The Right Stuff?
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A month or two ago someone posted a thread on how to become a RSAF pilot. Whereas the replies to the thread were generally helpful and informative, some members chose to take the opportunity and take swipes at the threat-starter about his attitude and who should deserve to be a pilot etc etc.
So I ask you all, what does it really take to be a pilot in the RSAF? Who has the right stuff? In our local context, how can we tell if anyone of the candidates are really suitable?
Physical attributes and conditions aside, I think it is very difficult to tell who is "pilot material" and who is not at the surface. -
anyone can be a pilot...if we just chose the candidate just by the physical attribute..Originally posted by Laplace:A month or two ago someone posted a thread on how to become a RSAF pilot. Whereas the replies to the thread were generally helpful and informative, some members chose to take the opportunity and take swipes at the threat-starter about his attitude and who should deserve to be a pilot etc etc.
So I ask you all, what does it really take to be a pilot in the RSAF? Who has the right stuff? In our local context, how can we tell if anyone of the candidates are really suitable?
Physical attributes and conditions aside, I think it is very difficult to tell who is "pilot material" and who is not at the surface.
it all comes down to the mental health..not all dude n dudette can take the Gs..able to take immediate stress..
that is y there is alot of dropout..
well i might be wrong..
but i know of a pilot..he mention this to me..which i think its damn sia lan of him..
he say.."not everyone can be a pilot, its in the genes..the superior genes"
sia lan right
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Hmmm..... avid flight sim gamers should have the chance.
And not some A level or Degree holder who knows nuts about planes. Instincts most impt when u are in the air. Not MatHS or EnginEerinG! -
Good points guys. With so many diversified views on what it takes to be a RSAF pilot, it's very difficult to simply point and say "he or she has/not the right stuff" isn't it?
Quite frankly I think that unless you have strapped yourself into the cockpit of a military aircraft and flown in one prior to enlisting (which is nigh impossible in the local context), I doubt we can ever determine who is pilot material or not. I should think many people who have the "siao on" mentality and think that they know alot about piloting would be in for a rude shock when their dream realises. Similarly, civilian pilots or people that dabble around computer simulation programs will not be guaranteed an easier "been there done that" time; learning and becoming a warfighting pilot is a totally different experience I should think. Flying is only one attribute, your mentality and pysche is equally important. -
Math's and Engineering is important. After all, u are flying a millon dollar piece of equipment. Making calculations on the fly while the whole world is shooting at u is one of the requirements.
After all, u dun want to be bingo fuel half way inside a dogfight without a way to disengage. -
What makes a RSAF pilot? How many have you met in your life? 1? 10? 100?
Some are cool, some are arrogant, some are nerdy, some are childish, some have tattoos (maybe as a way of identifying their mangled body parts in case they die in a crash), some are just plain wierd.
Everyone is different. But all of them are confident they do their jobs well. There are no pretenders there. -
bastido.Originally posted by NathanG5:anyone can be a pilot...if we just chose the candidate just by the physical attribute..
it all comes down to the mental health..not all dude n dudette can take the Gs..able to take immediate stress..
that is y there is alot of dropout..
well i might be wrong..
but i know of a pilot..he mention this to me..which i think its damn sia lan of him..
he say.."not everyone can be a pilot, its in the genes..the superior genes"
sia lan right
that kind of person? i hope hes joking, because that kind of ego will get him killed. -
yea..sooner or later..Originally posted by HENG@:bastido.
that kind of person? i hope hes joking, because that kind of ego will get him killed. -
No, that's the kind of attitude that gets other people killed. Like that arsewipe who released the ropes and dropped three of our boys from 120 feet.Originally posted by HENG@:bastido.
that kind of person? i hope hes joking, because that kind of ego will get him killed.
Granted that certain qualities are required to get the job done right - visuospatial ability, a certain degree of mechanical aptitude, situational awareness and reasonably quick reflexes - but the current state of dependence on avionics is such that the task of flying a modern combat aircraft was described by Bill Gunston (himself a pilot) as being like driving a desk.
As for the "superior" part, the Ranger Cadres used to piss themselves laughing during survival courses for pilots - after leaving the pilot trainees in the jungle (for one night, mind you), they would hear these flyboys bawling like babies before they were even out of earshot. That, I propose, makes them inferior to your average Ah Beng infantryman. -
god!!! whos was the idiot who did that???Originally posted by Gedanken:No, that's the kind of attitude that gets other people killed. Like that arsewipe who released the ropes and dropped three of our boys from 120 feet.
