Hacker

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.

No, not in the same ballpark at all. When you look at someone's service record, deployments to -- and service in -- specific combat operations are reflected by campaign medals. This is the exact reason that GWOT-E is going to be supplemented by Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals. There are a lot of guys who have spent a metric sh*t-ton of time flying in circles above US cities with live missiles and intercepting general aviation pilots. It was time-consuming, draining on proficiency, and for those who did it in the days after 9/11, scary as hell because of the possibilities. This is not marked as "combat" time in the AFARMS logs, nor is it currently denoted by any kind of campaign ribbon. I know a lot of fighter pilots who missed out on Afghanistan and Iraq because their squadrons were tasked with ONE (my squadron missed out on OEF because of it, for one...). They were at least being recognized with GWOT-S, which sucked to begin with but was at least some way to make their records different than Airman Snuffy. Now there is nothing.

So, I return from my 4-ship to the range today and read on my email that the AETC/CC has authorized the GWOT-S medal for *everyone in AETC* regardless if they have or have not directly participated in the Global War On Terror. WTF??? That is a slap in the face to those of us who have spent hours and hours flying CAPs for Operation NOBLE EAGLE. As if it wasn't bad enough that the GWOT-S was the only recognition ONE flyers are going to get...now it's pretty much just being given to *everyone*.

The Aggressors are pilots who are professional bandits for Red Flag and other exercises out at Nellis. Currently they fly F-16s... https://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/200...s/22298943.html

I had a UPT journal back before they were vogue, and I caught a metric sh*t-load of stuff like this for my website, too. I never understood a couple of things; First, why were people who were *all ready* USAF pilots unwilling to help those of us who wanted to become one? Second, once I started putting up a journal website *specifically intended* to help people (wanna-bes like me) out, why did guys who were all ready USAF pilots give me a load of crap about it? For some reason, some pilots get pretty high on their horse once they're 'in the club', and it makes them feel better trying to squash the little guy. I guess these people have forgotten why we refer to each other as 'bros' in the first place. Personally, I say go for it. As always, I'll add in my public service announcement to remind people that if you put yourself out there, you have to be prepared to take what comes with the territory. Not only do you put a target on yourself for petty criticism like you saw linked, but also (in my case) an OSI/IG investigation and even attempts to be contacted by foreign intelligence agents. Be smart about whatever you do.

June 8-11th, 2006 I'll be there.

Class ranking is based on flight commander ranking (what the IPs think of you), daily flying scores, checkride scores, and academics.

That's it, really -- just a lot of firepower. I remember one particular occasion when I checked in on a FAC frequency. As I switched channels, I could hear another formation checking in (and I assume it was a Viper or Hornet). "...on station with two JDAMs, two CBU-103, 1,000 rounds of 20 mike-mike, and 20 minutes of playtime." I had to laugh when I checked in for my two ship with, "Warhawk, Gundog 55's on station with *eighteen* GBU-12s, 1,000 rounds of 20 mike-mike, and 45 minutes of playtime." It was such a contrast...although I don't think the FAC particularly cared who was delivering the iron, so long as it was there and ready to rain down on bad guys.

Oh BIGTIME. With 9 GBUs, 2 600-gallon tanks, pods, and 2 AMRAAMs, we had to have one motor in 'burner just to take on gas at 310 knots! Of course, with 33,000 pounds of gas on board the jet is freakin' heavy even without the weight of the ordnance. PIIIIIIIGS IIIIIIIIIN SPAAAAAAAAACE! Here's a shot of my favorite loadout, BTW... [ 17. March 2005, 19:39: Message edited by: Hacker ]

Iiiiiinteresting. I can't say I've ever seen that loadout, especially using 2 and 8 for 500-pounders. I've carried six '82s on one conformal, four 12s on the other, and a GBU-10 on station 5. My favorite is still the wall-to-wall 9 x GBU-12 load.

Since AD operational squadrons have a complete turn-over of personnel about every 2-3 years, you'll find the reputation/atmosphere of particular squadrons differ constantly. What's good now may suck by the time you get there, or the opposite may be true and what is considered a bunch of dirtbags may be heroes.