ANG Fighter Pilot Lifestyle

[spit21fire]

What's life like as a ANG fighter pilot?

Roughly, how often and how long are they usually deployed for?

How many days a month are spent flying when not deployed?

[B-O-double-Z]

And the correct answer is...drum roll please...IT F&UCKING DEPENDS!!!!

And if you want to be one...the correct answer is...WHO F&CKING CARES!!!!

You're either willing to sell your f&cking mother to pirates to be one...or you're not.

Let's put it this way. We are quite possibly in the last generation of manned aerial combat. To put it in perspective, the total period will have been a historical f&cking wink (1915-2025??) in the annals of mankind. If you are one...you'll have ancestors 500 years from now who'll know that you were. You'll be romanticized in a thousand years the way medival knights are today.

You can either "sack up" and take your shot boy...or be a proverbial clerk in the check-out line of life.

[Guest grsckoro]

Wow, issues???

[PapaJu]

Somebody forgot to shoot their GAU-8 today...

[Guest comanche]

that was good wannaairlift

[Guest flecth033]

B-O, In another forum the question came up on whether or not your unit hires from off the street. Do you guys ? I know it might F$cking depend, and I do f*cking care. Can we get a mature answer to this ?

[spit21fire]

B-O, what the hell is your problem? I'm not weighing my decision upon what live is like, I'm just curious. With an attitude like yours, I'm surprised you've made it anywhere.

[ 04. April 2005, 15:10: Message edited by: spit21fire ]

[Guest SnakeT38]

The 47th only hires "experienced" guys, since they

are an RTU but they don't have near the student load or number of aircraft like the F-16 RTU at Tucson.

[Guest Rainman A-10]

The answer is, it depends.

There is no way to descibe "what life is like". Every person will give you a different answer. If you ask me, life is great. I am full time active duty (AGR), same as I was for my first fifteen years before I came to the ANG. My life in the Guard was more fun before my current job but it is still better than just about anything I could be doing as a civilian. I retire in 8.5 months and I have no idea what I am going to do that will put me in an environment anything close to being with a bunch of fighter pilots. I just came back from my last ever Red Flag and I am bummed that I will probably never fly another sortie on the Nellis ranges.

You can deply as much as your boss will let you. There deployment opportunities all over the place. If you are trying to avoid deployments you need to look at another job. If you want to deploy you are looking in the right place.

I'm guessing Bozz was thinking you were trying to find out if ANG fighter guys got to stay home and look cool in their hometown without "having to" deploy like they were in the real military or something. You should want to be in the fight if you're a fighter pilot. If the idea of flying over an enemy with live ordnance on your jet is not appealing, you might want to look for a job as a greeter at Wal-Mart.

As for the number of days a month flying when not deployed...no more than 8 for a young guy. you will need 8 sorties. It is possible to get those 8 sorties in three days if you want to minimize your time (and realistic training) at the unit. Once you are experienced you will get 6 sorties a month.

FWIW, Bozz is right...

"You're either willing to sell your f&cking mother to pirates to be one...or you're not."

[Guest delta]

Rainman A-10,

Thanks for the above info. Please correct me if I'm off a little here on my assumption. So once I'm off of active duty orders, seasoning, there would most likely be enough opportunities out there (deploying with other units) to continue working fulltime? I highly doubt that there will be any AGR jobs around for a new Lieutenant, but could I stay busy with bumming and deploying with others (assuming it would be ok with my Squadron Commander)? Just a little curious how it works in the A-10 community.

Thanks....

[B-O-double-Z]

Upon revisiting my post of last evening (now sober) it does come across a little mental. I've asked my wife to hide my laptop the next time I drink all day.

With that being said...

Wannalift...I am feeling better now...just got done shooting 200 rounds 30mm and dropping 12 bombs.

Spit21fire...Yeah, I was a little harsh. Your question did strike me as irrelevant (especially the part about "how much do you deploy?") if you really have it in your gut to be a fighter pilot. Flying any type of military aircraft places you in a small and special fraternity. Flying a single seat attack plane or fighter is an even a smaller group...and it ain't going to be an option for too many more years.

Snake is right. My unit only hires guys with previous A-10 experience. All the other A-10 units (Guard and Reserves) do hire small numbers of the street.

Rainman...don't f&cking retire. You can come down to Barksdale and fly hogs for another 13 years. I don't picture you be relegated to yard work and fishing (or a cubicle). Tell Sped and Motley I said hey!

Peace out...

