Most here in the helo community have worked with AF types around the world and perhaps like me still have some as friends. And so the following "secret' talk amongst the V22 folks is a perfect example of why Army & Marine helo jocks, officer & enlisted crew alike, chuckle under their breaths over some of the boisterous claims made here and afield about the V-22. As we all well know, the F-117 is a bomber and not a fighter but the designation of fighter was given them to 'soothe and placate' their pilots so as to 'UP' their morale and therefore 'lean into' some of those very hairy, nightime missions like we saw them perform over Bagdad. Anyway, it's rumored that Osprey folks actually feel that their aircrews deserve the title of "Fighter" more than the F-117 pilots do because the V-22 will actually have a gun capable of 'fighting off' airborne or ground resistance whereas the F-117 does not !!!! I gotta hand to these V-22 guys though, dare I say it but they actually DO have a
better case for being called fighter pilots than the F-117 folks !! But ya know guys, it's silly, piddly things like this and your classifying of 'everything' connected to your aircraft that makes you-all look less than serious at times. All ya gotta do is look no further than to your own SAR crews who in RVN stood fast in a hover trading lead....for the truth. It isn't any wonder that charts such as the one below were created to reflect sillyness such as this and I bet the AF's newest fighter pilots will get to add to it also, whadya bet:
