A Super Hornet's Nest

[NookyBooky]

Out of curiosity, have you read FastCargo's post on page 1?

Yes, I certainly have.

 

[stonewall]

Fellas, there's "crimes" and there's "mistakes." If you knowingly and willfully break a reg, well, that's a "crime" and you get no sympathy from me. You make a mistake, well, f*** it and let's move on.

When guys do this stuff it makes us all look bad. I'm all for pushing it up and having fun, but if we don't police our own someone WILL step in in and do it for us, and that will be ZERO F'ING fun for everyone involved. There's lots of fun to be had in fighters legally and lots of adrenaline/risk to be had...we don't need to manufacture it and play into the "dangerous" stereotype.

And before anyone fires off at my credentials...don't. Been there, done that. Still do.

 

[stonewall]

No, no, no (thankfully for my Air Force victims), and no. As long as you do a clearing turn in the bar/ready room/etc.... women have no effect, yeah right.



And to think, all those carrier breaks in class D. I'm grounding myself. dang Navy cowboys!

Uh, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Drank myself stupid, gambled, played crud, and sang dumb songs for years at Kun, Shaw and Eglin. F***, I just did it this past weekend at Nellis. Now, if someone got offended and cried about it, we coulda been statistics. But it never stopped us, and still doesn't. We're a long way from the lingerie shows of the late 80s/early 90s, but it still ain't no pus* game.

 

[Fury220]

Ditto on the "Crimes vs. Mistakes" bit. The problem comes when pilots knowingly commit a "crime" yet aren't prepared to suffer the consequences. We must aspire to a high level of personal accountability and be personally prepared for what can happen if we knowingly violate the trust our government places in us every time they "hand us the keys to the jet."

Those who think they can separate their decisions from their personal responsibility as a member of the warrior class are in for a rude awakening. I know that times are changing...call it what you want, but I call it reality.

 

[SUNDOWN]

An interesting thread. It is unfourtunate that this situation occured. One question, why wouldn't it be prohibited for any a/c (mil or civ) to pull this stunt at a civillian airport. I hear a lot of fellas saying he should be cut some slack because of the nature of the fighter community. Almost all of the f-teeners I've met are calculating individuals who carefully balance risk and reward. I don't think Ive ever met one who was a wild and out of control dude.

Fury posted
Those who think they can separate their decisions from their personal responsibility as a member of the warrior class are in for a rude awakening.

This is a very good point. Would we cut a SEAL slack for waving his gun around or whooping someones tail for no reason. Now I am no "warrior", but it appears the best ones are often the good descision makers.

No flames, just an observation.

 

[stonewall]

Well said, Sundown.

 

[Vector4fun]

Guys,

Speaking as a Tower controller who loves a carrier break (when traffic is light) as much as anybody, it really is a very different world post 9/11. Four f-16s do a polite (1000' x 300kts) flyby of downtown on Armed Forces Day or whatever now generate dozens of panicked phone calls from citizens (idiots) who think their home town is under attack. I'm not kidding. One dummy in a Sterman buzzes his buddy's house and lets out 5 seconds smoke, and a chemical attack is reported. Many of you wouldn't believe the kinds of reports the Police Dept has to run down lately. (They often call us when it involves an aircraft.)

Chicken Little deserves a medal for bravery compaired to some of these folks.

Anyway, keep it in mind....

 

[Fury220]

An interesting thread. It is unfourtunate that this situation occured. One question, why wouldn't it be prohibited for any a/c (mil or civ) to pull this stunt at a civillian airport. I hear a lot of fellas saying he should be cut some slack because of the nature of the fighter community. Almost all of the f-teeners I've met are calculating individuals who carefully balance risk and reward. I don't think Ive ever met one who was a wild and out of control dude.

Furry posted
Those who think they can separate their decisions from their personal responsibility as a member of the warrior class are in for a rude awakening.

This is a very good point. Would we cut a SEAL slack for waving his gun around or whooping someones tail for no reason. Now I am no "warrior", but it appears the best ones are often the good descision makers.

No flames, just an observation.

Yes, well said.

But please...only one "R." Thanks.

 

[SIG600]

Guys,

Speaking as a Tower controller who loves a carrier break (when traffic is light) as much as anybody,

How fast is too fast in your opinion when traffic is light, and whats a good non-chalant way of asking a tower controller for a crap-hot break at bumblef*ck municiple airport?

/end thread jack



The opinions shared, actually are fairly eye opening as to how things have changed over the years from the old crusty guys to the new "SNAP's" (thanks Fury)...

 

[Vector4fun]

How fast is too fast in your opinion when traffic is light, and whats a good non-chalant way of asking a tower controller for a shoot-hot break at bumblef*ck municiple airport?

/end thread jack

Well, many years ago, I saw two Marine F-4s enter the break with an ARTS groundspeed of 600 kts. (Ouch!) This at an airport that saw it's fair share of military ops on a normal day. They generated about 30 noise complaints in 30 seconds, set off about 150 car alarms in the terminal parking lot, and had golfers across the street diving into sand traps....

That's probably a bit over the top.... :laugh:

I'd consider the situation/location. Nobody probably much cares at MAF, 10 miles outside town. But doing it at a civilian field with little military traffic and civilian housing close by is probably not in everybody's best interest.

Similarly, I saw some BUFF drivers doing overheads (wtf?) into Biggs field one night at 3:00 am after a Roving Sands exercise. Now, folks along Dyer St. probably would have loved the show at 3:00 pm, but they were pretty pissed about being awakened at that hour.

We allow them here when traffic permits, but we just try to be a bit judicious, and you'll probably be asked to break at 1000' AGL.