Farewell, Tomcat

"vincent p. norris" wrote:

If "Top Gun" directed all the eager
young kids toward Naval Aviation, the Air Force and ANG would have
been hurting, and therefore delighted to take you, if you were
qualified.

"All the eager young kids" who wanted to fly fighters after seeing the
movie were apparently smart enough to realize that the Navy was not the
only branch of the armed services offering fighter jet training.

If you are looking for some documented proof that the movie ignited an
armed forces aviation craze, you won't get it from me. All I am relaying
in this thread is what the recruiters told me at that time. I was told
that had I applied right after high school (1982), there was a shortage of
pilots and the armed services were snapping up most who came their way.

However, from about 1987 and onward (the period in which I applied in
earnest), the armed services had a glut of applicants and the hiring
criteria had been raised. These recruiters believed it was the success of
"Top Gun" that brought them so many qualified candidates. Perhaps they
were simply feeding me a line of recruiter BS? Perhaps.

And as far as me being qualified, it was obvious that I wasn't, although I
was never told why. Vision, health, and grades were all good at the time.

--
Peter


















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If you are looking for some documented proof that the movie ignited an
armed forces aviation craze, you won't get it from me.

No, I don't care; I was just responding to a post on the topic.

Timing makes a difference in your chance of getting flight training.
The Air Force shut down Air Cadet recruiting near the end of WW II,
just two weeks before my 17th birthday. I was bitterly disappointed.

A couple years later, the Marine Corps offered a chance to go to
flight training and I grabbed it. Lucky break, actually; I learned to
land on a carrier, which I wouldn't have in the Air Force.

vince norris

SEMPER FI Vincent! What did you get to fly in the beloved Marine Corps?

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
If you are looking for some documented proof that the movie ignited an
armed forces aviation craze, you won't get it from me.

No, I don't care; I was just responding to a post on the topic.

Timing makes a difference in your chance of getting flight training.
The Air Force shut down Air Cadet recruiting near the end of WW II,
just two weeks before my 17th birthday. I was bitterly disappointed.

A couple years later, the Marine Corps offered a chance to go to
flight training and I grabbed it. Lucky break, actually; I learned to
land on a carrier, which I wouldn't have in the Air Force.

vince norris

SEMPER FI Vincent! What did you get to fly in the beloved Marine Corps?

Well, timing worked against me on that score!

I had learned to fly in a J-3 as soon as GA opened up after VJ Day.
My instructor was a newly discharged Marine F7F pilot. He raved about
that airplane. So after I finished Basic and went to Advanced
Training, I requested multi-engine traaining so I'd have a shot at
the F7F.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at Cherry Point with a shiny pair of
gold wings, after two years of college and a year and a half of flight
training, I was too late for F7Fs. "We're phasing them out," I was
told, "But we sure need transport pilots!"

So I spent most of my time flying R5C-1s and then R4Q-2s. You probably
know them as the C-46 and th C-119. Not very exciting duty, but there
were some good things about it. I got a lot of IFR time and
cross-countries to interesting places.

I did spend a year flying OE-1s (Cessna L-19 Birddogs) as a FAC with
the 5th Marines at LeJeune and Vieques. That was fun.

vince norris

Cool!
The only flying time I got was as a door gunner on a UH-1N , I did get to
fly front seat in a Cobra once though. That needless to say was an absolute
blast! I was a 6144 (Aviation Structures Mech) UH-1N, AH-1J, AH-1T. Got
some experience on CH-46 and CH-53's on a government funded pleasure cruise
(NOT!) AH-1W were just coming in when I was getting out.
Training school was pretty cool, we had F-4, A-6 , A-7 , and A-4D's
there. I hated drawing the helo duty at first but really ended up enjoying
the whirlybirds. Never had any regrets on joining, my son will this summer
it appears. Has it set in his mind to be a grunt and try as I may I can't
talk him out of it! Keep trying to tell him there is not much call for a
sniper in the civilian world.

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
SEMPER FI Vincent! What did you get to fly in the beloved Marine Corps?

Well, timing worked against me on that score!

I had learned to fly in a J-3 as soon as GA opened up after VJ Day.
My instructor was a newly discharged Marine F7F pilot. He raved about
that airplane. So after I finished Basic and went to Advanced
Training, I requested multi-engine traaining so I'd have a shot at
the F7F.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at Cherry Point with a shiny pair of
gold wings, after two years of college and a year and a half of flight
training, I was too late for F7Fs. "We're phasing them out," I was
told, "But we sure need transport pilots!"

So I spent most of my time flying R5C-1s and then R4Q-2s. You probably
know them as the C-46 and th C-119. Not very exciting duty, but there
were some good things about it. I got a lot of IFR time and
cross-countries to interesting places.

I did spend a year flying OE-1s (Cessna L-19 Birddogs) as a FAC with
the 5th Marines at LeJeune and Vieques. That was fun.

vince norris

Got some experience on CH-46.....

Big difference between the C-46 and the CH -46!

Never had any regrets on joining...

I never even regretted Parris Island--after it was over! I've always
figured if I could survive 16 weeks at PI in the summer, I can survive
anything.

Keep trying to tell him there is not much call for a
sniper in the civilian world.

Don't all police forces of any size have SWAT teams that include
snipers? A couple of years in the Corps should be great background
for a police career.

vince norris

Vince,
He keeps saying the cop thing, I keep shaking my head! His mom tried the
cop thing when she got out (we got divorced over it)....let's just say I
expect better behavior and "always acting like a gentleman" from my son.
He's to smart of a kid to get killed because of 2 dopeheads in a domestic
dispute. I tell him all the time, he has to do what makes him happy. I sure
don't want him to be a cop, heck we have a family reputation to maintain!
His Mom was only a Dixon by marriage, so she doesn't count against us!
HAHA]
If he insists on being a grunt, he may as well be a career Marine. But I
think alot of the reason he wants to join is to get away from his Mom. (
Can't blame him there! ) He is a smart kid and could go to probably any
college around, hate to see him waste college and/or a marine career to be a
COP. But he must make the decision. Goodness knows I chose to be a Marine
and not go to college, I never regretted the choice I made, but my mom was
not happy with it!

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

Keep trying to tell him there is not much call for a
sniper in the civilian world.

Don't all police forces of any size have SWAT teams that include
snipers? A couple of years in the Corps should be great background
for a police career.

vince norris

"vincent p. norris" wrote:

Timing makes a difference in your chance of getting flight training.

That was the lesson I learned.

The Air Force shut down Air Cadet recruiting near the end of WW II,
just two weeks before my 17th birthday. I was bitterly disappointed.

A couple years later, the Marine Corps offered a chance to go to
flight training and I grabbed it. Lucky break, actually; I learned to
land on a carrier, which I wouldn't have in the Air Force.

Thanks for sharing. You were fortunate.


--
Peter
























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