I'm headed to California this Fall as was wondering if anybody is interested in hearing about my adventures as an Army Kiowa Warrior Pilot, "Recruitment Undertones", as far as techniques, tactics, procedures.

mhueycc,

I see that you were a crew chief in the USMC and now you are a Kiowa Pilot?
I'm a crew chief in the USAF. I'm thinking about switching to something else... maybe you could enlighten me on some of your experiences. I would like to be a crew chief in the USMC, that way I could fly as Aircrew. (in the Airforce, crew chiefs do not fly) Although it would be nice not to have to work on the aircraft after you land...
I have also been thinking about applying for a WOFT packet to be an Army pilot. Did you like being in the Marines? like being a crew chief? How is it in the Army?
I'm stationed at Fort Bragg and we deal alot with the Army, but I'm sure how good the life would be, as apposed to quality of life in the Air Force...

Any info you would be willing to share about these two jobs would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Ben Nielsen
acdc79@usa.com

Being informed is a major part in making decisions. I loved my experiences and opportunities in the Marines and will always cherish them. I am still sporting an EGA on my truck and it irritates everyone on an Army Post.
Performing maintenance on Marine Corps aircraft is what makes you a crewchief. I really think that my knowledge of the aircraft comforted pilots when they asked me if a certain bearing was going bad or when it came time to track and balance an aircraft we, the pilot and I, just went to the beach and did it there, other than taxiing back and forth to parking at the airfield for other people to put their two cents in.
It was especially cool when the maintenance was over quickly, and we used up a little flight time for some unofficial flight training.
But.. If I had known about the Warrant Officer program prior to enlisting I would have went that route.

That's cool that your USMC experience was good.
I can't say that for alot of other folks I know personally who were in the the Corps at one time. Some liked it, others didn't.
If I go into the Marines, I would like to be a helicopter crew chief... nuff said.

So, tell me about flying with the Army? Lifestyle? Was it difficult to become a Warrent officer? How hard is it to fly choppers? Lots of math involved I presume...
You ever get scared of being in a helicopter crash, getting shot down, etc....
Do they let you have a say in what aircraft you will fly?
Lot's more questions-

Thanks for the great info. Looking forward for more.

Thanks!

Bon

The transition was a little difficult at first, being Marine and seeing all the Army folks walking around breaking all the rules that are bored into our Marine Corps heads is difficult. But now since I have been around it for so long I am just used to it.
Becoming a Warrant Officer was not that hard at all when I applied. I was persistant with my recruiter. I called him on a daily basis asking him what were we waiting for, what could I do next to keep the ball rolling. There are two types of selection boards, Civilian and active duty. I was on terminal leave when I applied therefore I fell under the civilian board. With my resume stating all the experience as a crewchief and my qualifications it was a no brainer to select me.
As far as flying is concerned it is like riding a bicycle once you learn how, it becomes second nature. Oh and there is very little math involved. A lot of numbers, but no math really. In the Army we do fuel consumption checks: annotate the fuel state, start a 30 min clock. At the end of the 30 min take the current fuel state, subtract the start fuel from that. That gives your 30 min burn rate multiply times 2 that gives your hourly fuel rate figure out with your current fuel how much time you have left. That’s it for math.
Aircraft Crash it’s a part of life. But don’t put yourself in situations that are too much out of your control.
I’ve been shot at , and I’ve been the shooter. Turn fear into anger is what I say. Cowardice is for pussies.
You do have control provided you apply yourself during flight school. Order of Merit the Top of the class gets first pick. The pick comes from the needs of the Army. Some classes that graduate are stacked heavy on certain airframes. Blackhawks and Apaches

So the best candadites in the class get to choose airframes? Does the airframe determine what base you go to? I don't know where all the avation bases are but I know there are alot here in the south - NC, SC, KY etc...
Are there any helicopter units out west? Maybe around Airzona, california, utah etc...

There is a guard unit (Apaches) in salt lake city, Utah, where I am from, but I don't know how hard it is to get accepted to a guard unit. Decisions decisions.

All in all, it sounds like a kick**s job regardless where you're stationed or what aircraft you fly!