Difference in Pilots

**Gun Grape** · 24 Nov 11,, 22:24

Naval Aviator

On a carrier, the Naval Aviator looks over at the Catapult Officer ("Shooter") who gives the run up engines signal by rotating his finger above his head. The pilot pushes the throttle forward, verifies all flight controls are operational, checks all gauges, and gives the Cat officer a brisk salute, continuing the Navy/Marine tradition of asking permission to leave the ship. The Cat officer drops to one knee while swooping his arm forward and pointing down deck, granting that permission. The pilot is immediately catapulted and becomes airborne.

Air Force Pilot

We've all seen Air Force pilots at the air force base look up just before taxiing for takeoff and the ground crew waits until the pilot's thumb is sticking straight up. The crew chief then confirms that he sees the thumb, salutes, and the Air Force pilot then takes off. This time-tested tradition is the last link in the Air Force safety net to confirm that the pilot does not have his thumb up his ass.

Army Aviator

If you've ever seen an Army helicopter pilot preparing for takeoff, you will note that the pilot gives the ground guy a thumbs up before he is given hover and takeoff signals. There are two theories about the origin of this gesture. One is that it is to show that the pilot has identified which of his fingers is the thumb so that he will be able to properly operate his controls. The most compelling theory says that this is to show the ground crewman that the pilot indeed knows which direction is up.

**Chogy** · 25 Nov 11,, 13:48

Ah-haha..ha....ha ha Another "Naval Aviators are God's gift to a free mankind" joke.

It's all good. We gave them a portion of grief. Buying a group of Marines shots of milk, for example.

We had a guy who bailed out from the U.S. Navy to join the USAF. Callsign "Squid", of course. He was a non-stop fountain of hate for the Navy and for ships in general... He especially appreciated the AF tradition of opening up the Squadron bar after the last crew stepped for the day.

The problem we saw with the average Navy crew, after we crushed them in a DACT encounter, was their general lack of real ACM training. In their own words, to paraphrase - "We spend a lot of our airborne time turning circles in CAPs for fleet defense, and not getting as much real training as we'd like.

"But we land on the carrier... at night. Only real men do that."

"But landing on the carrier doesn't kill MiGs or put bombs on the enemy."

There was a lot of friendly competition between the services.

**YellowFever** · 25 Nov 11,, 17:30

C'mon, chogy.

The Gunny is tweaking your nose! You can't let him get away with that!

**Chogy** · 26 Nov 11,, 14:27

Like some people are tone-deaf, I am joke deaf. I can recognize a joke, but rarely remember any, and if I attempt to deliver one, it usually fails spectacularly.

Ooooh, I do remember a naval aviator joke. Ready?

Spoiler!

^^That set back naval aviation 20 years, and sent all serious pilot wannabees running and screaming to the USAF.

**Gun Grape** · 26 Nov 11,, 17:46

Originally Posted by Chogy

Ah-haha..ha....ha ha Another "Naval Aviators are God's gift to a free mankind" joke.

It's all good. We gave them a portion of grief. Buying a group of Marines shots of milk, for example.

We use to do the same.

Had pizza delivered during a unclass brief under their name. Same at a formal Dining Inn.

Good to see they are not cut any slack when they are away.

**USSWisconsin** · 26 Nov 11,, 18:02

Originally Posted by Chogy

Like some people are tone-deaf, I am joke deaf. I can recognize a joke, but rarely remember any, and if I attempt to deliver one, it usually fails spectacularly.

Ooooh, I do remember a naval aviator joke. Ready?

Spoiler!

^^That set back naval aviation 20 years, and sent all serious pilot wannabees running and screaming to the USAF.

The Tom Cruise Scientology connection made his Top Gun pilot portrail even more pathetic (add to that the gay connection that this sad flick has aquired), that guy is a real peice of work... I still like John Travolta's film work, inspite of his scientology connection, but TC has fallen off of the list of actors I can stomach (they took TC's scientology interview off you tube, but I saw it before that and it really gave me some insight into that cult and the kind of moron it attracts).

**Chogy** · 26 Nov 11,, 18:43

I may have told this story before, but it's worth repeating. I was at an airshow with a couple of Eagles and some friends, next to some Navy F-14's. This was at the height of the Top Gun craze. We noticed that the Tomcats attracted huge crowds of pimply-faced teen boys, while our F-15's drew the cute girls, them being elbowed out of the way of the Tomcats by the eager herds of pubescent males. We could tell the Navy guys were more than a little hacked, as we were asked to autograph (literally) various body parts on some sweet young things.

It was my chance to be a rock star for a couple of days. Lots of fun!

S2 · 26 Nov 11,, 18:58

Geez, Chog...you're an aviator who once drove the ultimate fastmover among a bunch of squids, tankers, grunts and gunbunnies.

You're a rock star everyday you show up here.

**bigross86** · 26 Nov 11,, 19:26

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!

**zraver** · 26 Nov 11,, 19:35

I am a tanker, but I like jets. At an airshow at painefeild before it closed down I got to watch an SU-27 on a goodwill visit from the USSR do a cobra. The crowd was impressed. Then an F-15 walked across the front of the crowd- nose almsot vertical, forward speed almost nil relying on thrust to hold his plane up. Then an F-16 (part of the Thunderbirds) came across went nose up and took off straight up and didn't run out of thrust.... he was just gone.

I've been blessed in seeing the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and Snow birds.

Of note aerobatic pilots don't wear g-suits. The inflation of the suit during high G moves could cause a small adjustment in the planes movement and cause it to bump the plane next too it and cause a crash... they do it all by breathing and muscle control.

**Chogy** · 27 Nov 11,, 00:01

Originally Posted by S2

Geez, Chog...you're an aviator who once drove the ultimate fastmover among a bunch of squids, tankers, grunts and gunbunnies.

You're a rock star everyday you show up here.

Awww...

I have a few flying stories, but I stand in awe of the accumulated knowledge here... your own especially with regards to ground ops, FATA-ville and the state of the Afghan war, Zraver's encyclopedic memory of mil history, so many warship experts, Tank men, Arty men, many many more.

It was a good time in my life, all too short. Honestly, I think the end of the Reagan era was the absolute best time to be an aviator. Things have changed so much. Pilots now manage systems so advanced, it seems to barely resembles what I knew and enjoyed.