heliduck---Not a truer word spoken.
CAUTION!!! If you have no sense of humor, take yourself too seriously, have a big ego, penis envy, or low self esteem...please do not read the following. Additionally, if you do not know the words satire, sarcasm, irony, amphibian, areola, logorrhea, phrontistery, and the all important boobies...please do not read the following.
Let's see both sides for a second.
I've read so many of these debates and I'm tired of this not being said correctly. You may not like it if you are a military only 'pilot', but that's tough.
Civilian trained pilots have smaller egos than military trained pilots. There, it has been written.
Why is that? It is because the civilian pilot was trained in the real world. The civilian pilot was trained in the most realistic aviation curriculum in the world. The civilian pilot had more stress to deal with, more uncertainty in their future, (after all the money I've spent will I get a job to make it worthwhile?) more time management to balance, (what with working a full time job to pay for flight school) and had to compete with their peers just to get a job to pay for it.
Let's flip the roles around for a second. The military guy was probably a guy who either didn't know that he could go through a civi school or couldn't muster up the initiative to put himself through it. He heard about how cool it was to be a military from one of his zit faced, long-haired, fat ass friends (or from watching Top Gun) and went to check that out. He bought the line of crap the recruiter sold him. He spent his measly little flight time flying idiot circles around some craphole airport (Rucker) with a 22 year old, broken down 20...I mean, OH58 and a 65 year old CFI...I mean IP (talk about the blind leading the blind). Between the two of them they couldn't disarm an old lady with a bamboo cane. (Although when watching them fly you'd think that's what they were doing)
Now that he is a big time military aviator with 150 hours of flight time, he goes for the PIC rating, so he can "actually fly the aircraft". All of this is while he lives on the base, and goes down to the local sleaze-hole so he can brag about what an important person he is. Now he is the blind man leading another. Oh sure, he can spit all kinds of army code out. "You're in violation of army code 5 sec. 3e paragraph 99". Wow, he is a wealth of rote memorization now. He can't apply any of it because all he has ever done is fly maroon rotations around aforementioned airport.
Back to our civilian pilot. After 12-24 months of academics, flight training, and professional development in the real world, (only took him that long because he was working full time in addition to flight school) he graduates flight school and EARNS (not buys--DPE's are way too expensive these days} the wings that have been on his mind since he was 4 feet high. Not only is he a flight school graduate, he is a pilot (not a damn arrogant military aviator). Oh yeah, all of his training was conducted in a weed eater with blades, so he will be well prepared to fly the under-powered over-loaded machines that are a reality in the civilian world today.
Now comes the cool part: transition to a turbine aircraft and assignment to a part 135, or utility or EMS operation anywhere in the world. In stark contrast, after the military blow-hard leaves the little Rucker Boy's Club B.S., he...can't get a job because he knows more than the chief pilots and D.O.'s that he's interviewing with. I am in awe!
The civilian pilot becomes...well, pretty much whatever he wants. You see, he has a choice in his destiny. Not just what he's told to do. He goes to the canyon for his first turbine job. After months of doing his job and impressing his bosses with his ability, good attitude and lack of ego he achieves...well, line pilot status. Which when you think about it is really the same thing he achieved when he passed his 135 ride. For you military guys that means (drum roll) he's...fully mission capable. Being a sharp guy and a good stick, he draws the duty of training pilot, check airman or all around 'git er done' pilot. If you don't know what that means, you are the military jackass I am portraying. It is the...oh, never mind you'll never get it anyway.
Anyway, now, our aviator is now planning daily missions with hard times, lots of MVFR over challenging terrain. Complex mission planning for day, night, NVG, external load and dodging multi-ship military flights as well. After a strong first year in his company, our aviator has impressed the people who pay the bills and has earned a raise. No small feat in itself. He will now undergo a rigorous evaluation (every day for the rest of his career)his evaluation will consist of complex mission planning, unplanned changes and emergencies, and dodging a flight of 8 military aircraft on a night mission through the mountains (you didn't know they were there, because they just can't seem to figure out the radios. You will never know your 'mission'. Your 'mission' changes from day to day. You are expected be able to do whatever comes up. From VIP to precision longline. I can't even list all of the facets of this day to day on the job test. This pilot will have to pass on his first try. There are no second chances. Why, because if you fail it means you f**ked up and died. If not, you just might have what it takes to get ahead in the civi world.
If you are a military only 'pilot' (sorry, Aviator) I don't care, but never go off at the mouth to civilian pilots about real flying, or telling your version of a war story. It won't work and doesn't impress us. Until you have done a flight from A-Z without having all your decisions made for you by your 'superiors'.
