Once a Air Force Fighter Pilot=Never Cool Again

[beytzim]

I've heard the excuse that guys say:
If you have a problem with fighter pilots, then it must mean you're a wanna be and always pissed off that you didn't get to fly one.

That may be true to some. I can tell you from my experience at WN that ALL the Navy fighter pilots I've flown with, every. single. one. was great to fly with. Of the Air Force fighter pilots, its more like a third are totally anal fuks, another third I can deal with, and the final third are really cool guys.

With the civilian guys, my experience is like 80% are cool, 20% are tools or complete dorks. So if I had my choice, I would fly with Navy fighter pilots, and never fly with an AF guy ever.

For the record, I'm a civilian puke.

 

[Boxboy]

C'mon.... fighter pilots rule! Atleast it's a cool thing to tell someone you want impress. Personally, I don't find flying the "cork screw" for 1.2 fun. Nothing is what it seems. Boring point A to point B flying is just fine with me.

 

[75M]

I think it has more to do with the culture of the airline than the culture of the fighter community. Seven years at T-Dub (with a well defined culture) and I honestly couldn't tell who was military/civilian/corporate, etc. You were simply a TWA pilot and that was that.

Now, at FL, I get to hear EVERYBODY's background at the first opportunity for reasons I can only speculate.

 

[Diesel-9]

Phantom's Phorever!!!

 

[Diesel-9]

http://images.google.com/images?q=r...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4

 

[Diesel-9]

http://attach.high-g.net/attachments/robin_olds_575.jpg

 

[Marko Ramius]

I think it has more to do with the culture of the airline than the culture of the fighter community. Seven years at T-Dub (with a well defined culture) and I honestly couldn't tell who was military/civilian/corporate, etc. You were simply a TWA pilot and that was that.

Now, at FL, I get to hear EVERYBODY's background at the first opportunity for reasons I can only speculate.

Having worked at few places as well, I couldn't agree more that it's largely an airline culture thing.

 

[list2002]

Have to agree with Beytzim, most Navy guys are great to fly with regardless of aircraft (including Marines). The ONLY guys I had a good time with from AF have been fighter guys though, i've had a run of C-130, 135 c-5 guys lately that have been poor leaders from the FA brief on. Following a micromanaging extreeme that only leads one to wonder how comfortable they are about the bigger picture I get a lecture about their wonderous methodologies about airplane flying (all better than SOP of course). I'll stop here, just finished a 3 day with one... just glad it's done. Think at least most of the fighter guys have a "been there done that" mentality and nothing else to prove. If you have to "demand" or explain the recognition of your position or accomplishments, it's already lost. Makes most wonder why you're trying so hard in the first place.

 

[skystud25]

Just 2 months ago, showed up for IOE at Big D 45 minutes early from check in, and ran into my check airman. He says "let's brief" so I follow him into a quiet room. He sees that I have a revision to do and intimates to me that it should have been done already (apparently the fact that I'm way early and could have possibly been planning to do the revision doesn't dawn on him). I say to him "Air Force guy, huh?" He says "Yeah, how'd you know?" He didn't even get that it was a dig. The whole 4 day trip was a constant battle for him not to try to teach his technique as SOP. Painful. Unfortunately, those guys are all too prevalent, and many end up as check airmen because they're control freaks and that way they can make more of us like them.

 

[B6Busdriver]

http://attach.high-g.net/attachments/robin_olds_575.jpg

LOVE THE F-4!!!!! My dad flew the phantom but still loved the f-86 the most.