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Delta,

I would not count on being able to work "full time". There are opportunities to deploy, many of them are non-flying positions and many are stateside. If you are stateside (like the ANG or CENTCOM CAT) you can still come home and drill/fly. It is not perfect but it is a paycheck and I know plenty of guys who are doing that very thing. I see emails every week asking for people to come do some cobbling of shoe/eating of paste/kicking of box type work. If you need money and can't seem to find work locally, there are options. Talk to your squadron/group CC about the opportunities.

Bozz, it's a long story. I talked to Rowdy about the fly as a reservist after you retire opyion. That would be a nice trick but I'm going to live in Minneapolis and that's the wrong end of the Mississippi to be convenient.

[Guest SnakeT38]

Originally posted by B-O-double-Z:

Upon revisiting my post of last evening (now sober) it does come across a little mental. I've asked my wife to hide my laptop the next time I drink all day.

With that being said...

Wannalift...I am feeling better now...just got done shooting 200 rounds 30mm and dropping 12 bombs.

Spit21fire...Yeah, I was a little harsh. Your question did strike me as irrelevant (especially the part about "how much do you deploy?") if you really have it in your gut to be a fighter pilot. Flying any type of military aircraft places you in a small and special fraternity. Flying a single seat attack plane or fighter is an even a smaller group...and it ain't going to be an option for too many more years.

Snake is right. My unit only hires guys with previous A-10 experience. All the other A-10 units (Guard and Reserves) do hire small numbers of the street.

Rainman...don't f&cking retire. You can come down to Barksdale and fly hogs for another 13 years. I don't picture you be relegated to yard work and fishing (or a cubicle). Tell Sped and Motley I said hey!

Peace out...

Motley.............another name from a "very dark and becoming very distant past"

[Guest SnakeT38]

Originally posted by Rainman A-10:

Delta,

I would not count on being able to work "full time". There are opportunities to deploy, many of them are non-flying positions and many are stateside. If you are stateside (like the ANG or CENTCOM CAT) you can still come home and drill/fly. It is not perfect but it is a paycheck and I know plenty of guys who are doing that very thing. I see emails every week asking for people to come do some cobbling of shoe/eating of paste/kicking of box type work. If you need money and can't seem to find work locally, there are options. Talk to your squadron/group CC about the opportunities.

Bozz, it's a long story. I talked to Rowdy about the fly as a reservist after you retire opyion. That would be a nice trick but I'm going to live in Minneapolis and that's the wrong end of the Mississippi to be convenient.

Rowdy.............another name..........from

a "very dark and becoming very distant past".

I believe we witnessed the famous Rags "German

Shiner" he received one night in "Munchen". Have to ask Rowdy about this story......

[B-O-double-Z]

wnanna,

Glad somebody appreciated my drunken philisophical musing. Regardless, I do believe what I wrote to be true.

Hey...Hemingway was quite a drunk you know. That puts me in pretty good company.

Now, you'll have to excuse me for a couple hours. I have to go kick the sh!t out of one of my squadron mates in a BFM ("dogfighting" in layman's terms) sortie.

[spit21fire]

B-O,

You got me all wrong, I definitely look forward to deployment. I want to see the world, no matter what part they would send me too. I know for other reserve type postitions, people don't get to deploy as much as they would like.

I guess I'm just a curious guy and was just wondering what it is like working a civilian job and flying for the ANG at the same time? It seems like it would be pretty tough flying planes and then having to come back to some, relatively, normal job.

[Guest SHAVED DOG'S ASS]

Bozz, your the man. I'll bet that the people who didn't like your post were offended because they wern't able to fly fighters.

spit21fire... Just some quick advise. I would avoid comments like, "what the hell is your problem?... With an attitude like yours, I'm surprised you've made it anywhere." You have no idea what being a fighter pilot is all about and Bozz obviously does. You would probally do better to respectfully ask your questions, then keep your mouth shut even if you don't like the reply. Take it or leave it, but thats just my $.02.

[B-O-double-Z]

It’s cool. I enjoy the sparring.

One of the things I like best about being a fighter pilot is all the jostling, arguing, and cajoling that goes on in a squadron. I’ve worked some outside the Air Force, and chalk it up to valuable life experience, but it’s hard to beat the daily grind of being in a squadron.

It’s one of the last bastions that I know of where it’s not only acceptable to be honestly accessed and critiqued by your peers …it’s absolutely imperative. It’s not for everybody. At times it can borderline on a hostile environment. You have to bring it strong everyday. But I’ve come to realize that I love it and thrive on it.

