On 9/6/2023 at 2:35 PM, Biff_T said:

Where does the aircraft commander sit in any us military helicopter?

…I’d guess the left but when pressed would doubt myself.

17 minutes ago, Majestik Møøse said:

…I’d guess the left but when pressed would doubt myself.

Good thing you're not Roberta lol.  

Isn’t it right side which is why the passing rules for helos are to the right and fixed wing to the left?

In the helos I flew, the left seat pilot ran the mission while the right seat was the flying pilot. We’d typically switch seats every few flights to keep current on both sides. There was no designated ‘AC’ seat. 

48 minutes ago, Bigred said:

In the helos I flew, the left seat pilot ran the mission while the right seat was the flying pilot. We’d typically switch seats every few flights to keep current on both sides. There was no designated ‘AC’ seat. 

This is the way

21 hours ago, Bigred said:

In the helos I flew, the left seat pilot ran the mission while the right seat was the flying pilot. We’d typically switch seats every few flights to keep current on both sides. There was no designated ‘AC’ seat. 

Winner.  This is an acceptable answer.   This dude flew helos.  

Answer: It’s mission specific.  Roberta would probably say something about Apaches and Cobras lol and I’d laugh.

Most US Military helicopters have been designed for the right seater to be the AC.   Various missions/training sorties result in various seat positions.   When I flew single pilot FCF flights in the Huey, I was required to fly in the right seat.  All the important shit is on the Right seat collective and cyclic  while the whole aircraft is designed around the right seater being in charge. The Huey didn’t have autopilot, so on an operational mission in the mountains I’d sit in the right seat as well.  I didn’t want to fuck around in a hover trying to let the new guy get some experience with a dude dangling out of the aircraft. Doing escort missions, no hoist, I’d switch seats (not if the co was too new). Definitely on a training sortie I’d let the co sit in the right seat  but in real life, if dude was too new and the flying environment was questionable, he’d be on the left.  Sometimes we flew missions with a FE in the left seat. No copilot.  Paves will differ as with USA, USN and USMC helos  but for the most part, they follow something similar to this or what @Bigred described.  

Edit: If I was giving an evaluation to someone as badass as Roberta, I wouldn’t just ask her yes or no answers. I wanna know how she thinks (I learned shit doing this as an Evaluator while giving checkrides, sometimes the knowledge I gained was useful). This would never be a question I’d ask a real helicopter pilot/sma, but I’d definitely throw a softball like this to person who never stepped foot in a US helo but claimed they did time in one.   Remember, Roberta flew Hueys, Pavelows and Pavehawks.  She would know the answer. Lol

 

Oh and she's a Viper driver as well.   Lol
 

Edited September 10, 20232 yr by Biff_T
Fun/clarification

On 8/31/2023 at 2:25 PM, Biff_T said:

Ive always wanted to encounter one of these yahoos and ask them what was their boldface for an engine fire in one of their many weapon systems?  Or an easy one like, whats the black and white VNE for the viper, or huey or Pave Low?   Dont even worry about and external factors such as DA, weight, configuration or the like.  Just a basic old VNE.   Nothing too cosmic.  Lol.  They never know.  

Whats VNE stand for?  Is a common response lol. 

Unfortunately, we’ve got the same limp hammers around FD, too, like this tub-o-shit.

I’ve run into a couple out in the wild, both AF and FDNY, while drinking, which usually leads me down the rabbit hole. I like letting them build their shit diorama and then asking them about some mundane details that anyone that’s actually spent a little time in job either knows, yet the “heroes” always seem to “forget.” Minor things that were part of regular life or rite of passage in either job that any one of us experienced, yet most of these shitbirds wouldn’t know or think to research. 

How was formal/standup/shotgun? Let’s talk about a random SERE factoid? When’s recurring boldface due? Tell me about your UPT base. What’s dispatch’s number? Where are medicals and when? What’s this random 10-xx radio code mean? Tell me about chauffeur school? On and on.

There are so many minutiae that we all deal with (in any job) that can usually weed out the Officer Doofies/Paul Blarts of the world.

Harder to weed out the ones that were in, but embellish their accomplishments, but they tend to be less brazen with folks in and only use their stories to wow outsiders. They usually know you’d probably have heard of them rescuing Col Masters with Chappie or fighting Axe in a warehouse fire. 
 

 

20 minutes ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

fighting Axe in a warehouse fire. 

 

 

Dating yourself with that one! I freaking loved that movie back in the day. Also, nice crossover for Iron Eagle and Backdraft with Jason Gedrick being in both.

Dating yourself with that one! I freaking loved that movie back in the day. Also, nice crossover for Iron Eagle and Backdraft with Jason Gedrick being in both.

Damn, he was in both of them. But didn’t he die in Backdraft?


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3 hours ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

When’s recurring boldface due?

"What's boldface?   SOF pilot heroes dont need boldface.  We dont have time for boldface." - Bar War Hero. 

They usually dont have time for a few situps either.  Look at Matt Bruce from @FDNYOldGuy's article.  If he was a pilot, he wouldn't need no stinking boldface either.  lol

Edited September 25, 20232 yr by Biff_T

12 hours ago, herkbum said:

 

Damn, he was in both of them. But didn’t he die in Backdraft?