Granted that certain qualities are required to get the job done right - visuospatial ability, a certain degree of mechanical aptitude, situational awareness and reasonably quick reflexes - but the current state of dependence on avionics is such that the task of flying a modern combat aircraft was described by Bill Gunston (himself a pilot) as being like driving a desk.
As for the "superior" part, the Ranger Cadres used to piss themselves laughing during survival courses for pilots - after leaving the pilot trainees in the jungle (for one night, mind you), they would hear these flyboys bawling like babies before they were even out of earshot. That, I propose, makes them inferior to your average Ah Beng infantryman. -
Jungle survival is a prerequiste training to becoming a pilot TRAINEE, so those babies that supposedly 'cried' probably never made it past basic flying anyway....
Characteristics such as arrogance, cocky, sia lan.... these seems to be associated with pilots quite alot. But I guess you need the self-confidence if you have to fly a combat aircraft, in a wartime scenario, and be able to perform under stress.
The good and experienced pilots I know are the ones who are humble about their achievements, cos they have been through alot to know that it is those who have the cocky attitudes who will be likely to get themselves killed.... -
Nobody knows for sure who will make it to become a pilot, or to pinpoint all the characteristics required to be a good pilot. Having the right attitude (ie willingness to learn) and having the aptitude (hand-eye coordination etc.) are important factors that instructors screening pilot trainees look for, but more importantly you need to have the interest in flying. Unfortunately no one truly know whether they will have a genuine interest in flying until they have tasted flight itself.
At the end of it all, it is a combination of factors that determine if anyone makes it as a pilot. No one knows for sure what they all are, that's why they label it the X-factor. -
Man, I'm asking who has the right stuff to be a pilot, not whether existing pilots have the right stuff or not. Let's keep this thread on the rail shall we?Originally posted by RussianPower:What makes a RSAF pilot? How many have you met in your life? 1? 10? 100?
Some are cool, some are arrogant, some are nerdy, some are childish, some have tattoos (maybe as a way of identifying their mangled body parts in case they die in a crash), some are just plain wierd.
Everyone is different. But all of them are confident they do their jobs well. There are no pretenders there. -
Look, how would anyone one know what's required of a pilot if you haven't spoken (not just idle chit chat) to quite a few?Originally posted by Laplace:Man, I'm asking who has the right stuff to be a pilot, not whether existing pilots have the right stuff or not. Let's keep this thread on the rail shall we?
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Which part?Originally posted by HENG@:god!!! whos was the idiot who did that??? -
i think its the one on the arseswipe who release the ropesOriginally posted by Gedanken:Which part? -
this part:Originally posted by Gedanken:Which part?
No, that's the kind of attitude that gets other people killed. Like that arsewipe who released the ropes and dropped three of our boys from 120 feet. -
Yeah, well, some of us still bear a grudge. The investigation showed that the pilot did not check with his aircrewman before releasing the ropes.
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when was it?Originally posted by Gedanken:Yeah, well, some of us still bear a grudge. The investigation showed that the pilot did not check with his aircrewman before releasing the ropes.
bloody idiot of a pilot. -
I do believe it was 1992 or 1993 - this was in the batch just before mine. Four guys were on the skids and the pilot released the ropes. The company 2 i/c was one of the despatchers and managed to grab one of the guys but the other three dropped. My CSM was supervising from the ground and his heart stopped when he saw them drop - his first thought was that the ropes weren't tied properly around the carabiners. I believe the pilot received a suspended 8-year sentence.
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the 3 died?Originally posted by Gedanken:I do believe it was 1992 or 1993 - this was in the batch just before mine. Four guys were on the skids and the pilot released the ropes. The company 2 i/c was one of the despatchers and managed to grab one of the guys but the other three dropped. My CSM was supervising from the ground and his heart stopped when he saw them drop - his first thought was that the ropes weren't tied properly around the carabiners. I believe the pilot received a suspended 8-year sentence.
gee suspended 8 year sentence? meaning? so did he serve that sentence? -
Nope - just left the Air Force.
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piece of Shit.Originally posted by Gedanken:Nope - just left the Air Force.
i hope hes happy he escaped punishment.
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Yeah, well, he IS one of the "superior" ones.
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its not even wartime..why is he so anxious in releasing the ropes?Originally posted by Gedanken:I do believe it was 1992 or 1993 - this was in the batch just before mine. Four guys were on the skids and the pilot released the ropes. The company 2 i/c was one of the despatchers and managed to grab one of the guys but the other three dropped. My CSM was supervising from the ground and his heart stopped when he saw them drop - his first thought was that the ropes weren't tied properly around the carabiners. I believe the pilot received a suspended 8-year sentence.
shld have seek him out n teach him a lesson..god damn it!!