brabus Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Valid clarification - F-16s are all drones too. It’s a weird feeling sitting in a fighter flown by a 69 yr old dude on the ground! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBueno Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Tac airlifter here. I’m assuming the orange tails are drones, but they can be flown in-cockpit, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Correct. Fly like a normal jet, but can be taken control of from the ground. I got a flight in the F-4…it was awesome: got my ass kicked in BFM by a Viper and eventually the 69 yr old guy on the ground took control for some maneuvering and then RTB and a pattern. Very cool nostalgic flight, but man I’m glad I never had to go to war in an F-4! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHFP Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Brabus, you are breaking my Heart. Flew the hard wing C, D, Es and the Slatted E. Great machine. But then it was the only real choice for me back then (before you were born). Check Six, D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Ha, don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome flight and very grateful I have it in the logbook! Actually a lot of props to the guys who did it - way harder and less survivable compared to what the following generations experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeloDude Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 22 minutes ago, brabus said: Ha, don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome flight and very grateful I have it in the logbook! Actually a lot of props to the guys who did it - way harder and less survivable compared to what the following generations experienced. How did you split the time between you flying and the ground dude? 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I logged it all, and as far as the ground guy… 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff_T Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 18 hours ago, brabus said: I logged it all, and as far as the ground guy… Make sure you put those F-4 hours on your official AF biography. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Never had a bio, and I see that as a win. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuggyU2 Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 10 hours ago, Biff_T said: Make sure you put those F-4 hours on your official AF biography. I did 2 laps on the Circuit of the Americas in an Aston Martin DB9... ... with an instructor watching me. But I'm now "a race car driver". So annoying. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff_T Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 15 hours ago, brabus said: Never had a bio, and I see that as a win. This! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapticles Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 Need some advice. I finished UPT at the end of last year. My guard squadron is going through a transition meaning that I will likely not be flying much after IQT/MQT/MEST. I’ll be sitting at about 300-400 hours at that point. Does anyone think the civilian T6 job would be willing to waive the time requirements for someone that is UPT complete considering the job requires the applicant to complete UPT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuggyU2 Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 Who knows? But the job is likely a long way from becoming reality. And with 400 hours, you have a LOT better job opportunities than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herkbier Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 You might be able to fly with other units. I have friends who did that in similar circumstances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 4 hours ago, slapticles said: My guard squadron is going through a transition Are you taking about filling the time gap between losing your current aircraft and going to training for the next aircraft? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapticles Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 17 hours ago, brabus said: Are you taking about filling the time gap between losing your current aircraft and going to training for the next aircraft? Pretty much. Maintaining proficiency, continue building time, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Your best bet is to score flying with other units. Your CC should help facilitate that. It won’t likely be the amount or consistency you really want, but it’ll keep your “head above water” flying-wise until the future aircraft course. Consider things like: - Augment another unit’s deployment, TDYs, etc. - Go TDY every 6 weeks or so to get a couple sorties with another unit - Look into ability to PCS to another unit for a couple years until the new aircraft training timing is right - Is there a TX available to attend earlier and you go to another unit with the new aircraft for a while until home unit has the new aircraft? All of these options are tried and true. Talk to your CC about all of them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wikz Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) On 2/13/2024 at 1:53 PM, brabus said: Ha, don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome flight and very grateful I have it in the logbook! Actually a lot of props to the guys who did it - way harder and less survivable compared to what the following generations experienced. kind of off topic, but how many hours did you log as a guard pilot throughout your flying career? I forgot if your were prior AD or not. if so, does anyone know what the typical amount of hours a part-time and full-time guard fighter pilot gets after their first 10 year commitment? Edited March 12 by wikz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Very subjective as no two careers look the same. I probably had around 1500 hrs fighter time at my 10 yr point (~1800 TT including UPT/a year of BIT). That was all AD. My rough guess is a full time guard guy in fighters gets around 169 hrs per year if not deployed; add some more hours for a deployment year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polar Bear Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 17 minutes ago, brabus said: Very subjective as no two careers look the same. I probably had around 1500 hrs fighter time at my 10 yr point (~1800 TT including UPT/a year of BIT). That was all AD. My rough guess is a full time guard guy in fighters gets around 169 hrs per year if not deployed; add some more hours for a deployment year. Do guard pilots fly more than AD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brabus Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Hard to say, but probably fairly equal when averaged out (assuming full time guard). Guard maintenance is way better on average, so that probably gives an edge to the guard guys. All subjective feelings, not based on data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff_T Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 5 hours ago, wikz said: kind of off topic, but how much strange did you log as a guard pilot throughout your flying career? I forgot if your were prior AD or not. if so, does anyone know what the typical amount of strange a part-time and full-time guard fighter pilot gets after their first 10 year commitment? It's all about the strange @wikz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springer Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 (edited) On 2/13/2024 at 11:19 AM, SHFP said: Brabus, you are breaking my Heart. Flew the hard wing C, D, Es and the Slatted E. Great machine. But then it was the only real choice for me back then (before you were born). Check Six, D Same SHFP. Some wanna'b kids in here.😁 Edited March 13 by Springer 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHFP Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Springer, now we are the Dinos that we talked about and with....In the early 70s, stationed in USAFE, I met an O-6 during NATO Crested Cap that asked me to help him plan a Low Level into France. As I recall, I think he was the CC of the "Tacos" (New Mexico ANG) flying A-7s. When asked the Route he wanted to fly and why, he told me he had flown P-51s and wanted to see his WW2 Airfield, even if it was no longer there. Flew three wars. I think he was probably about a young 55 or so! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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