Blackwater aviation.....why not use military pilots

[xjhawk]

I read an article about a blackwater charter plane which services the Military in Afganistan. The plane crashed due to pilot error and a lack of safety procedures. I would propose that they use military personal to fly those planes. They could use non-military pilots to take the deployment strain off the airforce. My idea is that they take servicemen and women who are already in the military who are already airline pilots. It would take a short course to train these highly qualified airline pilots (a couple months for a type rating and some operating experience) before their deployment. They could have airforce type deployments (rotating schedules to keep these pilots away from long high stress deployments) and rotate a number of pilots for a mission. Trading missions every couple years with another group.

I am a pilot at mesaba and know of a few other captains who are not in military aviation who would rather deploy as a pilot than say some other job. I am in the Infantry and like that field, but have always been too old for army or airforce flying, and would like to serve as a pilot in some way. Those of you who might be able to propose this, might think on its merits. Thats if it has any. I just know that some good service members died because of Blackwater aviation getting a contract to fly when it could have been accomplished by service members.

 

[avbug]

I read an article about a blackwater charter plane which services the Military in Afganistan. The plane crashed due to pilot error and a lack of safety procedures. I would propose that they use military personal to fly those planes.

Egads! You're onto something, there. After all, military pilots are rarely involved in mishaps, and never make mistakes.

You're aware that Blackwater is a private company, right?

Are you sober?

 

[Tim47SIP]

Not to mention that those pilots were ex Mil guy. But the guy is right, I have never seen a Mil guy make a mistake:erm:

Several friends of mine are there flying in Asskrakastan and the only accident that that has occurred that one of them was involved in was when he was being transported by Russian equipment that crashed on the landing. Accidents are rare for the contractor there.

 

[Mud Eagle]

It's mostly a matter of money and equipment. The Army and AF do not have the aircraft required to be able to run people and supplies out to the FOBs. It is cheaper to pay Blackwater to do it than it is to procure a new aircraft type and support/operate it.

 

[cr7driver]

Thats right! Military pilots are the best!!!! LOL!
We are all human....military or not! Having flown with both, I have'nt seen much difference between the two.

 

[pilotyip]

Did the same thing in WWII, ATC was a civilian organization doing a military mission. Non-combat flights to support combat operations. Run by the CEO of American Airlines. E. K. Gann wrote of this in his books.

 

[CitationLover]

actually Blackwater crashed a CASA 212, flown by civs who I believe were not ex-military, because they simply acted like any other cheap 135 operator: indirectly forced pilots to fly in questionable weather and circumstances with crude maps. the flight was Blackwater 61.

flying at night in the mountains the pilots simply got lost and crashed into a mountain.

don't you love how rumsfeld and cheney cheapened the military?

 

[JohnnyP]

.....

actually Blackwater crashed a CASA 212, flown by civs who I believe were not ex-military, because they simply acted like any other cheap 135 operator: indirectly forced pilots to fly in questionable weather and circumstances with crude maps. the flight was Blackwater 61.

flying at night in the mountains the pilots simply got lost and crashed into a mountain.

don't you love how rumsfeld and cheney cheapened the military?

Pretty much 100% of your information is incorrect, by the way.

Here is the link to the report (not sure where you got your info from).

http://ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/aab0607.htm

Flying @ night?. Where'd you get that from?

Civilian flights aren't allowed @ night in Afghan (even though there was a push to get this lifted, not sure of the verdict as of a month ago'ish).

I have good insight on this as I have flown there in the same conditions/weather/airstrips, although for a different operator. Interesting try though.

Have you been there?

 

[CitationLover]

Pretty much 100% of your information is incorrect, by the way.

Here is the link to the report (not sure where you got your info from).

http://ntsb.gov/publictn/2006/aab0607.htm

Flying @ night?. Where'd you get that from?

Civilian flights aren't allowed @ night in Afghan (even though there was a push to get this lifted, not sure of the verdict as of a month ago'ish).

I have good insight on this as I have flown there in the same conditions/weather/airstrips, although for a different operator. Interesting try though.

Have you been there?

sorry i got one thing wrong as i was going from memory. they took off at twilight.

they got lost

At 0753:28, the captain stated, “we’ll just have to see where this leads.”

An unidentified passenger asked about the route of flight at 0802:25, and the mechanic stated, “I don’t know what we’re gunna see, we don’t normally go this route.”

At 0803:34, the captain stated, “okay it’s about time we’re gunna start climbin’ … we’re comin’ up to a box up here. … yeah I think this valley might peter out right up here.”

At 0815:47, the first officer stated that the ridgeline off to their left had a minimum elevation of approximately 14,000 feet msl. <--- note they were not using oxygen

, tried to turn around in a tight valley, stalled an airplane into a mountain.

as for weather, they were worried about weather:

At 0756:12, the captain stated, “well normally we’d have time to on a short day like this we’d have time to play a little bit do some explorin’ but with those winds comin’ up I want to [expletive] get there as fast as we can.”

in addition they had decided to "go" based on the weather information only at their origin and destination and as shown above, were concerned about sand storms, etc. coming into the area.

and the US Army Collateral Investigations Board found Blackwater at fault for the crash. the passenger's families (the us military personnel) are also suing Blackwater.
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=206054

no try involved, simply cheapening the us military to for profit companies, like Blackwater and yours (conveniently Blackwater's newest companies are being set up offshore to avoid US law). it's not "cheaper" per se as with no oversight these companies simply siphon more and more from the pentagon.

but hey fly the stars and bars and listen to boortz who called delta pilots idiots.

 

[414Flyer]

There is lots of civilian flights in Afghanistan, there is no way for the military to do it all. A lot of contractor work that people are whining about, is actually companies doing State Department work, not doing military work.

You can find plenty of mil pilots who have crashed due to their own fault. I think your message was less about the crash, and more about taking a shot at certain politicians.