Oh, I understand. You have every right to be proud of those gold wings, and I meant no less - just trying to make sure I had the nomenclature right. Don't forget, I've been enlisted, too, though only 3 years and 7 months - B-47E maint. crew chief .
I'm also very well aware that it takes more than a "PILOT" to properly fly/operate an aircraft, especialy a multi-crew-position one. It takes the ENTIRE crew working as a well-trained team - not just one guy up front all by himself (or herself these days). Too many "laymen" can't seem to understand that. Wilton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wonko the Sane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 9:13 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - moisture in air > Yes (and answering your following email) -- they are Aircrew Wings. Navy and > Coast Guard and (I think) Marines share the same badge. In some ways, they > are more valued in the Coast Guard than pilot wings. Pilots did six years > and went to the airlines -- aircrew folks often hung around for a career. > > They are enlisted air crew wings, very special and not easy to earn. It > means that you have qualified to fly alone (without an instructor) in the > airframe and can do the job for which you are qualified. > > You have to lose the USAF mindset, Wilton, to understand the following. > > In the Coast Guard, officers fly the planes. Everything (EVERYTHING) aft of > the pilot and co-pilot are enlisted crew. We kept the plane in the air and > the pilots pointed it through the sky. > > I felt a special bond between the officers and enlisted in the Coast Guard, > because the pilots knew that the guys sitting aft of them had the same "live > to fly again" investment in the airframe. > > I flew as navigator, which I think is an officer position in the USAF. I did > it as an E2 (University graduate) and was our air station's primary nav > instructor and check-ride-guy when I went off to OCS as an E6 (three years > later). If I didn't think they had the right stuff, I sent them back for > additional training, and no officer ever questioned my decision. ... If I > said they were ready, the pilots knew this guy could navigate them to hell > and back (all flights over the ocean), using Loran-A, Loran-C, or (in the > event of a power failure) find the closest point of land with DR and a > compass. To be honest, I was a total prick on check rides -- but I wanted my > guys to always come home alive. I wasn't always popular with my students, > but I knew when they went off on their first patrol alone, they could bring > the bird home no matter what happened. And no one, after earning their > wings, ever had a bad word to say about me (to my face), other than a "thank > you" later. > > Here is what makes the Coast Guard unique, even from the Navy. In the Navy, > some folks fix planes and some folks fly. Coast Guard doesn't do that. As an > avionics tech, I fixed the equipment and then climbed into the airframe each > day and headed offshore for a patrol. Everyone did. We had NO guys who > didn't fix and fly. If you have an aviation specialty, you are air crew or > you go to a boat (and get a new rating). > > The same guys who did the mechanics (including engine changes) flew as > flight mechanic (in the USAF known as flight engineer). > > I was the ONLY guy at the CGAS who calibrated the RADALTs. Our mission was > flying 50 feet on the RADALT making passes on fishing boats. Guess who died > if I got lazy and was +/- 15 feet on the calibration? I was also the guy who > calibrated the ILS boxes. How important is that? I never worried when we had > to do an ILS approach, because I knew we were spot-on on the instruments. If > not, _I_ as the guy who died. > > I was the last guy at CGAS Cape Cod to be dual-qualified in the Goat as > nav/radio AND flight engineer. Took a bit of persuasion to get the > wrench-turners to qualify me as a "nose-picker." There was not a lot of > love lost between the avionics guys and the mechanics. We needed a much > higher ASVAB score to even get into school and were seen by them as somewhat > elitist. Fortunately, I don't mind getting oil on my hands. I like to think > I earned their trust by my professionalism. Truth is, I pestered the hell > out of the E9 until he gave in and let me get qualified. > > USCG Aviation is a unique breed. We flew hard, we were professional, we did > good, and we partied hard. > > If you saw the movie The Guardians -- that movie is 100% accurate of Coast > Guard aviation. > > Ok, for everyone except Wilton, I apologize for my verbose post. Wilton will > understand. > > D. > > > On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 7:33 PM, Wilton Strickland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > > BTW, the only thing I get to come up on the military.esptgear site is the > > photo of gold wings. What are they, Navy enlisted aircrew wings? > > > > Wilton > > > > > > > -- > LT Don > http://don.homelinux.net/~don/ > > apt-get update > apt-get upgrade > The following packages will be replaced > Prez > Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
