Air Force Fighter Pilot Shortage

[Traderd]

Choppers harder to fly than fighters? Going forward, won't that question be which is harder to program?

http://www.boeing.com/boeing/history/boeing/x45_jucas.page

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/kmax.html

 

[Huggyu2]

I only log onto this site a couple of times a year now. And I don't remember much about who posted what in the past.
One of the few things I remember, though, is pilotyip's disdain for the whole "college degrees to fly" thing. Funny!

 

[SIG600]

My doesn't that make the world a better place, a colelge degree is required for what? to be a good pilot? Nah! I suppose you think helo pilots are low lifes also because they can fly with a degree?


And you have expereince with this? I spend 2.5 years on the USS Enterprise, if they are pitching very much you don't fly in peace time. So is this carrier pilot evny?

No, it's several hundred traps of experience, many on the Big E. And yes we fly pitching deck, even during works ups. Your time as ships company playing PLAT cam LSO doesn't count.

 

[Indy319FA]

A College degree is the equivalent of a high school degree in the 40s and 50s. Somebody mentioned the NAVCAD program Lehman brought back in the 80s. Looked at it myself and had a couple of buds in the program. You had to complete two years of college to get in, and you had to complete your degree within 10 years of commissioning. So to say you could get in under this program is correct, but you would still need the degree to remain a commissioned officer.

 

[pilotyip]

No, it's several hundred traps of experience, many on the Big E. And yes we fly pitching deck, even during works ups. Your time as ships company playing PLAT cam LSO doesn't count.

Congrats, I know we did cancel flight ops for too much deck movement, so definition of pitching deck is a wide envelope. I got to fly the C-1 on day VFR only. It is hard to tell from a skimpy profile what the heck your background it. Tells us more

BTW Yes the skipper did have a Plat camera on the bridge, it was entertaining.

 

[nwaf16dude]

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I was an EWO in an F-4 Weasel Squadron that converted to the F-15A (Go Fighting Cocks!).

When I'd run in to my front seats friends after the conversation I'd ask them about the difference between flying the F-4 and the F-15. To a man they would always say that the F-15 was much easier to fly than the F-4.

The Eagle just didn't have the weird quirks and convoluted switchology that characterized the F-4 and other earlier generation fighters. It also had way better visibility and vastly better ergonomics.

Employing it as a weapon was said to be more challenging in a lot of ways than the F-4 because for one thing, they didn't have me to keep them out of trouble.

And because the airplane presented a lot more information and involved a much higher net energy level during engagements (and the F-4 was no slouch in the energy department).

From the little bit I know about the F-16, it's probably a bit more of a handful to just fly around than an F-15.

The F-16 can be a little tricky to land well, but overall it's very easy to fly. Employing the thing in all the varied and constantly evolving missions is, however, always a challenge. The "constantly evolving" part is what really makes it difficult, because even the best of the best have to keep working to stay there. You can't ever really coast or rest on your prior knowledge. I can think of plenty of highly respected pilots that did their last few years as useless attached types because they just ran out of the energy or time required to stay current and proficient.

OBTW...if you go ugly early, you can go twice.

 

[Vingus]

Well not completely true, 45 years ago flying around Vietnam my PPC was a LTJG with only two years of college, got out went on to a fantasic career at DAL. In 1981, Secertary of the Navy Leman dropped the college degree requirement for Navy pilots and NFO's and went back to the Cadet program. And of course the Army has been cranking out pilots for years without a degree. BTW From my expereince a college degree also has nothing to do with leadership

Yip, I bet you make a fantastic grandfather.

But as far as a PROFESSIONAL pilot, all your talk perpetuates lowering the bar. You are a hobby pilot. Period.

 

[pilotyip]

Yip, I bet you make a fantastic grandfather.

But as far as a PROFESSIONAL pilot, all your talk perpetuates lowering the bar. You are a hobby pilot. Period.

Thank you it has been a fantastic adventure If you call it a hobby then so be it. I am sure you feel much better about yourself with your contribution to the enlightenment of the FI members on the true meaning of being a professional. After all you are a true professional and I could never measure up to your standards. Wish we knew more about you but we understand it is much easier to post anything you want if no knows who you are. BTW Are all of my buddies who careers similar to mine hobby pilots also?

 

[Vingus]

Yip,


I have an extensive military flying/non-flying background. I'm currently still serving in a non-flying billet in the reserves and am actually deployed as I type. My life has been an "adventure" as well.

My point with my attacks against you has been this. Being a major airline pilot is one of the last good paying jobs out there. Sure, there is medicine, law and business as well. But as far as a skilled profession, being an airline pilot can still make one quite comfortable. Constantly saying that one should be doing this job just because you love it and stating that you don't need a college degree to do such a rote task such as flying airplanes just furthers the argument to lower our pay.

If enough people keep talking like you do about doctors, the same result might happen to them. So what if they went to med school, many pilots had years of flight training (at least the good ones did). All they do is look in your mouth and have them say "ahh". Anyone can do it!

I'm glad you like your job. I like flying too. But I do it for more than the fun of flying and I expect to be paid to the level of my responsibility and training. Like I have said to you on another thread, maybe I just had good timing or luck but I'm glad I have finally gotten to the level where I currently am. I started my "adventure" back in 1990 and have finally gotten to a point where I can provide for my family to a comfortable level.

Maybe I should just move into a condo, have my kids take on huge student debt, not fund a comfortable retirement and just enjoy working for a discount.

Remember, it's not what you deserve (although I do feel that I deserve to make what I do), it's what you negotiate!!!! If you have no leverage at your current position in life, then you better get comfortable where you are.

It seems that you have, just stop busting our balls for trying to maintain this profession into one worth having.

 

[SIG600]

^^^^^gets it.