Another F-18 lost in the Red Sea…
- Thread starter Saturnguy
- Start date
We each get our name painted on a jet, but we fly whatever is "up".
Aircraft get rotated out of the flight schedule for maintenance and space on the carrier, so the aircraft that is available, and correctly configured for the mission, is what we fly on that mission.
E.G. - my jet was a TARPS jet - configured for the reconnaissance pod. If it was up, and I was flying recce, I might get it. But if I was flying a DCA (defensive combat air) mission, I would get the jet that had the air to air loadout on it.
I've heard there might not even be a jet with a pilot's name on it. The number I heard was maybe 18 pilots in a squadron but 12 jets available.
Are they not two seaters?
Yes. But as far as I know, US Navy two seat combat jets only seat one pilot.
The F is a 2 seater but only 1 pilot.
Different squadrons handle it differently.
Typically, the “X00” nose number has the Air Wing Commander (CAG) name on it. The “X01” nose number has the CO, or CO/XO if it’s a 2 seater.
For the rest of the pilots (and WSO/RIO), it goes by seniority, and the bottom pilots/RIO/WSOs don’t get a “jet” until they’re more senior.
For some squadrons (like mine) we put one name on one side of the canopy, and a different name on the other side so that each pilot had their name on a jet.
For the Jolly Rogers, by the way, Ensign Jack Ernie is always represented on Victory 200.
When a US military plane goes into the sea for any reason, what happens to it? Do we recover it, or does the sea claim it?
I've heard that maintainers are technically assigned a specific aircraft to maintain. Seen a few names, usually on the landing gear door. Obviously they can work on other aircraft.
It depends on several things. Does it have secret technology on it? How deep is the water? How close is it to a recovery vessel? How precisely do we know the location? Can anyone else recover it?
A friend of mine flew into the water on 5 February 1991. We didn’t have a precise location on his F/A-18. We never found him and we never found the airplane.
RIP “BJ” Dwyer. CAG LSO.
Sorry about your friend.
BITOG needs a salute like emoji
They recover it and place a sign on it... Slippery when Jet...
Similar threads
