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Anyone with Blackhawk experience...

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jurisj

Kingsmen
Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Posts
30
I got my aircraft assignment today and I will be flying my first choice... the UH-60 Blackhawk! I've got a question for anyone with experience in the Army 'hawk community...

What types of assignments are good for a WO1? I'd really like to fly Medevac... it has its downsides, but it's a real world mission that I would truly like to do. Is it difficult for a WO1 to progress in an Air Ambulance unit? Is it a detriment not having Air Assault experience in the 'hawk community?

Any info would be helpful! I should be getting my duty location in the next couple of days, and I'd like to consider this before making my choices. Thanks!

Cheers,

- Juris
 
I think the best guidance I could give would be to request a short tour since that will

1) Get you more flying than a stateside assignment would.
2) Let you see two units before you make some serious career decisions.

I think your performance against a standard of excellence will serve you well regardless of the type of unit you are in.

What do you want to do long term? Instruct/Examine, Maintenance, Safety?
 
I think Andy is right on track. By doing a short tour it is almost guaranteed that you will be utilized to the fullest extent. If you apply yourself you will make PIC and this will bode well in future assignments. By contrast, if your first tour is a long tour there will be a quite a slower track through your first RL progression as the unit will feel that there is "no hurry". The key is that YOU must apply yourself and be ready to accept additional responsibilty. Don't wait to be spoon fed. Good luck!
 
I'd love to get the short tour in Hondo, but if there's a slot available I think it might go to a higher ranked guy in my class. Worth a shot anyhow. The only other short tour opportunity would be Korea, then. I'll definitely take that into consideration when I make my input!

As for my long term plans? I don't know what I really want to track. I don't think I want to be an IP. I like technical work, but I don't think I want to go Maintenance because from what I understand they don't fly operationally often. So, I guess that leaves Safety and Tac Ops. I guess my first assignment(s) will influence which way I'll end up tracking.

Thanks for the advice, guys! Cheers,

- Juris
 
Career Tracking...

I hate to say it, but Korea as a first assignment isn't bad....you'll get it out of the way for a while, and get some really good real-time flying done too. As for career tracking, in my opinion, the guys who become IPs and IFEs fly a little more, and they also have some skills that can be transfered outside the military (one day you will be back in the civvy side of things). MTPs also fly too, but the civilian side doesn't have the same maintenance the Army has. And safety is a toss of the dice....all pilots should be safe, and few helicopter operators in the civil world have a working, full-up safety office (save the larger ones). Tac stuff obviously wouldn't have any transfer at all, but it's interesting.

One note....even if you're an IP, you still need the CFI stamp from the FAA, but having the experience on your resume helps alot, since most helo operators outside the Army love people with IP experience.

I read you're going to Campbell, right? If you are, good luck...my dad flew Cobras out there with the 1-229th back in the late 1970s. He liked it out there. As for me, I'm still having fun up here in Montgomery AL flying the Lears....and I'm sadly thinking about leaving the Student Pilot Network forum because I'm tired of being jumped by fighter wanna-bes every time I promote flying heavies...the last guy just left me a nasty-gram because I said I didn't wanna go through the T-38 track when I was in UPT....it's getting old (ref. the "B-52" thread). I guess most of them don't understand that I've flown more types of military aircraft than they ever will in their careers.
 
"I read you're going to Campbell, right? If you are, good luck...my dad flew Cobras out there with the 1-229th back in the late 1970s. "

Yup. I'm headed to Campbell. I'm pretty excited about it... should be there by June or so.

"and I'm sadly thinking about leaving the Student Pilot Network forum because I'm tired of being jumped by fighter wanna-bes every time I promote flying heavies...the last guy just left me a nasty-gram because I said I didn't wanna go through the T-38 track when I was in UPT....it's getting old (ref. the "B-52" thread). I guess most of them don't understand that I've flown more types of military aircraft than they ever will in their careers."

I have certainly noticed that. I am all about helping wannabes get where they want to go as I know you are. You helped me out when I was a wannabe and I've tried to help as many as have come to that forum asking questions about the Army. However, a lot of them on SPN do have the attitude that flying an F-15/16/18/whatever is the one and only way to go and everyone else is a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**bag. OK... I'll take good natured ribbing from other military pilots, that's the nature of the business, but when a wannabe who's never seen anything other than MS Flight Sim 2000 comes on a board and starts insulting a military pilot's airframe or career choices? That I cannot stand.

It would be too bad if you left the board, a more than one person has told me that they always read your posts regardless of the topic, but I understand why. It has gotten a little out of control.

Cheers,

- Juris
 
Re: Career Tracking...

HueyPilot said:
thinking about leaving the Student Pilot Network forum because I'm tired of being jumped by fighter wanna-bes every time I promote flying heavies...the last guy just left me a nasty-gram because I said I didn't wanna go through the T-38 track when I was in UPT....it's getting old (ref. the "B-52" thread). I guess most of them don't understand that I've flown more types of military aircraft than they ever will in their careers.

Yes, the group over there has become a bit tiresome lately. I don't know why, but it has.
 
"Yes, the group over there has become a bit tiresome lately. I don't know why, but it has."


I agree wholeheartedly! I still peruse the SPN every now and again to see if there is any good info, but half the time, it's garbage. I remember the good ol' days when the SPN was an awesome information source. It's sure gone down the toilet the last 6 months.

I really like this board. It'd be nice if there was more here to read though....
 

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