B-1 Bone vs C-17 Globemaster

[Guest Wheaty]

I'm a T-37 FAIP who was on my way to the F-16 and recently lost my single seat medical qual by a BS medical diagnosis(Wheat Allergy). I am now limited to a crew type aircraft(F-15E doesn't Count). I'm having a hard time choosing between the bomber & Airlift lifestyle. I've always loved the B-1 but after being in Del Rio for 5 years, I'm craving a good location. Question- In your opinion-Is flying the B-1 in a moderate location, exciting and challenging enough to overcome the Lifestyle of Charleston, seeing the world, and logging more flight time? I'm trying to weigh all variables, lifestyle, location, excite :o ment, comraderie, etc. What are your thoughts?

[Guest joeinsd37]

Go B-1s. You're a FAIP, so you'll probably go straight to A/C, which means 2-3 flights per week (avg 3-4 hours per sortie). You'd also probably deploy sooner than the copilots in your class. You are obviously going to have more fun flying the B-1, and you'll certainly get to drop some bombs on bad guys. Abilene is a bit worse than Rapid City; however, it is closer to Dallas than R.C. is to Denver. I'd go to Ellsworth...the squadrons up north have a more tactical style of flying. Plus they always seem to be the ones dropping the bombs...

[scoobs]

Definitly go B-1's.There was a good post last week if you scroll down the page.Someone said that deployments are going back to two years so that is always nice.Good luck on your decision

[Guest Wheaty]

All,

Thanks for your help! This has been a tough decision. I just had a meeting with my OG who gave the same advice. You have to admit, Charleston is pretty damn tempting.

[Guest Wheaty]

Hayden,

Thanks for the awesome reply! I tried replying back but an error occured. I'm a serious waterskiier down here in Del Rio so you sold me on the wakeboarding. Can you live on the lake there, I have a mastercraft that I need to log more time on and it would be nice to have it docked in my back yard. I'm trying to arrange another trip up to abilene to look into the squadrons and maybe snag a sim or possibly a sandbag?

[ 20. September 2004, 17:02: Message edited by: Wheaty ]

[Guest IAGuardWife]

Chad,

Whatever assignment you end up getting, know that there are people out there rooting for you and hoping you get an assignment you are happy with!

Hopefully you will find somewhere that you can get some use out of that boat! Todd says thanks for all the ski instruction from you and Scarbs. He's gotten much better!

Take care,

Michaela

(Todd Bergeson's wife, from XL 03-15)

[ 16. September 2004, 12:01: Message edited by: IAGuardWife ]

[Guest Metalhead]

Wheaty -- you're brave dude, name AND phone # on the internet!!

Can you post your government card # so I can see if its similiar to mine, I'm just currious. :D

Swing by airspace and chat.

[Guest deweygcc]

Look if some jackass is stupid enough to F with him, I wish him the best, the JA that is. If you know anyone in the OSI or how it runs, I pity the poor fool. The OSI is beyond ruthless :D

[Guest bonedriver]

Dude, you'll love the bone. Low level kicks ass. I feel the need, the need for speed!

[scoobs]

Charleston might be nice but you won't be seeing much of it if your flying a C-17.

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

I'm not one to crow too early at your decision, but is your OG Commander a pointy nose guy? Of course he is, so don't you think he'd sway your vote a bit to the B-1.

I know plenty (well, actually only 5) folks who fly the Bone. Granted, they are only Co-Pilots, but, for the most part, they love the plane, mission and the flying...when they do fly, which could be once or twice per month. From what I hear, it's a tight knit community up there in Ellsworth (the 37th Tigers?), and being a "semi-heavy" guy, when I visited a few months back, they welcomed me like I was the scum off of the street...which was to be expected!!! The Black Hills rock, and you have a few lonely sheep within stumblin' distance.

