I just got back from a 2 week TDY at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. It was freakin AWESOME! Nellis is the "home of the fighter" at least that what it says as you drive on base. Speaking of which, I've really been rethinking what I want to fly, and becoming less enchanted by fighters, they and especially fighter pilots are not nearly as cool as you always dream of growing up. While there I got to fly in a C-17, B-52, Huey, and Pave Hawk helicopters, and a C-130 on a low-level mission acting as Red Air (enemy) trying to avoid getting shot down by F-22, 15s, and 16s.
The 17 was cool, very new and advanced, floated a little bit in my seat when we did a little negative G action. They have a similar mission to the C-130, but seem to be babied more than a 130, so not as cool. The B-52 was cool just to be in a 52, but we didn't really do anything, just flew really high and released an ordinance (not really just simulated). They are really old and "not as nice."
The highlight was getting to act as a down pilot. They flew us to the middle of some restricted area we won't talk about, and dropped us with off with a flare, radio, signal mirror, compass, and other fun stuff. At the prearranged time (that we crashed) I sent our coords on the radio. An A-10 called back asking us for our info, and instructed us to signal with the mirror so he could get our exact location. We were on a hill overlooking an "enemy complex" and three guys came out of the village with rifles, so I called in the A-10 for cover. Just about the time, I was getting impatient cuz they were getting closer I saw a silent gray frame zipping up the dry river bed at a lower elevation than our 60 foot hill. The hog pulled up just enough to clear the hill after dropping flares because the complex shot off a "smokey sam" but made another pass to make sure he had taken care of them (they were now laying down acting dead) and it started raining little while fuzz from the flares. In a little while a black dot came down a nearby ridge, which turned into two dots that instructed me to pop my flare when they gave me the signal to verify it was really us. They circled twice to find an area to land, there wasn't enough room on our hill so they just put their front landing gear down and out rushed some of the scariest giants I have ever seen, the blast from the pave hawk was so strong it picked me up and slammed me against our down aircraft (an old van) but didn't even phase the PJs who grabbed us and threw us in the helos which proceeded to blast out of the canyon barely clearing ridges to get us back to safety. IT WAS FREAKIN AWESOME.
So this is really long but the trip was awesome, the low level mission in the 130 was bout as cool as the rescue, I got to sit in the bubble on top to look for the guys trying to shoot us down. A few times I thought we were going to hit the dirt we were flying so low, but we still got "shot down" every time we had to cross open flat terrain.
The strip in Vegas was cool, but got old quick, I perfered the hike on Mt. Charleston which was probably the most intense hike I've ever done, 9 miles one way with about 4,000 ft gain on the way up, then there was the 9 miles back down.
Again, when on TDY you get a per diem on top of regular pay how freakin awesome is the AF, u should join...
20 June 2007
C Springs finally
Caleb Osborne recently gave me some free publicity so it is forcing me to update this. I'm going to make this strictly AF stuff, kind of my experiences in the AF - and reasons people should join the AF.
So to finish the Colorado TDY (temporary trip that we take), another really cool day was going to another DZ (drop zone). We spent the entire day there even though it was a night drop. We passed the time shooting skeet, stalking antelope, grilling steaks, garlic buscuits, potatoes/onions/peppers, corn on the cob, pineapple, and cookies (all on the grill). Ya it was a pretty rough day. After the sun went down, we got out the gear (radios, NVGs (night vision goggles, wind reader) and called in the C-130s for a drop. My job was to spin glow sticks (that could only be seen on NVGs) on a rope making a visible marker for them to drop on after my boss called in the cords. While out there we also got to go to a Rockies game, hike some of Pikes Peak, the Manitou incline (that thing is INSANE look it up, it gains 2000ft over 1 mile), Garden of the Gods, and 7 falls. On these trips u get paid an extra per diem on top of ur regular pay - see u should join the AF.
