The 52 year old fighter pilot

[Hard-Deck]

You know the brain? That crazy organ in your head that processes your body’s functions, remembers what it wants, shows you crazy stuff in dreams?

Well, my brain gave me the strange dream recently of being recalled to be a fighter pilot due to a shortage of pilots in the military inventory. What was cool about this dream is that I met up with my buds from the lieutenant and captain days: Greg, Pete, Eric, John. We are now all in our early 50’s. It was preposterous, that us “old” guys were going to receive refresher training in F/A-18s and fly combat missions.

Now, I don’t remember all of my dreams, and I surely cannot interpret the meaning of most of them. This dream revealed itself in the end. While it was great to see my flying buds, and it was kind of cool to fly a supersonic jet again, the reality of it was that I just didn’t like it anymore. Honestly, it sucked!

It’s a lot of work! Most people do not know it, but I remember planning for 6 hours, briefing for an hour, just to fly a 1.5 hour flight, then debrief for 1-2 hours. Plus, dogfighting is for young guys. A 15-minute dog fight is a boxing match; it is physically demanding, like six rounds in the ring fighting…not sparring…fighting. Back “then” I could do 100 sit-ups, 30 pull-ups, and run three miles in 17:00 flat. I could drop bombs, then dog-fight, then navigate a 450 mile low-level flight, then do a carrier landing. In my dream, at age 52, this sucked!

My dream also revealed to me that my leisure quality has shifted to other things, including motorcycling. Motorcycling allows me to explore, both on and off road. It allows me to spend quality time with people that I like and enjoy fellowship with. It keeps me active physically, spiritually, and mentally.

I acknowledge that the military is short on pilots these days. I hope that they do not recall me and my buds. My advice to Uncle Sam is to find the future fighter pilots where they are obviously found; go to the motocross tracks and you will find the real athletes, who are fit to fly and dog fight. They are physically fit, young, have great spacial-orientation and a sense of accepting danger. Let us old guys enjoy our senescence treachery.

[Nostril Cheese]

I assume you flew F-18s at some point?

I raced motocross for many years. My brother was talented enough to be sponsored by a Suzuki dealer back when privateers could still do AMA. It would have been amazing to think that some recruiter would grab me to fly an F-14 (my persona fav). I've only ever had the chance to take the controls of a Cessna 172 for a few minutes.

I'm flying back to Los Angeles at the end of next month to do some riding with him up in the hills. Thankfully riding a KTM 500 and not my dad's old Suzuki TM400 (which my bro has). Good times.

[WPOZZZ]

You can always fly cargo planes.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

I assume you flew F-18s at some point?

I raced motocross for many years. My brother was talented enough to be sponsored by a Suzuki dealer back when privateers could still do AMA. It would have been amazing to think that some recruiter would grab me to fly an F-14 (my persona fav). I've only ever had the chance to take the controls of a Cessna 172 for a few minutes.

I'm flying back to Los Angeles at the end of next month to do some riding with him up in the hills. Thankfully riding a KTM 500 and not my dad's old Suzuki TM400 (which my bro has). Good times.

Where did you ride in LA back then? It used to be tyhe end of the Valley, out in San Bernando or out in the desert like Barstow. Not too many places nowadays.

I don't remember any of my dreams. I haven't for a long time. Last one involved a lady. We went out on a sweet date. That's it. I was hoping something more well, wild.

[otto_kretschmer]

the military is something you have to do when you are young

I got out 30 years ago and there is no way I'd put up with the BS today

[RNajarian]

Define old . . .

[ZOO]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

You can always fly cargo planes.

I've always had a strange attraction to military cargo planes. A C130 would be useful, wouldn't it?

[masraum]

Nice that you had a relatively good dream that you remember. I don't remember my dreams unless my sleep is interrupted in the middle of one, and even then, I may not remember it an hour or a few later.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by look 171

Where did you ride in LA back then? It used to be tyhe end of the Valley, out in San Bernando or out in the desert like Barstow. Not too many places nowadays.

I don't remember any of my dreams. I haven't for a long time. Last one involved a lady. We went out on a sweet date. That's it. I was hoping something more well, wild.

LACR, Gorman, Lemon Grove, Glamis, Glen Helen... bunch of others

Gorman is probably the only one left.. Where we are headed.

[Drbraunsr]

I'm an old Indian Dunes guy. The good old days.
Ran my big block flatbottom boat down the street, for 30 years at Castaic Lake.
Back when I had more balls then brains....

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by Drbraunsr

I'm an old Indian Dunes guy. The good old days.
Ran my big block flatbottom boat down the street, for 30 years at Castaic Lake.
Back when I had more balls then brains....

My dad raced at Indian Dunes. The track was gone before I could ride there, but I remember it well. Spent many a weekend camping at Travel Village.

[Seahawk]

I just could not put up with the endless stuff you have to do to fly safely and well, either civilian or military.

I fly maybe four times a year with my neighbor.

Growing up in SoCal, the whole place was dirt bike heaven.

[pitargue]

From Independence Day, the movie...

[Hard-Deck]

I did not grow up dirt-biking in CA, but I wish I had. I did grow up in Arizona riding dirt-bikes, and that was pretty awesome.

Nostril Cheese: Yes, I flew F/A-18s in the 90s. In 2000 I was recruited into the Army to be a SOF Infantry Paratrooper. Spent 34 years total; just retired Dec 2020.

WPOZZZ: I did an exchange tour with the USAF for a year, and flew C-130s. Very capable, very awesome airplane. I sure would not want to be a cargo pilot though, not my cup-of-tea. It’s a very honorable job, but I found that the drone of 4-props made me want to fall to sleep at the wheel.

Otto_kretschmer: I have found that everyone states that they served and would not want to do it now. It’s common to feel that way I think.

Seahawk: there are more cultural and political shifts since your departure that you would not be able to tolerate, I think.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

I did not grow up dirt-biking in CA, but I wish I had. I did grow up in Arizona riding dirt-bikes, and that was pretty awesome.

Nostril Cheese: Yes, I flew F/A-18s in the 90s. In 2000 I was recruited into the Army to be a SOF Infantry Paratrooper. Spent 34 years total; just retired Dec 2020.

WPOZZZ: I did an exchange tour with the USAF for a year, and flew C-130s. Very capable, very awesome airplane. I sure would not want to be a cargo pilot though, not my cup-of-tea. It’s a very honorable job, but I found that the drone of 4-props made me want to fall to sleep at the wheel.

Otto_kretschmer: I have found that everyone states that they served and would not want to do it now. It’s common to feel that way I think.

Seahawk: there are more cultural and political shifts since your departure that you would not be able to tolerate, I think.

Our first trip to Hawaii was in a C-54. Unpressurized, slow as heck, at 190 mph at 10,000 feet for so long that I asked my mom if we had moved to live there. (Honestly, I did) Nothing to look at but waves. Endless waves. My dad flew C-124s, and C-47s from Hawaii back and forth to California over 50 times. Several trips to Japan, and pretty much all the Pacific islands with a military presence.

He said they were always treated like saviors when they brought in a supply of beer and booze and fresh fruit and veggies to some isolated island that had been out of beer for while.

[Jim Bremner]

Thank you for your 34 years! I was watching two fighters overhead one day thinking how ****ty would it be to have to hang up the keys to the plane for the last time. Totally envious of your experience. Thank you