Words of FNG enthusiasm
 

Gents,
I apologize if I have broken any policies in advance, I assumed after lurking that this would be kosher. I love reading others' posts about their near-future endeavors and past experiences. I am simply stating mine. As of two minutes ago I officially finished my Warrant Officer Flight Training packet. Tomorrow, I will scan and send the entire thing to Fort Knox, to be weighed and measured in January 2010.

I have very strong letters of recommendation, and a blemish free, albeit ho-hum service record highlighted by promotion to Staff Sergeant at five years, one month, and DHG of both MOS schools.

After two and one half years of constant struggle, and after my battle to lose the requisite 100lbs prior to enlistment, I am done. I am medically cleared for flight, and mentally and physically sound for appointment as a Warrant Officer Aviator.

How does this relate to the Soldiers on this site?
A: I am going to work my ass off to be the best damned pilot I can be, and with a good number of flight hours under my belt(1k+), I plan to assess for the 160th SOAR.

God willing, my future mission will entail being on target, +/- 30 seconds.

MC

Congratulation, sounds like you have a plan and the attitude to achive it.

Good Luck,,

I had aspirations of beating the air into submission once upon a time. Dreams of aerial daring do filled my mind for awhile.
A few months into OCS we took a battery of tests for flight school. Very weird tests indeed. But I passed and went on to the next battery of tests. Each time there were fewer testees. (can I mention testees here?)

Anyway ,to cut a long story short ( the story of the physical is a convoluted and sad one) My eyes were not up to the Army's standards. Good enough to jump out of aircraft, just not good enough to drive them. I wish you luck. SF needs professional courageous air support. I have loved some pilots and hated others.;)

If you get to 160th and find that you want to do more there is more out there. Once you're in you'll find whom I speak of.

Aviation advice from a lowly Crew Dog - If I sound more excited than The Fonz over the ICS you'd better be listening. There is probably a good reason.

BEST OF LUCK!

Yum Yum, Chomp Chomp. Come to Papa flight stud. You have to get by me to get a seat...Chomp chomp...Come tall or don't come at all...Bring your A game Killer, I'll be waiting...Yum Yum...

What was your AFAST score?

I have no right to post these and hope with all my heart that the Rotary drivers will step up with some good jokes and stories. But I found these with a quick google search and by way of pre-mature congratulations I offer these. Best of luck. If you get it and are driving Blackhawks I'll be the one bitching that "they used to let us hang our feet out of the Hueys. . . and you're WAY to damn high!"
No matter what, there is no sound more welcome to an Infantryman then that made by an in-bound helicopter at dawn.

Real planes use only a single stick to fly. This is why bulldozers & helicopters — in that order — need two.
— Paul Slattery

Newton's Law states that what goes up, must come down. Our Company Commander's Law states that what goes up and comes down had damn well better be able to go back up again.
— sign in the Operations Office of the 187th Assault Helicopter Company, Tay Ninh, Viet Nam, 1971.

I never liked riding in helicopters because there's a fair probability that the bottom part will get going around as fast as the top part.
— Lt. Col. John Wittenborn, USAFR.

Oh, I've slipped the surely bonds of earth
And hovered out of ground effect on semi-rigid blades;
Earthward I've auto'ed and met the rising brush of Non-paved terrain;
And done a thousand things you would never care to
Skidded and dropped and flared Low in the heat soaked roar.
Confined there, I've chased the earthbound traffic
And lost the race to insignificant Headwinds;
Forward and up a little in ground effect I've topped the General's hedge with drooping turns
Where never Skyhawk or even Phantom flew.
Shaking and pulling collective,
I've lumbered The low untresspassed halls of victor airways,
Put out my hand and touched a tree.

The Ground
 

"Just because you can't see the ground, doesn't mean it's not there."

You'll hear that all through instruments.

And congrats on finishing! If you get selected and you want some info on Fort Rucker you can PM me, I've been here since August 2008 and am currently on hold for 64's. Good luck

winger blessing
 

May your number of takeoffs always equal your number of landings.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.
My AFAST score was a 122. Not terrible, but also not genius.

Congratulations on completing your packet and good luck! The hardest part is about to start for you, the waiting. I have my packet in and it will be considered for selection this month, next week actually as I think they hold the board the third week of the month.

Good luck and I hope you get it man. Make sure to send in updates if there are any significant changes on your resume!

:D:D

My room mate at Fort Ord, CPT Sheldon Reed (Later Colonel) had a plaque in his office that said, "TO FLY IS HUMAN, TO HOVER IS DEVINE".

Small update: Packet has been submitted today to Fort Knox, the board is in January.

FYE: The prayer I prayed when pressing "send":

Dear Lord, please help me to serve my Country in your name, and if you could make that by me serving as an Aviator, I'd be much obliged.

FYI: Yes, everything I say has that twangy, dip in my mouth Moore County North Carolina drawl.

Have a good one

Good luck! My board was this week, I expect the MILPER message to be out today or tomorrow! You think you were nervous pressing the send button? Wait till you're refreshing the PERSCOMM page every five minutes.