You military pukes haven't earned the respect you think you deserve. Show some damn humility the next time you are face to face with a civilian pilot.
Get over yourself douche bag.
I've read so many of these debates and I'm tired of this not being said correctly. You may not like it if you are a civilian "only" pilot, but that's tough.
Military trained pilots are superior to civilian trained pilots. There, it has been written.
Why is that? It is because the military pilot was trained by the best instructors in the world. The military pilot was trained in the most demanding aviation curriculum in the world. The military pilot had more stress to deal with, more uncertainty in their future, more time management to balance, and had to compete with their peers just to graduate.
Let's flip the roles around for a second. The civilian guy was probably a silver-spooner from a family with some money who sent him through a fixed-wing program of some sort first. He heard about how cool it was to fly a helicopter from one of his zit faced, long-haired, fat ass friends and went to check that out next. He had (Daddy had) paid for his fixed-wing ratings, so this helicopter whim was just an add-on to his ticket. He spent his measly little flight time flying idiot circles around some craphole airport with a 22 year old, 200 hour CFI (talk about the blind leading the blind). Between the two of them they couldn't disarm an old lady with a bamboo cane.
Now that he is a big time commercial pilot with 200 hours of flight time, he goes for the CFI rating, so he can "build time". All of this is while he lives with Mom and Dad, or works for Daddy's business somewhere and lives with roommates. Now he is the blind man leading another. Oh sure, he can spit all kinds of regs out. Parts 61, 91, 135, 141. Wow, he is a wealth of rote memorization now. He can't apply any of it because all he has ever done is fly not so smart person rotations around aforementioned airport.
Back to our military pilot. After 12-24 months of academics, flight training, and professional development as an officer in the armed forces, he graduates flight school and EARNS (not buys) the wings that have been on his mind since he was 4 feet high. Not only is he a flight school graduate, he is an aviator (not a damn R-22 Pilot). Oh yeah, all of his training was conducted in turbine powered helicopters, not a weed eater with 2 rotor blades.
Now comes the cool part: transition to a combat aircraft and assignment to a combat aviation unit anywhere in the world. In stark contrast, after the civilian blow-hard leaves the little 141 BS, he goes to work taking pictures of boats for Boatpix. I am in awe!
The military pilot becomes a UH-60 Blackhawk Aviator, or maybe flies the AH-64D Longbow. He goes to Germany for his first assignment. After months of training and climbing the readiness level ladder, he achieves RL-1 and is fully mission capable. Being a sharp guy and a good stick, he draws the duty of flying PI for the ADC(M). If you don't know what that means, you are the civilian loser I am portraying. It is the Assistant Division Commander, Maneuver. Anyway, our aviator is now planning daily missions with hard times, lots of IFR legs. Complex mission planning for day, night, NVG, IMC, and multi-ship, as well. After a strong first year in his unit, our aviator has impressed his IPs and commander and has earned the right to be evaluated as a Pilot-in-Command. No small feat in itself. He will now undergo a rigorous evaluation (not pay some 90 year old DPE $500). This evaluation will consist of complex mission planning, unplanned changes and emergencies, leading a flight of 8 aircraft on a night mission through the mountains, or for a time on target LRS-D insertion. The aviator will be tested on everything from calls for fire to Instruments. From border crossings to chemical warfare. From ICAO regulations to in depth systems knowledge of his aircraft. I can't even list all of the facets of this evaluation. This aviator will probably not pass on his first try, despite days and weeks of studying, planning, and a strong execution. Why, because a unit with strict standards probably wants to find out how he will deal with it. If he bounces back and says he is going to work even harder and keeps a good attitude, he will be back on the list in no time. If he gives up and just relaxes to be a PI, the evaluation will really have done its job.
If you are a civilian only pilot, I don't care, but never go off at the mouth to military aviators about real flying, or telling your version of a war story. It won't work and doesn't impress us. Until you have done a table 10 with 8 aircraft and an armored troop of M-1s, flying system with 30 knot winds, you can't talk. Until you have flown at night with NVGs on Christmas Eve through the mountains in Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania with the Secretary of Defense aboard your aircraft with 6 other Blackhawks and 4 AH-64s as escort, while the snow is falling like crazy out, shut your hole. Until you have slept in a sleeping bag under the tailboom of an OH-58D behind your sister Troop's Bradley fighting vehicle in the middle of the Mojave Desert, shut the hell up.
You civilian slimes haven't earned your way. We have. Show some damn respect the next time you are face to face with a military aviator.