Kerry didn't join the National Guard to avoid combat.

On 07 Sep 2004 19:10:58 GMT, (OXMORON1) wrote:

George asked:
Since you've already done the research, did you happen to come across an
explanation as to why the 500 hour desired minimum that could routinely be
waived wasn't waived in his case?

One point of view, 500 hours was a "magic" number in a lot of a/c during the
60's. If you got to 500 hours in unit assigned aircraft you were thought to be
proficient in the airplane.
An example, in some units you had to have 500 hours to go cross country solo vs
a two ship deployment with a qualified flight lead. BUT if they needed someone
to go XC to pickup some parts, the 500 hour requirement could/would be waived.
I don't know if the 500 number was an AF Reg or lower mandate.

Rick Clark

And, upon completion of 100 combat missions over North Vietnam (a tour
that claimed 60% of those who started it), I amassed a total time for
my Form 5 of 404.9 hours in the F-105--training and combat total.

Of course, that allowed me to enter combat in the F-4 with 28 hours in
the F-4C and ZERO flying time in the F-4E before my first combat
mission over NVN.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
Both from Smithsonian Books
***www.thunderchief.org