F-15s doin double time since the lockdown lifted? (San Diego: home, train)

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

True. Some of my more interesting moments contemplating man’s relationship with various higher powers came while launching off a WWII vintage carrier deck in the belly of A-3s, which as I recall had the Navy’s worst carrier safety record. To just look at the size of an A3 (which is a strategic bomber … largest and heaviest aircraft to ever operate from a carrier) juxtaposed with the short Essex-class flight decks of many Vietnam rotations, caused agita and begged for packing an extra pair of underwear along with chute. Crew flies blind in the windowless belly so you can’t see your impending doom. When I served on the big E (Enterprise) the deck was huge by comparison … but still made you wonder.

Man, I'd love to pic your brain some time. I'm a huge military historian buff. The big E. Dang.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by Frac

I see Apaches flying overhead near Miramar regularly. They are not loud like the jets and ospreys but always cool to see. Those helos pack a punch.

I was corrected one time.

Apaches are not "helo's."

Nope, them's GUNSHIPS!

[pilotjoe]

Why are F-15’s flying at Miramar? When I flew it was only Wednesday night when the Air Force came to town to visit the club. They were some fun times

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by pilotjoe

Why are F-15’s flying at Miramar? When I flew it was only Wednesday night when the Air Force came to town to visit the club. They were some fun times

Guessing the OP doesn't know a 15 from a sparrow.

[cruitr]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

I was corrected one time. Apaches are not "helo's." Nope, them's GUNSHIPS!

When I worked the control tower @ Luke AFB AZ in the 70s, no Apache pilot ever referred to themselves as "Helo pilots." They were Gunship pilots.

Since none of us were rated to work a Gunship, we just told the Gunship pilot they were free to use our airspace. We agreed to "check their Six" while we monitored the Maverick-type fighter pilots in their F14s and F15s.

The movie Top Gun is totally wrong when it comes to Luke AFB AZ. We were happy when the top-notch fighter pilot 'buzzed the tower'. We gave them lots of free air space and continued to play our Hearts card game. Those were the days.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

Guessing the OP doesn't know a 15 from a sparrow.

Well, if the marine layer keeps ya from seein em ya. I do know my sparrows though. Wasn't a sparrow an AIM-7?

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Man, I'd love to pic your brain some time. I'm a huge military historian buff. The big E. Dang.

Heh. If you’re a military historian buff you probably know a lot more than me . I was a lousy sailor / airman. I did my job well, alright. But just never immersed myself in the whole history and culture thing. I dropped out of the 11th grade, worked in a print shop, then joined at 17, volunteered for air duty and Vietnam … seemed like a good idea to the [17-year-old] brain that was looking for an adventure anywhere other than Minnesota.

Over time I picked up on what the benefits were to the job … and did more than half my career in reserves to tie all that up while moving back to being a printer, boater, and wandering wonderer. I’m not very military for all my years … but that’s probably obvious

But yeah, the Big E was a wonderment. I first landed aboard her in a Sea Sprite helo to pull overhauls on a bird’s 20 mm cannons while the ADs pulled an engine change. An old A1 Skyraider had seized up due to losing all its oil on a RESCAP recovery mission. Flying treetop as those Spads did to cover the helo crews, they took a lot of small arms fire. Armor plating didn’t cover everything. Bird was a mess. Pilot tried to get back to its mother ship but Big E was closer and had an open deck. Literally glided down for landing on that HUGE floating airfield. Coming over from an Essex, WWII class deck I stepped out and thought I’d landed at Cubi Point, Philippines, air station.

Big E is now scrap. And that huge deck is dwarfed by these new super carriers even. An A3 landing on / launching from those big decks was a deep inhale … but from any Essex class it was soiled shorts in my book.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Heh. If you’re a military historian buff you probably know a lot more than me . I was a lousy sailor / airman. I did my job well, alright. But just never immersed myself in the whole history and culture thing. I dropped out of the 11th grade, worked in a print shop, then joined at 17, volunteered for air duty and Vietnam … seemed like a good idea to the [17-year-old] brain that was looking for an adventure anywhere other than Minnesota.

Over time I picked up on what the benefits were to the job … and did more than half my career in reserves to tie all that up while moving back to being a printer, boater, and wandering wonderer. I’m not very military for all my years … but that’s probably obvious

But yeah, the Big E was a wonderment. I first landed aboard her in a Sea Sprite helo to pull overhauls on a bird’s 20 mm cannons while the ADs pulled an engine change. An old A1 Skyraider had seized up due to losing all its oil on a RESCAP recovery mission. Flying treetop as those Spads did to cover the helo crews, they took a lot of small arms fire. Armor plating didn’t cover everything. Bird was a mess. Pilot tried to get back to its mother ship but Big E was closer and had an open deck. Literally glided down for landing on that HUGE floating airfield. Coming over from an Essex, WWII class deck I stepped out and thought I’d landed at Cubi Point, Philippines, air station.

Big E is now scrap. And that huge deck is dwarfed by these new super carriers even. An A3 landing on / launching from those big decks was a deep inhale … but from any Essex class it was soiled shorts in my book.

Being in the belly of a bird with someone else driving takes stones man. I do feel like I missed my calling but too late to take that back.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Being in the belly of a bird with someone else driving takes stones man. I do feel like I missed my calling but too late to take that back.

… or a 17-24 year-old brain

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

… or a 17-24 year-old brain

True that! I'm lucky to be alive and never been shot at by a foe. Shot at by some idiot hunters but that's another story.