I'd certainly suggest to go across the street to the T-1 side of the house and pickle a few braincells of the Strat guys. Like you said, Charleston is tits...I was there for 3 years, and you know McChord (Seattle) is the bomb. Bases in Hickam, Mcguire, and Travis, Elmendorf and Ramstein are in the talks AMC wide for the Globemaster III.

It's a "heavy" option - especially thinking you were a Viper dude and now have to "settle for a heavy." Keep your options open, and hopefully, you could take some PTDY to CHS, TCM, or even Altus to take a closer look at the mission and the plane.

Dude, you'll love the bone. Low level kicks ass. I feel the need, the need for speed!

Oh, I forgot, the C-17 ONLY flies at FL 370, and it's quite slow....also, the gayest quote yet

You are obviously going to have more fun flying the B-1

Again, it's personal opinion, but what makes the B-1 more fun thnn the C-17? Also, Dallas and Denver...com'on, it's like saying you are gonna go to San Antonio EVERY weekend. The assignment is what you make of it. Being a Native Texan, I speak VERY low of Abiline, and if given the choice between being able to go to DFW or DEN, heck, I'd stay in RAP, but then, there's wheat fields everywhere :eek: !

Also, Chad, I'd recommend you EDIT your post and take your full name and number off here. You know, you don't wanna be called while you are dropping da' bombs. ;)

Anywho, I second what IA Guardwife said. Best of luck in your decision. I hope you get what you earn.

Cheers

[Guest joeinsd37]

hey c-21 pilot and chuck...

I made the comment about "obviously have more fun flying the B-1," because in my time flying it, I have gone low and droned up high for hours on end. I get pretty bored of flying around high, and Wheaty did ask for OPINIONS. Having said that, I'm a WSO who is about to go to UPT, and I have been mulling over what route I want to go, so I mean no offense. But having said that, I would still like to hear your take on why that comment is BS.

[Guest joeinsd37]

and i'd also like to apologize for Bone Driver's "need for speed" comment...

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

Joeinsd37,

No harm - no foul...

I guess when you mean "low level, you are talking about using your Terrain Following @ 540KIAS @ ~ 100' AGL.

In the real "heavy" world, the C-17 is authorized to and will fly (and Chuck, please correct me if memory fades) low-level tactical airdrops with NVG's, 300'AGL, @ 260-280 KIAS, unless you drop the 82nd and 101st, then it's pulled back to 140 KIAS I believe. Heck, EVERYONE knows that flying low is more fun, but because one plane flies it at 200 KIAS faster, doesn't make it "obvious" in my book.

I've got over 700 hours in the back of the plane as a load, and albeit, my time wasn't as glorious as the stuff there doing now (my time was during the RMAE dog and pony show of the mid-90's). The plane, mission, and base locations are considered by MANY in the AF brass (which I have flown plenty of) to be the echelon of the military.

If you're a WSO, then you'd understand that my sources claim that the Bone is being used as "other means" currently in Theater...and you should know what I mean.

Bottom line, every plane in the AF has a diverse mission - each suited for certain individuals. Just because some planes fly faster, farther, and smarter DON'T make them a better assignment for an individual. If so, EVERY one would want the KC-135 PC to KRDR.

-Cheers

[Guest joeinsd37]

thanks for hollering back, guys. we only regularly fly at 500 feet. WIC guys can fly to 300', I think. I don't mean to sound like I claim I know ANYTHING about another guys plane, other than what I have learned at Red Flag. Heck, I don't know enough about my plane to be able to do that, yet. Choosing between planes is obviously more than a choice of whether I want to pull Gs or not. I wouldn't go back to the B-1 simply because I have already spent 3 years and 700 hrs in it...time to do/learn something else. I don't have a family, so I am seriously considering the C-17 due to the fact I would be able to see so many places. I wouldn't mind if some of them were crappy, because to me, the experience would outweigh some of the locations. Well, these are the types of things I'm thinking about, but I am gonna be unlike alot of the posts on here and not decide until I am ready to put in my preference sheet for track select during T-6s (which is a plane I'm really looking forward to flying). Thanks for the 'puts, guys.