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He didn’t check the door for heat. Classic rookie move.

21 hours ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

Unfortunately, we’ve got the same limp hammers around FD, too, like this tub-o-shit.

I’ve run into a couple out in the wild, both AF and FDNY, while drinking, which usually leads me down the rabbit hole. I like letting them build their shit diorama and then asking them about some mundane details that anyone that’s actually spent a little time in job either knows, yet the “heroes” always seem to “forget.” Minor things that were part of regular life or rite of passage in either job that any one of us experienced, yet most of these shitbirds wouldn’t know or think to research. 

How was formal/standup/shotgun? Let’s talk about a random SERE factoid? When’s recurring boldface due? Tell me about your UPT base. What’s dispatch’s number? Where are medicals and when? What’s this random 10-xx radio code mean? Tell me about chauffeur school? On and on.

There are so many minutiae that we all deal with (in any job) that can usually weed out the Officer Doofies/Paul Blarts of the world.

Harder to weed out the ones that were in, but embellish their accomplishments, but they tend to be less brazen with folks in and only use their stories to wow outsiders. They usually know you’d probably have heard of them rescuing Col Masters with Chappie or fighting Axe in a warehouse fire. 
 

 

Dude that's not true at all...I've seen this guy's myspace profile pic, he was for sure a FF

 

3 hours ago, b52gator said:

Dude that's not true at all...I've seen this guy's myspace profile pic, he was for sure a FF

 

He ate the 🔥 fire. 

10 hours ago, b52gator said:

Dude that's not true at all...I've seen this guy's myspace profile pic, he was for sure a FF

 

That guy farts, it'll make one of Axe's backdraft setups look like blowing on a birthday candle. 100% that guy's an engine chauffeur and is not making it 2 rungs up that ladder. 

@Danger41, yessir. Putting the OLD in FDNYOldGuy. I vigorously studied the "historical records" of Backdraft for entry into the FD. Just like I had to watch Iron Eagle/TG to get hired as a mil pilot. All on VHS, too. Haha.

10 hours ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

yessir. Putting the OLD in FDNYOldGuy. I vigorously studied the "historical records" of Backdraft for entry into the FD.

 

On 9/26/2023 at 12:48 AM, Danger41 said:

He didn’t check the door for heat. Classic rookie move.

Meant to circle back to this one, because while the movie put some artistic license and drama to backdrafts, real ones will slam your prison wallet closed at a rapid rate. I remember back when I was FDNYYoungGuy being told by old hats that we'll think, "they're storing dynamite in there," when it happens the first time. They weren't kidding. 

This is a crazy video of a (rather large) backdraft the brothers in Queens had a few years back. It's amazing people weren't killed in this one; it's certainly larger than most (sts) with a block full of taxpayers on fire. Saving grace was a lot of street for it to expand out to and a lot of folks weren't inside (sts) yet; ones in apartments don't always have that luxury (RIP in peace Jason Gedrick; your sacrifice won't be forgotten...) and can be more lethal.

@BFM this, nice pickup! Such a great movie that doesn't get the mileage it should. Some pretty heavy hitters in there for a goofy movie that doesn't get talked about much. 

On 9/28/2023 at 1:01 AM, FDNYOldGuy said:

Meant to circle back to this one, because while the movie put some artistic license and drama to backdrafts, real ones will slam your prison wallet closed at a rapid rate. I remember back when I was FDNYYoungGuy being told by old hats that we'll think, "they're storing dynamite in there," when it happens the first time. They weren't kidding. 

This is a crazy video of a (rather large) backdraft the brothers in Queens had a few years back. It's amazing people weren't killed in this one; it's certainly larger than most (sts) with a block full of taxpayers on fire. Saving grace was a lot of street for it to expand out to and a lot of folks weren't inside (sts) yet; ones in apartments don't always have that luxury (RIP in peace Jason Gedrick; your sacrifice won't be forgotten...) and can be more lethal.

@BFM this, nice pickup! Such a great movie that doesn't get the mileage it should. Some pretty heavy hitters in there for a goofy movie that doesn't get talked about much. 

The Slow Mo Guys video on backdrafts is one of their best

 

https://youtu.be/ZyCCWuO0mQo?si=sVyamMSgJPWEvnQm

16 minutes ago, Lord Ratner said:

The Slow Mo Guys video on backdrafts is one of their best

 

https://youtu.be/ZyCCWuO0mQo?si=sVyamMSgJPWEvnQm

Impressive. 

I'm certainly not a professional, but why did the firefighter attempt to cross in front of the danger zone (4:50) and nearly turned a controlled event into an injury?

The camera guys are literally talking about how dangerous that would be seconds before. 

Impressive. 
I'm certainly not a professional, but why did the firefighter attempt to cross in front of the danger zone (4:50) and nearly turned a controlled event into an injury?
The camera guys are literally talking about how dangerous that would be seconds before. 

We’re not that bright


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3 hours ago, AC&W said:

but why did the firefighter attempt to cross in front of the danger zone (

To get to the other side?  Lol

 

12 hours ago, b52gator said:

 

 

We’re not that bright


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Bravest, not Brightest. 

All, I'm on it and the individual in question has been reported to the VA fraud division in TN.