Forum: Careers & Assignments

As I've said before elsewhere on this site, I would love to go for a ride in a Viper, but I haven't earned it. I would never want to take a ride and bump a maintainer or support troop down in line who deserves it for their outstanding service. You guys do so much work and get so little in return other than knowing you've done a great job. I know celebrities get rides, and that works to the Air Force's advantage with recruiting (or so it's thought).

I think the CCs and maintainers should get first shot at it, and go down the list from there with regards to how closely the troops are to the jets and how many hours they put in. Also, I think rides could be a great incentive for re-enlistment. Maybe the troops could be given the choice - the ride, or the $ the ride would cost the Air Force. Talk about a dilemma! Shocked

I also wonder how often a 2 seat Viper, Hornet, or other military jet flies with the back seat empty? Couldn't we fill that slot with someone who deserves it?

Last, I just want to say that I don't think of military jets as amusement park rides, nor do I think they should be seen as such. I just think that the people who put in the long hours of hard work, often in bad weather and far from home, should be given the opportunity to experience the fruits of their labor. I think it would give them a boost and they'd probably do an even better job than before! Cool

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Does this include congressmen and movie stars? If I were a hard-working CC/maintainer that would chap my *ss watching them get a ride when I couldn't. Does the PR benefit really outweigh the effect on morale?

Congressmen would seem a necessary evil. Without them, the $ doesn't flow, and nothing happens w/o $. As for the movie stars, isn't that why the T-Birds have a family model in the lineup? The only reason I can see the celebs and political types going up with anyone but the T-Birds is so that they can see how a "regular unit" runs and see what it's like to fly with the "regular guys". I don't agree with it, and I'm in no way suggesting the T-Birds are better than the guys on the line. I just see them as the PR dept. for the Air Force. Good question there habu2!

I have a strong opinion about who should get a ride first: Cool

ME!

Here's a related (but locked) topic: <a href="http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-182.html">Do they give rides in F-16's?</a>.

Thanks for the tip, Lieven. Sorry, I had read that topic a while back and had forgotten about it. Embarassed

Personally I have long felt that every effort should be made to get maintainers a ride within their first year of being in, or at least within their first enlistment. That way you don't spend the rest of your career wondering if you are ever going to get a ride.

On your question about empty back seats, with money and training time tight as it is right now, that hardly ever happens. There is generally a pilot somewhere that needs a check ride.

Incentive flights go through cycles, sometimes they do some every Friday afternoon, and then it goes away for a while.

All that having been said, the best way to get a ride is to join the service (DUH), be a very good worker (Volunteer for things and win lots of awards) and give yourself some time. Just being in the right place at the right time is a big player too, got a ride in a Danish S-61 at Aalborg once that way. The longer you are in, the greater chances there are of being honored with a ride.

I have been very fortunate, with two T-38 rides and two F-15E rides, but I have also been in as a crew chief for 17 years.

JMC

I have a photographer friend, we have spent many ours together sitting off the end of the Carswell runway watching and photographing jets (pre-9/11). My friend always made a point to photograph every F-16 in the pattern. He then made prints and started hanging out at the off-base bar where the pilots hung out. He struck up conversations, made friends, and gave the pilots photos of their jets. Over time (we're talking years here) the relationships grew, and when the squadron wanted some pics made they called him. On one special occasion they painted one of the jets up and wanted some good air-to-air shots of it. Guess who they called? Yep, my friend got a ride - and they even paid him for the film and prints etc.

That is too cool! Habu2 are you still in the Carswell area? Do they still have the little "museum" down by the Lockheed plant? They used to have a B-36, B-58, F-105 and other jets there.

JMC

Agree completely, Eagle21 and great story habu2! I'd say you earned the ride, Eagle, and so did your friend, habu2. Something I see in common here - neither was doing what they were with the intention of getting a ride. Thanks for the stories! Cool

parrothead, I think Henry had a ride in the back of his mind but granted it was a long shot.

Eagle21, I'm working in St Louis right now but still have a house and family back in Dallas. The "museum" (more like planes parked on the side of the road) by the south gate has been gone for years. The B-36 has been restored and they are trying to get a building erected at the main base entrance on the east side to display it in, don't know if that has happened yet. The B-58 and F-105 are gone, not sure where.

I know several aviation photographers that frequently get rides, many of them are featured on the Code One link I posted above. Also, one of our forum members has his work featured on the Code One site.

Everyone knows how it is. Maintainers don't get as many rides as they deserve. For instance while at Cannon AFB (I know), we went TDY to Nellis and it was a pretty huge red flag. We took 2 F-16 D's and we all busted out chops day in and day out for who knows how long (years?). Who is the first person and last person who goes up? A TV reporter!!!!!!!! I'll leave it at that.

This is the problem with giving incentive rides to line-personal on empty seat "B" models. So this is what I'm told: many people have never even flown in an airplane with the exception of going to and coming from "Basic, Tech-School, PCS, etc.," they cannot and do not know how to keep from getting sick. The key to NOT becoming sick for those of you who want rides, is while the aircraft is pulling G's and executing unusual attitudes is to LOOK outside the aircraft and watch the Earth as it spins up, down, and around. If you keep your head inside the cockpit, thats it, you're going to blow cookies. When this happens, the pilot, who is on a mission, must call ops, abort, and come home. Mission and money wasted. Take it from a guy who flys acro, I go negative too.

How do I feel about "other non-military" people getting rides, since they have so much money, get your own Viper, learn how to fly it, and pay for it yourselves. Leave the incentive rides within the brother/sisterhood.

I have seen a lot of people that should not get a ride, get one. Not that they did not deserve one, I shure they work hard for it but, does a person that suffers from severe motion sicknes get a ride? Seen it@ Luke AFB. Does a Coronel/General aid or assistant realy need 4 rides in one year? Seen it @ Osan AB.

Cool Post... I was lucky to get a ride in ac 927 when she was assigned to the agressor sq at nellis. That was two years ago. Back then we had 5 D models and incetive rides were given on deployments to the troops. It was awesome and well worth the wait of 6yrs for me, Highlight of my carrer. Well since then we traded 4 of those jets for C models and we are left with one D hog, However it is a test jet. So there are no more rides given out for maint troops here. What really gets us going though is when our only 2seater goes up with only one pilot. As far as training goes, its a 30min brief with the pilot and egress to get you a suit. You are told put your arms on the canopy handles and not touch a thing. About half the people given rides get sick and thats normaly on the straight and level return to base after all the high G stuff so thats no big deal. Only about 3% miss the barf bag and they clean up the seat after that! after all the high G stuff. So I under stand sometimes why we dont get rides, I mean the Test side mission is more inportant to the AF than a incentive ride. And the times the D hog goes up alone is normaly when she is a spare. Whyle Im rambling on here...A news person got a incentive ride in our only two seater and when she landed she almost got beat up by 50 or so maintainers because she said to us "The ride was boring and the jet handles like a biplane" grrrrrr

Forum: Careers & Assignments

Rides in military aircraft - who should get them and why?