So to finish the Colorado TDY (temporary trip that we take), another really cool day was going to another DZ (drop zone). We spent the entire day there even though it was a night drop. We passed the time shooting skeet, stalking antelope, grilling steaks, garlic buscuits, potatoes/onions/peppers, corn on the cob, pineapple, and cookies (all on the grill). Ya it was a pretty rough day. After the sun went down, we got out the gear (radios, NVGs (night vision goggles, wind reader) and called in the C-130s for a drop. My job was to spin glow sticks (that could only be seen on NVGs) on a rope making a visible marker for them to drop on after my boss called in the cords. While out there we also got to go to a Rockies game, hike some of Pikes Peak, the Manitou incline (that thing is INSANE look it up, it gains 2000ft over 1 mile), Garden of the Gods, and 7 falls. On these trips u get paid an extra per diem on top of ur regular pay - see u should join the AF.
23 April 2007
Colorado Springs week 1 ops
I've been working for the 314 OSS (operations support squadron), but 3 weeks ago I was "pimped out" as my CC (commander) put it to the 29 WPS (weapons squadron). It is an advanced course for C-130 pilots that teaches them to fly the aircraft to its limits, pushing it to the edge and holding it there, so everyone here is highspeed, and somehow I'm thrown in the mix just hangin out, graspin on to every piece of info I can. I have learned a ton though, they all go out of their way to explain stuff (when time permits)
One of the coolest things so far out here at C Springs has been riding in the bubble. In the cockpit there is a hatch that opens up, or can be completely removed/replaced with a bubble that sticks up head n shoulders above the top of the aircraft. Its purpose is to allow the crew to look behind the aircraft and at the engines, but I used it for a sweet action view of the low-level flight. I could see the individual bars on cattle guards and the ears on the cattle pin back as we buzzed overhead.
Another sweet action time was going out to the landing zones with the Combat Controllers. They are beasts of the AF, trained in meteorology, air traffic control, small group tactics, airborne/HALO qualified, they work out 24/7, and covering 20 kilometers in 24 hours with 100 lbs packs is an average day in the office for them. I walked out in the hanger one day to the beginning of Black Hawk Down, where these huge monsters have their gear spread out preparing for a simulated jump where they will use overland routes to observe then take an airfield at night, setting up there OP (observation points) where they can call in the C-130s to land. Its ridiculous, I thought this stuff was made up in movies! Anyway I DROVE to the LZ (landing zone) and got to watch them turn a dirt strip into a usable airport where they called in winds and graded landings, as the Herks simulated an extremely fast off load of troops. We were literally 30 yards off the strip, getting sand-blasted by their prop-wash. We also saw some antelope, prairie dogs, and the biggest coyotes I've ever seen, all in all, an A+ day.
One of the coolest things so far out here at C Springs has been riding in the bubble. In the cockpit there is a hatch that opens up, or can be completely removed/replaced with a bubble that sticks up head n shoulders above the top of the aircraft. Its purpose is to allow the crew to look behind the aircraft and at the engines, but I used it for a sweet action view of the low-level flight. I could see the individual bars on cattle guards and the ears on the cattle pin back as we buzzed overhead.
Another sweet action time was going out to the landing zones with the Combat Controllers. They are beasts of the AF, trained in meteorology, air traffic control, small group tactics, airborne/HALO qualified, they work out 24/7, and covering 20 kilometers in 24 hours with 100 lbs packs is an average day in the office for them. I walked out in the hanger one day to the beginning of Black Hawk Down, where these huge monsters have their gear spread out preparing for a simulated jump where they will use overland routes to observe then take an airfield at night, setting up there OP (observation points) where they can call in the C-130s to land. Its ridiculous, I thought this stuff was made up in movies! Anyway I DROVE to the LZ (landing zone) and got to watch them turn a dirt strip into a usable airport where they called in winds and graded landings, as the Herks simulated an extremely fast off load of troops. We were literally 30 yards off the strip, getting sand-blasted by their prop-wash. We also saw some antelope, prairie dogs, and the biggest coyotes I've ever seen, all in all, an A+ day.
21 April 2007
I'm in Colorado Springs with my squadron. While they do some training I get to tag along and soak up as much knowledge as I can. I have the day off today, so I'm gonna rent a car and do some driving/hiking around the mountains. Its really pretty here but rediculously dry, no green grass, and the few trees that are here, are short n pathetic lookin. Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to catch up on what the AF has been doin for me to date, specificly the past week.
How does this work?
I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I want to start keeping up with some of the cool stuff I'm doing in the AF. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it.
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