Do you love your job/airframe? If so, why?

[Guest CharlieFoxtrot]

Curious to hear from all the AF aviators and such around here. Do you like/love your job? I'm going to assume most of you do, because you're on an online forum in your spare time talking about it. The "why" is the most important part. Also (to the pilots) are you happy with your airframe or do you wish you had something else?

[brabus]

Why - It's simple, I'm getting paid to do something I truly love to do. Shit, I would pay to do what I get to do. There's a lot of people out there working a job that maybe even pays decently, but they hate it. They're doing it for the paycheck. Fuck that...that's not how I want to live my life. So, I'm very lucky to be doing something I have a passion for vs. doing something just to pay the bills.

Yep, I'm happy as hell with my airframe and wouldn't change a thing. My bet is most guys will say this.

[Guest Hueypilot812]

Yes, I've loved flying each of the different aircraft/missions I've experienced in my career. First I flew the Huey...slow, ugly but a very simple and reliable helicopter. Lots of fun flying at low altitude and in the weeds...practiced LZ/DZ ops, hoist ops and so on. Plenty challenging to fly since it didn't have all the bells and whistles of the UH-60/CH-47. The C-21 was a great aircraft to fly as well...again, very simple and reliable aircraft, flew like a little rocket and the mission challenged you with a very diverse set of operating environments. You'd go from standard military bases to large international airports (Atlanta, Miami, Denver, LGA, etc), and then off to some podunk uncontrolled airfield in the mountains somewhere- in the same day. Flew to Quito, Ecuador and Alaska...haven't had that kind of variety since. C-130...slow, ugly but very useful airplane. Love flying it too...challenge there comes from low-level airdrop/LZ ops. Lots of stuff to know and retain in your nugget. Operating environment is less diverse (flagpole and OIF/OEF), but still keeps you on your toes with the tac mission.

[Guest CharlieFoxtrot]

Why - It's simple, I'm getting paid to do something I truly love to do. Shit, I would pay to do what I get to do. There's a lot of people out there working a job that maybe even pays decently, but they hate it. They're doing it for the paycheck. ###### that...that's not how I want to live my life. So, I'm very lucky to be doing something I have a passion for vs. doing something just to pay the bills.

Yep, I'm happy as hell with my airframe and wouldn't change a thing. My bet is most guys will say this.

What's your airframe?

[Guest Alarm Red]

Why - It's simple, I'm getting paid to do something I truly love to do. Shit, I would pay to do what I get to do. There's a lot of people out there working a job that maybe even pays decently, but they hate it. They're doing it for the paycheck. ###### that...that's not how I want to live my life. So, I'm very lucky to be doing something I have a passion for vs. doing something just to pay the bills.

Yep, I'm happy as hell with my airframe and wouldn't change a thing. My bet is most guys will say this.

I'm glad you are this excited about the Viper and I sincerely hope you can hold onto this attitude once you get to an ops assignment. If you do it will serve you well.

That said, after you are a couple years into your first ops assignment and the SOF has you taxi to arming just to wait until an airspace stop before he weather cancels your 5th red-air sortie in 3 days, you may be singing a different song. Or perhaps you might be balls-deep into an ORE watching maintenance flail that the shine wears off for you. Either way, at the end I still love what I do but for wildly different reasons than the ones I left the b-course with. Your mileage may vary but know that your expectations may not be met, and be prepared to have to redefine what you value in your work.

[pawnman]

I'm glad you are this excited about the Viper and I sincerely hope you can hold onto this attitude once you get to an ops assignment. If you do it will serve you well.

That said, after you are a couple years into your first ops assignment and the SOF has you taxi to arming just to wait until an airspace stop before he weather cancels your 5th red-air sortie in 3 days, you may be singing a different song. Or perhaps you might be balls-deep into an ORE watching maintenance flail that the shine wears off for you. Either way, at the end I still love what I do but for wildly different reasons than the ones I left the b-course with. Your mileage may vary but know that your expectations may not be met, and be prepared to have to redefine what you value in your work.

I still love the my aircraft even after countless MX cancels. While there have been days where I've said "Man, I have to go fly today? I don't feel like flying", I've never gotten off a jet after a flight going "Man, I wish I hadn't flown today".

Low-level is my favorite. And that little piece of zero-g you get at the top of a pop-to-level bomb run. But mostly, I just love the amount of death and destruction we have access to, and the fuel we have to deliver it to anyone in need.

