Heads Up! Fighter Pilot: The Real Top Gun

[pr00ne]

Originally Posted by Lordflasheart

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Dear Pr oo ne,

I’m fascinated …. I wasn’t in the RAF, and it would take me a while to assemble a proper list, but ….. OTTOMH I can’t think of a single year since 1945 when some of our military aviators were not facing a real risk of being shot at or having to shoot up some other SOB, with the purpose of making him die for his country, rather than our guys dying for mine (and yours.)

Even if there was no actual shooting, surely you cannot be unaware that many more of our chaps ‘died for our country’ just practicing for the actualite.

It doesn’t really matter what they thought when they volunteered (or were conscripted), by the time they were qualified, most of them would have realised what might happen during their service, and continued serving in that clear knowledge. The few who did not like that thought, were sensible and left. And my great respect to them for doing so.

So please forgive me for suggesting that you (you did write “we” - and “there was never any risk”) must have had a very sheltered “-RAF FJ” (your profile claim) existence.

Knowing (by honest and/or genuine repute, if not personally) several of the chaps you are word-jousting with, as a matter of honour, I really could not let this history-jousting go without some kind of challenge.

So could I please politely inquire as to what time scale or “-RAF FJ” position you had in mind for your “fact” that “we” (whoever you are) “never had to do it for real, and there was never any risk of having to do it for real.”

Yours respectfully, .......... LFH

nb crossed with wiggy and LB - same sentiments.


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Lordflasheart,

As I have said previously, I was referring to the difference between the current, as in 2019, crop of FJ aircrew and my generation, which was late 60's early 70's, and I was doing it to praise the current mob and express my admiration for them. I'm sorry, but whilst not wishing to downplay the exploits of the SH lot in NI and the exploits of the AT folks during the period, my generation never woke up in the morning knowing that we were going to be outbriefing to fly against REAL SAMs, fighters, AAA that were going to be doing their best to kill us, with a sterile check against being captured and all that may have entailed FOR REAL. I rehearsed and practised it endlessly, but we never had to do it for real and we knew it.