RV rides for military aviators

[Ron Lee]

There was a thread asking how to get a ride in a military jet. Bottom line unlikely.

But what should be easy is introducing our military aviators to general aviation and in particular RVs.

I suggest that the RV community start a program (perhaps vaguely similar to Young Eagles) that provides orientation rides to military aviators. They are already pilots so they should be able to fly the plane once airborne.

There need to be some standards for the pilots giving the rides but that can be worked out.

[plehrke]

I know this forum and the RV population at large has a lot of ex and current military pilots so I think they are getting the word that an RV is a good replacement for their jet (right).
I was fortunate to introduce an F/A-18E pilot and current T-45 instructor to his first RV ride. 3 months later he bought a Bonanza. Oh well, try number two was a long time retired F-104 pilot and Shunkworks SR-71 guy. He currently owns a Bucker and C170, and just sold a Pitts and Formula 1 Racer he raced at Reno. He is currently actively looking to buy an RV. Maybe success with second ride.
One interesting comment is that I work with dozens of retired military pilots and I am amazed at how many never flew once they left the service. Maybe I will do a poll to see why. Maybe it is due to not thinking there is anything out there affordable that will give them the thrill they had in the jets.

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by plehrke

One interesting comment is that I work with dozens of retired military pilots and I am amazed at how many never flew once they left the service. Maybe I will do a poll to see why. Maybe it is due to not thinking there is anything out there affordable that will give them the thrill they had in the jets.

I've given rides to more than a few pilot astronauts and cosmonauts over the years - and while they all have loved it, the reality of kids colleg expenses and the fact that the government was still buying their kerosene made ownership only a gleam in their eye. Some have, fortunately gone on to GA aircraft (and a couple have done RV's) after retirement.

[N8RV]

Originally Posted by plehrke

... One interesting comment is that I work with dozens of retired military pilots and I am amazed at how many never flew once they left the service ...

Funny you should mention that. I have a patient who I gave a ride to in my old Yankee years ago. He was a recently-retired 777 pilot and A-10 pilot in the USAFR. He seemed to enjoy the ride, but he expressed NO interest in flying small planes.

With the RV flying, he has never asked to go up with me (yeah, yeah -- might just be a reflection of his last ride with me ). It's as though any love for flying just ... went away.

[Sig600]

Originally Posted by plehrke

One interesting comment is that I work with dozens of retired military pilots and I am amazed at how many never flew once they left the service.

My unscientific personal observation has been that, for a lot of guys that went the Academy route, flying was just an option on a job sheet. They never went to a service academy (or ROTC program) with the goal of being a pilot, however when presented with the job oppportunities available as service/pay back of their education a lot of guys just said "eh flying looks cool." They get picked up, they do it well, when they leave the military they do something else. Not that there is anything wrong with it, some of the best pilots I know fall into this category. They just have no desire to keep flying GA after the military.

Contrast that with someone who always knew they wanted to fly, the guys that have that spark and want to fly anything. Flying is what they do for a living, in their free time, and it's all they think about when they're not flying.

[Sig600]

Originally Posted by tobinbasford

Exactly my experience too and it took me a while to get over my shock. I just assumed when I went to Navy flight school that everyone else there was plane crazy like me. The majority were like "Well, upon graduation, I could go submarines, surface, or aviation, so I chose aviation". Wow! OK. Now I'm so used to it, I don't even really talk GA to most of my military flying buds.

While taking the squadron on det a few years ago, we had 6 F-18's stopped somewhere in the midwest for gas (don't remember where). On the ramp was a GORGEOUS Glasair III. May have been a Lancair, don't remember.

Point of the story is I walked over to check it out, and stood there for a few minutes going over it, when one of my squadron mates came over, asked what I was doing. Talked to him about the time/effort/money/craftsmanship that went into creating it, how fast it is, efficency, handling, etc. He just goes "eh, whatever, it's not a Hornet."

That was the last time I've ever talked GA to anyone in the squadron.

[N8RV]

Originally Posted by Sig600

... Talked to him about the time/effort/money/craftsmanship that went into creating it, how fast it is, efficency, handling, etc. He just goes "eh, whatever, it's not a Hornet."

....

I guess it's all about perspective ...

Our son is currently stationed at Parris Island, and their house is directly under an approach for MCAS Beufort. As much as he loves going to Oshkosh and ogling all the planes, including military iron, you should hear him complain about the noise of the Hornets flying overhead.

"Dude, I'd LOVE to look up and see Hornets flying overhead," I say to him.

Without hesitation, he responds, "Nah, they're not RVs."

Tell THAT to your Hornet buds.

[60av8tor]

Obviously, military flying is different than GA. It's not walking out in your shorts and t-shirt and throwing on your David Clarks. I tell people, the military can take the fun out of anything. Saying all that, I love anything that flies, but understand those who get burned out.

[BigD]

I'm a retired fighter pilot and didn't fly for almost 7 years after retiring. In my case, it was not being interested in trolling around at 1.5 miles/minute. The military flying can get to be just a job, but i pretty much enjoyed all of the flying in all of the airplanes I flew, so it wasn't like the military beat it out of me or anything. I even spent three + years flying a King Air and never once had to wear a uniform - it was usually jeans/shorts and a ball cap. After a couple of my friends either built or bought RVs, and I started learning about the performance and cost, i decided that would be an interesting way to get back into flying, and had I learned about it sooner might have started sooner. Anyway, that's my story...I bet at least some of the other ex-military guys you may have met with little/no interest in flying have similar reasons.

==dave==

[vmirv8bldr]

I wanted to fly in the AF, and I mean BAD!!!!! Got medically screened the second day at Hondo. I was devastated for about two-three weeks, didn't know what to do. Most of the folks in my Hondo class were hard core aviators, several already had PPL. (I was ROTC, not academy.) I stayed in and did four as a communications engineer. It was a great experience, and I got to see the world.

That said, I'd gladly give any active duty pilots, or other active duty personnel a ride without hesitation. I'm nowhere near Columbus, but Seymour is "just down the road."