cheddar cheese
Major General
That program was rubbish 
No EE Lightning. It really annoyed me that program
No EE Lightning. It really annoyed me that program 
Duxford Flying Legends 2005
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- Thread starter
- #162
trackend
Chief Master Sergeant
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
trackend said:
Yep - I know what you're talking about.....
About 5 years ago the base where my Naval reserve squadron was located was holding an airshow. Thanks to one of my Chiefs, I got to fly a T-34 (an old tandem primary trainer) from Edwards AFB to Point Mugu NAS. The aircraft was part of the Edwards AFB flying club and I actually rented it for the show. Because I did this, my Chief arranged for me to be paid for my time that weekend. Well I flew her in wearing my flight suit. On my name plate was displayed my Navy rate badge (the wings and propeller) and my rank (Petty Officer 2nd Class, a Sargent in other worlds). Well my enlisted superiors thought it was great and took great pride in having one of their maintainers fly an aircraft to the airshow, a couple of the squadron pilots took exception to my being there as I was allowed access to VIP areas. It got up to the Command Master Chief and his response was "What's a matter, you're worried that a 2nd Class Petty could do your job, maybe even better!"
I think Sgt. Pilots are a great idea, especially when there are shortages of trained "Officer" pilots. you don't need a college degree to fly an airplane!
PS - GREAT PICS!
Nonskimmer
Captain
The USAAF very briefly employed NCO (or warrant officer, I can't remember. Maybe both.) pilots in 1942. It didn't last very long, and before any of them even reached the war zone they were all made 2nd lieutenants.
The British class system was pretty rigid and like trackie says, NCO pilots were often considered inferior by the officers. Tell that to Buzz Beurling.
According to my grandad and many books that I've read, it wasn't quite that bad in the RCAF. There were certainly prickish, arrogant officers, but they were more the exception than the rule when the bullets started flying.
Great pics, by the way!
The British class system was pretty rigid and like trackie says, NCO pilots were often considered inferior by the officers. Tell that to Buzz Beurling.
According to my grandad and many books that I've read, it wasn't quite that bad in the RCAF. There were certainly prickish, arrogant officers, but they were more the exception than the rule when the bullets started flying.
Great pics, by the way!
Glider
Captain
The attitude to rank I have always found interesting. In the RAF on bombers with large crews, the person who flew the plane was in charge once they were on board irrespective of rank. So a Sargent could be in command of an officer. In the USA I think I am right in saying that the pilots were always the highest ranks on the plane so there wasn't a problem. In the German air force I believe that the person in charge was the one with the highest rank no matter what his position.
As the UK was seen as having the strictest class system, it has intrigued me that we had the most flexible set up.
As the UK was seen as having the strictest class system, it has intrigued me that we had the most flexible set up.
Nonskimmer
Captain
Interesting. It's much like that in US naval aviation today (Air Force too?). The pilot is ultimately in charge, irrespective of rank, so you could have a lieutenant (j.g.) in command of the aircraft giving instructions to a commander.
Nice photos everybody
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Nonskimmer said:
They were "Pilot Officers" (PO - the same as a Warrant Officer) that started out usually as "flying sargents." Later other occupations used the ranks when NCOs were being trained for Navigator and Bombadier positios. My Uncle Joe was one, he was later made a 2nd Lt.
Nonskimmer
Captain
Ah, cool. Thanks for clearing it up.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Nonskimmer said:NCO pilots were often considered inferior by the officers. Tell that to Buzz Beurling.
Nonskimmer said:
Its like that on the P-3. The Tactical Coordinating Officer (TACCO) is like the bombardier on the plane. He's the one who actually kills the target (The sub - ARE YOU READING THIS NS?
). They are always battling the pilots as they think the pilot could make the aircraft go backwards and turn 15Gs to track a target. Usually the pilot usually "educates" them. 
Nonskimmer
Captain
I see.FLYBOYJ said:Its like that on the P-3. The Tactical Coordinating Officer (TACCO) is like the bombardier on the plane. He's the one who actually kills the target (The sub - ARE YOU READING THIS NS?
*Note to self: From now on aim for the TACCO.*
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Nonskimmer said:I see.FLYBOYJ said:Its like that on the P-3. The Tactical Coordinating Officer (TACCO) is like the bombardier on the plane. He's the one who actually kills the target (The sub - ARE YOU READING THIS NS?
*Note to self: From now on aim for the TACCO.*
Oh please do! Everyone on the plane will buy you beers!
On some of the P-3"C" models there was on old ICS button one the pilot's pedestal, this was to be used to talk to maintenance personnel outside the aircraft. Many units had them de-activated so there was this little push button switch that did nothing. Almost every squadron had at least one plane where someone got a hold of a label maker and labeled the switch "TACCO EJECTION SEAT!"
Nonskimmer
Captain
That sounds something like the "Cloaking Device" switch we had on one of the frigates I was on.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Nonskimmer said:
That sounds something like the "Cloaking Device" switch we had on one of the frigates I was on.
Did you have some newbees thinking the ship could go invisible?
evangilder
"Shooter"
Nice shots trackend! Believe it or not, out C-46 actually has a fuse on the fuse panel labelled "MISSILE POWER". It really was for missile power! Back in the old days, there were gyros in the missiles that had to be powered to know where they were at all times. So they were plugged into the power panel on the C-46 while being transported.
- Thread starter
- #177
trackend
Chief Master Sergeant
I do like your sig Skimm its a cracker.
Thats very interesting Evan it must have been a real bitch if the power to the gyros failed, I assume there must have been a procedure to reconfigurer the missiles in such an eventuality but I would imaging it would be very time consuming so the weapon would have been off the ordinace ready loop for sometime.
Thats very interesting Evan it must have been a real bitch if the power to the gyros failed, I assume there must have been a procedure to reconfigurer the missiles in such an eventuality but I would imaging it would be very time consuming so the weapon would have been off the ordinace ready loop for sometime.
Nonskimmer
Captain
Thanks trackie. The sig will just be temporary. The dolphins were a long time coming, so I felt like celebrating.
Idiots.
Two or three honestly thought it did something.FLYBOYJ said:
Idiots.
superunknown
Airman
I was there too, I would have put up pictures sooner but I couldn't be bothered. I only managed to get 44 pictures and most of them were crap!, my camera is a really cheap digital job which claims to have 3m pixels (more like 2m) with no optical zoom, just digital. I was most impressed with the B-25's and the Hawk-75.
Attachments
evangilder
"Shooter"
Yes, it would take it out for a while, but I have no idea how they would recover the gyros. I am sure there was a way, but knowing the technology of the time, it was probably pretty primitive and time consuming.
