you think you've "earned" crushing your cap, then you're probably "entitled" to prop-and-wings and an army air corp patch too. If you want to crush your hat and call it heritage, fine, but don't say you've earned it. That was their generation, find your own thing. If you feel the need for validation that your existence is important...start doing your job and stop worrying about who sees you and your crushed hat. People notice a job well done.

Actions speak louder than hats. Stop talking about the BS you've earned and go earn something!

The defense rests.

Lets get back to bring the Demotivational Poster Thread back to the top.

FF

Edited April 9, 2009 by FourFans130

[Guest alfakilo]

"Bomber crush?!" WTF?

...the hat was permanently misshapen and was the sign of an experienced veteran.

Good post. This sentence really says it all. The crushed wheel cap was an indication of experience...and not necessarily experience in a particular type of aircraft or time of peace or war.

Much of what I've read here smacks of the need of some to feel equal to others...or maybe, to feel exclusive of others. Aside from the PC aspects of people not wanting to feel diminished, the fact that people look for ways to differentiate themselves from others has probably been around a long, long time. There will always be people on the outside looking for a way to get inside. Such is life.