[brabus]

I'm glad you are this excited about the Viper and I sincerely hope you can hold onto this attitude once you get to an ops assignment. If you do it will serve you well.

That said, after you are a couple years into your first ops assignment and the SOF has you taxi to arming just to wait until an airspace stop before he weather cancels your 5th red-air sortie in 3 days, you may be singing a different song. Or perhaps you might be balls-deep into an ORE watching maintenance flail that the shine wears off for you. Either way, at the end I still love what I do but for wildly different reasons than the ones I left the b-course with. Your mileage may vary but know that your expectations may not be met, and be prepared to have to redefine what you value in your work.

Yeah I hear you...not the first time I've heard that. The way I look at it, especially nowadays, I'm very lucky to be flying a Viper. I could find ways to be down on things (sts), but there's no sense in wasting my energy doing that. I'm going to do my best not to let my tune change too much, but you're right, there's zero way I can tell you what my opinion of things will be in 2-3 yrs. I hope it doesn't change, but I can't guarantee anything. One day we got canceled on the taxi out for the 2nd attempt at a ride in the latter part of B Course. One LTC who was going through the TX said on the bus going back, "dude, anytime you even get to start up a Viper, it beats the shit out of sitting behind a computer writing OPRs for the 14th hour." It's all perspective...and I'm going to try to hold onto his, because he's completely right. The shittiest day in a Viper is better than the best day being an MPF officer.

Edited January 5, 2010 by brabus

[JarheadBoom]

Hell yes!

Why?

- Where else does an enlisted guy (who happens to also be an airplane nut) get to fly within 50ft of some of the coolest aviation hardware on the planet???

- They pay me to travel around the world.

- I get to play with some cool toys.

- I get a lot of personal satisfaction from supporting those who are putting steel on target (directly or indirectly).

[discus]

The shittiest day in a Viper is better than the best day being an MPF officer.

The shittiest day in a jet is a flame out followed by ejection, followed by watching your airplane crash into a hotel or playground where lots of people are killed. I'd take MPF officer on THAT day. But, that's why we get extra cash in our pockets and a cool uniform, right?

I loved AWACS, and I love the gunship. Two TOTALLY different animals, but each has their own allure. In the end, for me, it's the people I get to work with who are the best part of the job.

[bucky60k]

I'll be one of the rare ones on this website. I love the airplane but I do not like my job. The C-17 has awesome capabilities and when you are downrange employing it tactically it cant be beat. However, thats only a small part of the actual airland mission I'm currently in. I definitely underestimated the sheer boredom of crossing the Atlantic empty for the umpteenth time or being alerted several times to a mission that didnt even exist in G2. Furthermore, I like to hand fly the airplane but the community is dominated by guys who treat the autopilot as THE WAY to fly the plane which produces a lot of CRM conflicts. Being constantly gone and having no semblance of a normal social life are the norms with no signs of improvement for the avg copilot. Ultimately, being constantly screwed over by TACC, the endless weather/mx/C2 buffoonery has been wearing a lot on me and I can't wait to find a new airframe. But like Brabus said, I'm very lucky to be in any airplane in the Air Force so it definitely could be worse. I'm a great example of you have to choose the MISSION that interests you the most, not particularly the aircraft.

Edited January 5, 2010 by bucky60k

[contraildash]

I fly C-21s in Europe...whats NOT to love about that???

[Guest Tacker]

The Herc

It's great being the red-headed stepchild of the airlift community. Who cares if the planes are almost 50 years old - a lack of automation means more hand flying instead of "systems management". We fly in the weeds, throw stuff out the back, drink, cuss, and socialize with women of ill repute. What's not to love?

[Champ Kind]

We fly in the weeds, throw stuff out the back, drink, cuss, and socialize with women of ill repute. What's not to love?

Quoted for posterity.

Well said my friend. Keep safe and hack the mish over there.

(PS: Mes-SKEET SKEET SKEET Street)

Edited January 5, 2010 by Champ Kind

[skinny]

135 Boom Operator -

I honestly don't have anything bad to say about the job. Cargo is the worst part but overall a very fun, challenging, and rewarding job. Especially my stint at Edwards!!

AOC Staph (intended) -

I work 4 stories underground. During the winter, it's dark when I go to work and it's dark when I go home. Every day I feel like a cast member in the movie Office Space. I could go on and on about why I don't like this job but my time here is way to short to waste it on bitching and moaning.