The Air Force has tried hard to snuff out every bit of individual personality and warrior ethos…but they can’t! That’s why I’d still advise the young guys to join the active duty first if they have a choice. The Guard/Reserve is cool, but it’s full of worn out bastards who are more interested in counting their money and keeping their fat wives happy than pushing it up in the cockpit. A young active duty fighter squadron is a rich environment and an annealing process. You’ll hone your skills and opinions in a crucible of superior individuals. You can’t pose your way through it or your homeboys won’t respect you. Mistakes are tolerated…but only if they are admitted.

[Guest flecth033]

Shaved/Wnanna, If I become a fighter pilot will you please swing from my balls to ?

Do you even read the posts ? Bozz admited his post was kind of mental, so you don't have to swing from his nuts anymore.

[Guest SHAVED DOG'S ASS]

flyguy, If you were a fighter pilot I might show you some respect, but as it is, you are a NOBODY.

BOZZ, I can't wait to show up at my first squadron and get roudy. I hope to get to Osan right out of RTU. I've heard that it is the best place for a young guy to push it up at the O club and learn how to be a good wingman.

[Guest flecth033]

Shaved "Bozz, your the man. I'll bet that the people who didn't like your post were offended because they wern't able to fly fighters" Yea that's it, Swing

Wnanna - "Drunk or not, that was one of the coolest takes on being a fighter pilot I've ever seen. I've been wondering whether to go fighter pilot or C-17's lately and reading posts like this makes the decision a no brainer" Swing

If I become a fighter pilot will you please swing from my nuts ?

Wnanna Let's see, you can't decide to fly heavies or fighters but since a fighter dude can post something hardcore in a forum your mind is made up ? How many times a day do you look in the mirror and say "That's right Iceman, I am Dangerous" ?

Maybe Bozz can you send you a pic so can iron it on your shirt,wear some aviators, and think about how cool you look.

Spit asked a question, Bozz answered in the drunken state and already said his post was mental so the ball swinging can stop now. Well his boots might need to be shined, I'm sure one of you will be willing to lick'em.

Now go find your friends, sit around the computer and think about what you are going to say back.

[Guest SnakeT38]

flyguy, is your profile right........you are

a "load" is what it says. Be a man, tell us who you are, we have buds AT EVERY BASE that would love to fly with you.........I'm assuming of course you are a "worthy load" and not some little college "nerd" still looking at "Jet" pictures in the ROTC building....

As for Shaved.........I'll take him on my wing.

Snake's out.........

[Guest flecth033]

Serious Snake,

I did have another post on here but after reading your past posts I've come to find out you have way more experience on me and my posts are geared more toward younger dudes having fun. I bow, I swing.

[ 08. April 2005, 22:26: Message edited by: flyguy ]

[B-O-double-Z]

Shaved Dog's Ass,

I haven't been stationed in Korea...but plenty of guys in my unit have...and they all say it was an awesome assignment. Good luck and I hope you get your first choice out of FTU. We have three initial qual (IQ) A-10 guys here at Barksdale and one of them will be headed to Korea.

wnanna,

Good luck getting into a Guard or Reserve fighter unit. If you need advice or a point of contact in a particular unit...PM me and I will be glad to help you out.

flyguy,

Chill out man...

I'm not particularly interested in trying to dismiss you. You are obviously on this site because you're interested in learning about, or commenting on, military aviaition. SnakeT38 has flown for the active duty, the Reserves (in my unit), and is now a major airline captain. Him...even responding to your post...is like Picasso taking time to give you a painting lesson. If you're cool...there just may be some sh!t you could learn from him.

I'm taking time to post on here because it's an interesting forum and I want to get accurate information out to dudes who are legitimately interested in learning what's it's like in the Air Force. I've been in the Active Duty, the Guard, and now the Reserves. I don't know everything...but I know enough to comment and lend perspective to most dudes on this website. Your original post was funny (the part about dudes swinging from my balls). That's cool...bring it on!...but don't get bogged down in this sh!t and take it personally.

And by the way...there's plenty of room left on my balls if you want to want to hop on.

Cheers!

[Guest flecth033]

Bozz, I edited my posts before reading yours,I will swing if you let me. No for real, how do you like Barksdale ? I went to high school over in Shreveport but lived on base and I must say I spent many of days looking at the 52's and 10's come in. So I have put in alot of swing time in. Don't miss the heat, do miss the base.

Shaved and Wnanna just giving you sh$t, I probably have more swining hours than both of you. But just to let you know I am a fighter pilot. Well on Ace Combat but that doesn't matter.

Now that we're all friends, group hug.

[ 09. April 2005, 12:44: Message edited by: flyguy ]