[scoobs]

Question for any C-17 drivers,does being home for 10 days in 3 months change after a certain amount of years? Also how long can you be in the desert at one time?I heard of one guy being in the desert for six weeks and was wondering if that is common.And how long to upgrade to AC? It sounds like a lot of fun if your single and want to see the world.

[Guest AWACker]

Yeah...that's right...even I fly down to 300', even 200 feet, all the time. Granted, about that time I'm gonna be hearing "Mimimums" or "Decision Height".

Let's face it...some flying is more exciting than other flying. And I'd guess that the C-17 and the B-1 have more exciting moments (in volume, and probably relative as well) than some other airframes (cough...hack...recce...cough). From where I sit...you can't go wrong with either.

[C17Driver]

scoobs, to answer your questions.. For the most part, it does change some. Co-pilots/first pilots tend to be "abused" more but that is usually because of the rank...When you first get to the C-17, your job is to fly...and that is what you'll do. Eventually, you'll get a job in the sqd and the flying will go down a little, but not much. Usually your hours (time away from home) doesn't go down until you've upgraded to IP for things like NVG ops or Airdrop.. then you'll be home cause they'll need you to fly locals to keep everyone else current.

We usually don't spend more than a couple days to a week in the desert during any two week period.. However, we do go all the time, so the amount of time we spend there is pretty high.

As far as the guy in the desert for a "6 months".. who knows... The C-17 community provides members for "staff" jobs just like everyone else. The squadrons are always sending capt's and maj's off to spend 90 to 120 days in some sandy place. Our squadron alone has several guys on ground TDY currently.

It doesn't take long to upgrade to AC. A new co-pilot/ or whatever they are calling the people coming from Altus these days can expect to meet the hour requirement for upgrade to AC within 14 months on average from the time they become mission ready. Some guys take longer, some shorter...For the most part, co's average about 70 - 90 hours per month.

And you're right, it is a lot of fun (sometimes). Being gone a lot isn't bad. The hard part is being gone for 19 days on a trip that was supposed to last 14 and then to get home and find out that you get 30 hours off before you leave on your next 14 day trip. But that isn't all to common, just depends on the squadron, etc...

[ 17. September 2004, 20:55: Message edited by: C17Driver ]

[scoobs]

Thanks for the great post.How long does it take to upgrade to IP? Also does is the desert that bad,I know sleeping it tents can suck when its hot or cold.I still can't imagine having a family and being gone that much but it sounds like a lot of fun.

Thanks

[C17Driver]

Usually it doesn't take much time to upgrade to IP after upgrading to AC...anywhere from 9 to 12 months, sometimes shorter...The thing about being an IP is we have a lot of different qualifications.. A pilot can be an IP but not even airdrop qual'd...Same with NVG's..That's a special qualification...

The desert really isn't that bad...It's actually gotten a lot better these last couple months.. most of the places we go have "hard billets" for sleeping arrangements now so it's better. It can be tough on the family, but the sqd's try to do a good job about honoring leave requests when able.

[ 17. September 2004, 23:23: Message edited by: C17Driver ]

[scoobs]

C-17Driver how long have you been in the air force? Would you do it again and was the C-17 your first choice? I know these can be hard questions to answer.

[C17Driver]

Scoobs, sent you a PM.

[scoobs]

Thanks C17 Driver you have lots of good info.

[Guest Wheaty]

Awesome replies by all. You certainly helped educate me. Because I'm in a rare situation their's no telling what the Air Force will give me. It's all about their needs. I put B-1 1st C-17 2nd on my PW, but hell theirs a good chance I'll be flying a big radar since ACC owns me and their treating me like an RTU washout, even though I'm not. Thanks again to all. I'll keep you posted.

[scoobs]

Good luck on next assignment.You can't loose either way.There both great aircraft.Keep up updated on what you get.