[stract]

there's nothing as fun as flying a helicopter, and there's no greater job satisfaction than saving a life. I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to do at least one of these things on a near-daily basis, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"These Things We Do, That Others May Live"

[brabus]

The shittiest day in a jet is a flame out followed by ejection, followed by watching your airplane crash into a hotel or playground where lots of people are killed. I'd take MPF officer on THAT day. But, that's why we get extra cash in our pockets and a cool uniform, right?

You know what I meant, smartass!

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I enjoy the hell out of JSTARS, but every airframe really is what you make of it. There are lots of dudes here who are miserable for whatever reason. Maybe they're bummed about flying an old airplane (show me an airplane in the inventory that doesn't have continuous MX issues and I'll show you an airplane on a stick at the gate or in a museum). Or maybe they buy into the back-end vs front-end bullshit. Either way, I try to avoid the JSTARS hate, and I'm much happier because of it. It makes me VERY happy to realize there are a lot of guys out there who got dead because we found them in the middle of nowhere, and if we hadn't found them they'd still be humping camels to this very day.

Plus having a full up galley and two full up shitters on the jet make a 12+ hour sortie a bit more enjoyable.

Plus having a nav and FE make my job a LOT easier

[Chuck17]

I'll be one of the rare ones on this website. I love the airplane but I do not like my job. The C-17 has awesome capabilities and when you are downrange employing it tactically it cant be beat. However, thats only a small part of the actual airland mission I'm currently in. I definitely underestimated the sheer boredom of crossing the Atlantic empty for the umpteenth time or being alerted several times to a mission that didnt even exist in G2. Furthermore, I like to hand fly the airplane but the community is dominated by guys who treat the autopilot as THE WAY to fly the plane which produces a lot of CRM conflicts. Being constantly gone and having no semblance of a normal social life are the norms with no signs of improvement for the avg copilot. Ultimately, being constantly screwed over by TACC, the endless weather/mx/C2 buffoonery has been wearing a lot on me and I can't wait to find a new airframe. But like Brabus said, I'm very lucky to be in any airplane in the Air Force so it definitely could be worse. I'm a great example of you have to choose the MISSION that interests you the most, not particularly the aircraft.

Go airdrop, period dot. You are paying your C-17 dues right now, cutting your teeth. It sucks, but I must say, airdrop is the one and only way to fly the C-17. Throwing shit out the back... its the other half of the jet and is the one and only reason to fly it IMHO. Airdrop gives you the best of the tac and the best of the strat mission... you get a little of everything.

Chuck

[Bayou_Eagle_Driver]

Any C-5 guys wanna chime in? Really curious about that mission/community.

[Champ Kind]

Any C-5 guys wanna chime in?

They're sitting on an ETIC.

[busdriver]

I think you'll find two types of people in life: the bitter contrarian who'd be unhappy no matter what he ended up flying and everyone else who thinks their airframe/community is the best thing since sliced bread.

But to actually contribute, I'm of the latter persuasion.

[amcflyboy]

They're sitting on an ETIC.

Dude, that's awesome right there!!!

I fly the LC-130. Right now I'm upgrading to Ski A/C, and I can't even begin to describe how fun it is to land on skiis and on groomed skiways, as well as conducting open snow landings and takeoffs. The kind of flying we do definitely requires you to keep up on your knowledge and to really think outside of the box, especially when the weather goes to hell at the drop of a hat, and your fuel is getting low.

Landing in locations where 98% of the world's population wouldn't even dream of going is mind boggling. When we're not in Antarctica, we're in Greenland where we do a lot of our training, and some operational missions. We land at remote radar stations that were opened during the cold war, but have long since been closed. There is a lot of history up in Greenland which gives me the motivation to go back every year!

[Bergman]

My job and airframe are both awesome. I have the best seat in the house, and get to go places and see/do things most people can barely even dream about - or at the very least would pay a shitload of money to go on vacation to do.

I know many others will scoff at this list, but I'm still stoked...in 2009 alone I flew the tanker to Hawaii, South Korea, Japan, Alaska, Washington state, Florida, Maine, England, Spain, Portgual, and Kyrgzsyan, and made a fantastic living doing it. Questions?

[theSituation]

So, from what Im gathering here is that you gotta make the best of whatever you get. Every guy who has posted on here seems to love their aircraft.

Thats good stuff that y'all take so much pride in what you do. That's the type of attitude that helps the young guys like me get and stay excited.

[discus]

That's the type of attitude that helps the young guys like me get and stay excited.

STS.