Just out of curiosity....how many VT grad/fans here on TKP are pilots? I like to think that the aviation community has a tight nit group of people who share the same passion, just like being a Hokie! It would be cool to see what you guys are out there flying! I'm sure I have crossed paths with a couple of you guys if you were in the corp at any point during 2009-2011.
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Not a pilot but always been an aviation enthusiast. I'll follow this thread closely
A little about me:
~200hrs PPL/IFR rated, mostly single engine pipers. I have some various other flights in Cessnas and multi aircraft. I learned how to fly in Blacksburg while in school then got my IFR rating in NC. I am a prior enlisted avionics technician 2004-2013 and was commissioned earlier this year. I just started primary flight training and will hopefully be drilling holes in the sky in just a short few weeks in the T-6B Texan II!
Dirtybirds! I was a VT-3 Red Knight back in 1987. Not even sure the squadron still exists, but we flew the venerable T-34C Turbo Mentor. Gonna have to Google the T-6B Texan II now to see what she looks like. Good luck with the training, watch out for those "downs" they'll get after ya!
Yep they are still here! Everyone flies the T-6 now. Only Corpus Christi has T-34C's left.
Congrats on getting your commission after your enlisted time! So what did you work on as an AT? Did you have to join the Corps or did they let you do ROTC only?
I actually went to Tech as a regular student and then went through OCS. Mainly because I was graduating in 2 years and would have had to do an extra semester to fulfill ROTC requirements. The Corps also wouldn't let me do just ROTC. After 5 years on active duty and being 25, living in the barracks and having 18-20 year olds yell at me wasn't what I wanted college to be haha.
I was a COM/NAV technician....GPS, UHF, IFF, TACAN, RADALT, ILS etc etc. I was a component level tech so I worked on pretty much every aircraft although my primary was the F/A-18's
That makes sense for sure. My senior year we had a guy come through the Corps who was a prior Army Green Beret, needless to say nobody yelled at the guy in his mid 20s with HALO jump wings. He actually came down to Panama City with us on spring break.
Good luck in flight school, just study with your class and you'll be good. See you in the fleet!
VT 86 grad, flew H-3 Sea Kings for 8 yrs in the Nav including Desert Shield/Storm, then flew 12 years as a Fed LEO in Cessna 182RG, 206, 208, and 210's. Hung up my spurs in 2008 with a little over 2500 accident free hours. Commercial/IFR in Helos and SEL still valid but not current. Nowadays, I just ride in back a lot traveling overseas for work. Self-loading baggage, I am.
I got my PPL in 2000 at ARB (Ann Arbor, MI). Added IFR rating in 2004 at JQF (Concord, NC) and then commercial SEL 2006 also at JQF. Currently about 425 hours total, although I'm not flying currently because I live overseas. Flew 152s, and 172s but mostly Cherokees and a few Arrows.
Graduated and commissioned in the Navy in '02. I'm flying the new MH-60R out of HSM-46, on deployment right now actually. I was in VT-27 myself, still the T-34C when i was there. Then TH-57s at HT-8. I flew the SH-60B until a year ago when i got transitioned over to the newest helo we've got. Good luck in flight school!
Happy 800! And thank you for your service!! :)
Kind of disappointed this thread wasn't about TKP branded sunglasses, like I thought it would be before clicking in...
I thought so, too. I wonder if they'll make them in blinders
You might be on to something here
Do military trainees still train on the old "steam gauge" cockpits, or are they using more modern glass cockpits now?
This is my cockpit diagram from the T-6B...the times have changed! All glass cockpit and a HUD.
Cool.
1,100 shaft horsepower.....it'll get after ya! Some of the instructors have made remarks that its too much power for new students, or they are just jealous they flew in T-34C in training which only had half the power :D
'02 grad. I was a Nav in the AC-130, before going to pilot training from 06-07. Been in Charleston, SC, in the C-17 for almost 6 years (2500hrs). Pilot training is a tough, but fun year-ish. You'll love the T-Sexy, though. Be a good dude, work hard, and you'll get what you want outta there.
Thanks for your service guys!
I grew up a Navy brat, and almost went that way myself. Great thread you've got going, and hopefully some of these cadet pilots can touch base with you guys for advice. VT has a strong aviation history, made up by soldiers and sailors like yourselves.
One of my life goals is to do a flyover at Lane....now if we can only get the government in order to have flyovers reinstated! On a happier note, the Blue Angels are going back to an active performance status for 2014!
Not a pilot, but I'm a AE major.
Nice, i did that too. Definitely painful at time, but senior year was pretty sweet with the design project.
I figured everyone here would enjoy this.
via: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=690742437603665&set=a.2632555570...
That is a pretty awesome pick. I hate being late to things, especially games. I was actually about to get my ticket scanned right there on the north side as the plane was flying over. Glad I got to see the flyover, but sad I missed that awesome VPI formation. Still made it to my seat for Enter Sandman though.
The band being in the VPI right then was my idea. Figured it'd look cooler than reforming a block like the drill staff originally wrote. And damn did I call that one right.
Just found out that the Navy is gonna let me post in this thread. Got service assigned pilot!
Nice! Congrats!
Awesome! You'll enjoy it, Pensacola ain't bad either
From the title of this, I thought Joe was selling shades.
This is cool, too, though.
So, what's everyone's favorite flyover?
The B-1B is mine
I think my favorite was the B2 Stealth Bomber....I was standing near the top of East and I just remember the whole stadium falling eerily quiet as it flew over silently. Then an explosion of cheering after it passed over. It was awesome!!!
This was back when the south end zone use to sell out