robcas47

iTrader: (2)

we averaged 60-80 per acft a month, depending on the month and missions but that is as realistic an estimate as I can tell ya. but that was for my location and we only had four to work with, and one of those four was always in phase. Anyways, the Kiowas always flew there asses off cause 1) there's no better way to support a convoy and 2) your pilots can shoot better. I didn't really get the "really call yourself a crew chief" comment but I can care less, I'm a FE/FI, crew chiefs in the Chinook community is the equivilant to a door gunner in the Blackhawk community. Don't forget to clean those windows chief!

FrankSS

iTrader: (18)

this is the truth.... we fly the most flight hours anywhere we go, whether its training or in the box. last NTC rotation, we tripled the 60's flight hours with less Acft...and all but 1 was red X'd during that time. but if you wanna fly with your birds, 60's and 47's are the way to go... but if you want alot of experiance, then 58's will get you that. and they are getting ready for a retrofit as well, so alot of new stuff is going in it. I wish i wasnt getting relassed to UAV ... and you know derek, IF YOU AINT CAV, YOU AINT ****!!

derekderek

iTrader: (21)

Couldnt have said it better myself!

derekderek

iTrader: (21)

Yea flight hrs depend alot on mission I have been places where we had to have 4 birds up 24/7 then I have been places where we only fly if we are supporting a convoy or Airassult mission. I was just curious about it thats all

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

well like said above, its all dependent on where you are and what the mission is. where we are and with our altittude our 58's cant fly outside of the "bowl", and even at that its hard for them. like i said before they go out with only half way on fuel and ammo. we are pulling 3 different med chase missions, qrf, and airassults. the 58 guys do have more kills lol, but its the pilots that shoot, not the crewchiefs or whatever they are called. well we dont have FE's, but an FI and a crewchief is the same in both communities. door gunners are our bitches basically. they clean the windows, paint the blades, clean up the trash. yeah i have never seen a 60 hit 190, its probably been done but like robcas47 said, it would have to be at a dive. we can hit 170-175 though. but you really cant go wrong with going with the UH-60 or CH-47, even though it is a giant flying bus lol. and i just dont see how the 58 and 64 guys are called crew chiefs is all im saying. you dont fly with the bird or do airassults or anything. you guys stand there while they run up and make sure they are clear when they are taking off then go back to whatever, then you wave them in when they come back. its really awsome if you can get into a flight company with either 60's or 47's cause the stuff you do and missions you do. its really awsome doing a one wheel on top of a mountain while troops get on or off. but everybody does their part and cant complete the mission without all of them and everybody right? except for maybe the 58's lol just kidding

FrankSS

iTrader: (18)

so what do the crew cheifs do when they are not in a flight company?? thats right, the same thing as the 58 and 64 guys ...

robcas47

iTrader: (2)

I like to keep the acft and MOS bashing on the flight line or in the hanger but I'll have a go at it for now. First off I can care less about the title of "crew chief " cause I no longer have to worry about being that low on the todem pole. But another thought just registered, what should the head mechanic be called in INHRA/NASCAR since he doesn't drive or ride along in the car being raced? Also I have have a couple of personal/good OH-58 CE friends that flew missions in OIF 1 and manned guns, with 12's to prove it. So not all Kiowa CE's get to fly, but sometimes they do when it counts. I could have brought that up sooner but I didn't think it would get to this point. Kinda weird for a Hooker to be backing up a lawnmower mech... Also just recently the black hawk community instilled an FI program, before you only had to be a fully progressed CE(crew chief) to be signed off on the flight line to be so. Now you have to go to mother Rucker,(like us Chinook FE's have been doing so for several decades), to be qualified as a UH-60 FI. That alone is an oxymoran since you don't have Flight Engineers(FE's) in the Blackhawk community, just CE's and door gunners. Also when a 60 is ever pulling 170-175 knots indicated(@ level cruise), that acft is probably stripped down to the max with no pax and no cargo, with female pilots or skinny gay pilots, (usually the only two types you will find on a black hawk), We'll pull 170 easy with baps and internal cargo or pax, I've done it plenty of times, last flight I was part of a crew that maxed out our acft capabilities was 24 Dec 08. RC south, in case any fellow members here were there, I was the jerk in the back throwing your bags off the ramp cause you didn't feel like taking them off with you. For the OP, as you can see every airframe brings something to the table, unbiased I think Apache mechanics work there asses off more than Kiowa mechanics do, Black Hawk mechanics have their hands full also but not as much as the other two, the reason being is because as stated earlier, Chinook and Black Hawk crew members are also mechanics and do a lot and almost all of the unscheduled maintenance on their assigned acft. The other two airframes do have assigned CE's for the acft but also have an assload of maintenance support to take care fof the unscheduled maintenance. Well I'm done for now, waiting for some tango to reply...

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

i wish i could of replied a lot sooner, but im deployed and well...im sure you all know how that is, an *** load of work and long hours. alright first off, i was saying all this in good fun, like robcas47 said, every airframe brings something to the table! i pull qrf with the 58's and the 47 guys are a whole 10 feet away from our building and always do missions with us. so we are always talkin **** for fun. but to frankss, the guys not in a flight company are not called crewchiefs, they are mechanics. a crewchief is not our mos, its an additional skill. they are called crewchiefs cause they are in a flight company. and for robcas47, to think your so much better than a crewchief is just stupid. you act like your a whole different mos or something, its just another additional skill, and im sure you still pull crewchief duties. yeah we dont have FE's like i said before, but thats only because our crewchiefs that you think so low of do the job of a crewchief and an FE in the blackhawk community. we clear the aircraft, assist the pilots, man the gun, and set up different loads and pacs. our 60's pull 170 all the damn time, and if you didnt read any of my other post, i am deployed. that means obviously our birds are all equiped with baps. you just said earlier that 47's are limited at 170 because the damn airframe cant handle it, so i really dont know what your trying to brag about, that you guys have an airframe that will vibrate its self apart? obviously you guys have more power, but with your limitations your not any faster. well im done till tomarrow night...waiting for some bus boy to reply.

robcas47

iTrader: (2)

I guess I struck a nerve there, just having fun with you second2none, the CE comment is more or less directed towards Chinook CE's since we always push for them to advance, but overall 60 and 47 crew members have always gone at it, sort of like GM and Ford. This thread can go way off topic with that sort of crap so I'll just leave it alone. FE duties and CE duties are the same in flight regardless if you are stationed at the ramp or the cabin door, the difference between the two is that the FE is in charge of the back of the acft and directs everything that goes on,in, and out of it. Also he's the head mechanic and is relied on to trouble shoot and fix anything and everything. Our CE's are basically being constantly trained by the FE to take over his job eventually, so we're constantly grilln them and force feeding acft knowledge into their heads, some FE's are jerks,(sometimes me), and treat CE's like **** until they prove their worth. I was attached to a Black Hawk battalion for all of OEF 8-9 and got to know a lot of how they function and think. There is a different mind set and attitude that takes some getting used to.

Hey second2none, fly safe, shoot straight, land soft, and get home. I'll be back out there next spring.

Hey has anyone noticed that my post count is always at 14? I just did, if a mod is reading please don't change. I think it's hilarious.

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

yeah i did notice your post count never changes lol. its all good robcas47. i like to bash with you guys for fun but i really do respect the **** out of 47's and their crew members! no airframe is better than the other, they all have there different roles and are good at them! 47's really do some bad *** **** out here and i know you have to be on top of your game to really know the systems and hydraulics on that thing. its so crazy how the 47 works with the fight controls and power train! well if you come to the south im sure i will run into you when you get here. till then have fun with your car and family while your at home!