Helicopter Missions in the Air Force

[Ragansundowner]

What are some of the roles of the helicopter in the Air Force? Special Forces, SAR, medivac, etc? Where do most rotor pilots end up after completion of training?

-R.S.

 

[Chunk]

SAR...CSAR...red headed step child....yeah, they have lots of roles in the air farce.

Wanna fly helos? Navy or Army is the best way to go.

 

[talondriver]

SAR...CSAR...red headed step child....yeah, they have lots of roles in the air farce.

Yeah...I'm sure the F-14 pilot who was rescued by an Air FOrce CSAR team during Desert Storm agrees with your comment...NOT!

 

[Chunk]

The point is that the helo community in the Chair Force (sorry...you're right, not farce) isn't given much in the way of emphasis.

 

[talondriver]

The point is that the helo community in the Chair Force (sorry...you're right, not farce) isn't given much in the way of emphasis.

the point of the post was not to compare the different services either. He wanted info about Air Force helos not navy or army or backseaters.

You also left out the Corps. I imagine helos are more important to them since a majority of their "pilots" go to that community.

 

[46Driver]

Oh Good Grief,
The Air Force isn't big on helos - its not their primary mission but the guys who do it are specialized and very good. (They also receive that same whopping $25k a year bonus that Marines drool over....) I think they still receive some initial fixed wing training but then the Army does their helo training at Fort Rucker. There is substantial speculation that they will switch to helo training with the Navy at NAS Whiting (Pensacola) once the NVG training begins. And they are stationed in quite a few places - Aviano, Italy I believe - and certainly at Hurlburt Field, Florida (between Pensacola and Panama City). In Gulf War I, the Air Force Pavelows were the first ones in leading Army Apaches to destroy Iraqi radar sites. Finally, the Air Force is supposed to get the special ops version of the MV-22 (called the CV-22) with longer range tanks and terrain following radar. The Marine in charge of the program just retired and now an Air Force officer is in charge - probably means more money now... Hope this helps.

 

[JJG]

The Air Force flies CH-53's, HH-60's, and UH-1N's. Some pilots go straight to Fort Rucker for helo training, while others have completed flight school in fixed wing aircraft and are sent to Rucker for a short helicopter course. Most pilots out of flight school are sent to UH-1N's to fly logistics for a few years and then are sent to Kirtland Air Force base in New Mexico for transitions into 60's or 53's. UH-1's fly mostly general support (Ass and Trash) and range support. The bulk of HH-60's are for CSAR while 53's are Special OPS. Big HH-60 base at Nellis, big CH-53 bases in England and at Hurlburt. Helicopter pilots have a career progression pyramid just like every other pilot group, they don't stamp your wings with a big "H" or anything like that, and if you want to get ahead in Air Force Special Operations Command, its good to be a helicopter pilot. The Air Force has more helicopters than the Coast Guard, so while helicopters make up a small percentage of the Air Force's fleet, there are still a large number of helicopters in the Air Force.

 

[ktulu34535]

why is it so bad?

To be a helo pilot? I get the idea that they don't get a lot of respect for some reason, I mean if the AF offered me the opportunity to go to UPT knowing that I would be flying helo's I'd jump at the chance. I would think it would be pretty fun. Do the airlines just not care about RW time?

I wouldn't know I'm pretty ignorant on the subject...

 

[46Driver]

Quite a few of the airlines (FedEx, Southwest, JetBlue) don't even have a space on your resume to put helo time - they don't consider it flying.

 

[JJG]

Every military pilot thinks what he is flying is better than what the other guy is flying. Fighter jocks think transport guys are bus drivers, helicopter pilots think fighter jocks are lame because they drop their bombs from 30,000 feet and cry like babies for the helicopter pilots to come rescue them when they get shot down. The only pilot that ridicules a helicopter pilot is the pilot who has never needed a helicopter to come get him. I have received many thank you from veterans who have said on numerous occasions "you helicopter boys really saved my bacon in Viet Nam, Iraq, etc." and on the same token I have gotten my share of cold shoulders from fixed wing guys who did not know any better, including one who said "gee, I didn't know you guys had all those flight instruments too." If you want to become an airline pilot, helicopters are not the way to go. But that discussion is ignorant, and assumes the goal of every pilot is to become an airline pilot. Would you tell Sean Tucker, "gee Sean you should get more multiengine time if you want to fly for the airlines" Not comparing myself to Sean Tucker mind you, just illustrating that Sean Tucker is a pilot who does not want to be an airline pilot, just like many helicopter pilots do not want to be airline pilots. Right now heliocpter pilots are way better off than airline pilots anyway. Most helicopter companies are hiring, starting pay is more than double what you would make at Comair, AE, or many other regionals, and you will likely work a much better schedule, plus the flying can't be beat. I love airplanes and helicopters. I think a P-51, Corsair, or a Boeing 707 are about the coolest things that ever flew, but when it comes to a carreer, I will stick with helicopters for job satisfaction, and let the comments of those more ignorant than myself, those who pesume success in aviation only can only be found in the cockpit of an airliner, to roll of my back.