Bushmaster

I have been sick for the past couple days but we did select aircraft last Wednesday, I made it to class top 3 and the winner is;

Excellent discussion guys, I have been an Apache mechanic/armament technician myself, I requested it as my first choice as I am familiar with the systems but I don't know if the Army will have the slot for me. I agree with you wholeheartedly A16. I have heard the same advice before. UH-60 is #2 on my request list but it is very likely to show up on my plate.. Too bad they are not offering the latest Mike model in huge numbers yet, 1 or 2 per class right now. I am also a very gentle humble person, I don't talk much, I listen a lot and there is no room for BS in my life. So far in my units most 64 guys acted like they were God's gift to humanity. If I get it, I hope to make a difference. I know noone might like me :) There is nothing better out there other than SOAR. Once I was dreaming about getting in to flight school and I saw many obstacles in my way, now I see the same for SOAR, but I was dedicated enough for this and accomplished it, so SOAR is no different.

It is like yesterday I was learning how to hover and not crash in a TH-67 Creek, now it is about time I choose my career track. Initial Entry Rotary Wing training is coming to an end for me on March 1st with a Physical Fitness test. My final checkride is Thursday. Unlike most other service branches, aviators in the US Army who select a track will stay with it until retirement in most cases. So what I select will become my life. I have a wish list of aircraft, but it will mostly depend on an order of merit list. One thing I learned in flight school that I get nervous during checkrides, I am not a huge hands on guy, but I aced every academic exam/test there was to it with a GPA of 99.3 ish but when you add the checkrides I am going to come down to mid 80s. Regardless of that, what do you think it will be ? Here are some visuals...

Thank you and no I am not a real helicopter pilot, yet! I have recently been selected to become one ... I will let you know when I get to the seat... :pilotfly:

I have to read them both from the pilot's perspective, I don't know much about our tactics but we used different tactics in Iraq. It is also a theater and unit thing...

Well, Demo released a soundpak, some of my sounds were in there. Since we got one pack out of the way, we can update it to make it better. I have been in the US since July 2008 LOL :) No Ranger stuff here, we dwell for 12 months at least before we go back again... But I am not going back, because I have flight school coming up.

Oh ok, I remember seeing some development on the Apache side of the house, maybe the wait wouldn't be that long after all. I won't be getting out of flight school until 2012 sometime :)

I have not had the chance to buy it yet, any news on the AH-64 add-on?

I just got the Apache News 2009 by Boeing, and was told it talks about the changes in the Blk III. I heard, so this is not from me, that we would get an engine upgrade, and also upgrades to the NGBs, and transmissions. I will take a look at the magazine sometime soon.

You haven't been around OF lately Ace.

Hey guys, I am a combat sim fan since early 1990s (Amiga and all) very big fan of the F-16. I am a AH-64 Avionics and Armament Technician in the US Army and recently got selected to attend Flight Training @ Ft. Rucker. I am stoked about it. Nice to meet you all.

Looked at it @ Barnes & Noble, haven't picked it up yet. However I was told that the author mentions that us yankies fly with different tactics compared to them. No surprise there.

Hello... Block III? I don't think we have those in service yet. I appreciate the link.

Hello folks, It has been quite a while but last I remember, I made an introduction of myself, way back when I was in Iraq. Checking back in and wondering if Chief Brad and Matt are still around. Upon return from Iraq, my job had been quite hectic, got reassigned to a line unit, did lots of troubleshooting on Apaches. Recently though got the good news that I was selected to attend Warrant Officer Flight Training. So... another one in the making. Can't wait to put the real life experience into good use and assist DCS efforts. See you around.

5-10 years down the line, eyesight will not be a major disqualifier in the US, compared to some European countries.

Laser surgeries focus on the cornea which is not anatomically tied to color or depth perception. So that should not be a problem at all. Good luck with the Herk.

How long has it been since LASIK/PRK was introduced?

It is possible but they don't recommend this operation unless the floaters are blocking your sight to a degree you can not function in daily activities. I think they replace the natural liquid (I can't remember the name) with an artificial one, yes the liquid in your eye. They flush all floaters out. USAF's standards are more relaxed in terms of visual acuity, but they do test for things like close accommodation where you focus on things closer than 100mm, we don't go more than 100mm in the Army and we do it both eyes, not each. USAF recently approved LASIK. USAF has a limit of 20/70 in terms of visual acuity while we have 20/50. The refraction error limits are the same, which is -1.50 myopia. Which is what I have, but not that bad, I am about -.75 in one eye, -.50 in the other. My eyes only moved about 1/2 diopters in 13 years. The reason we have different visual acuity limits in the services of course depends on our mission areas, these limits are established according to the ability of aircrews safely landing aircraft in case of emergencies where they might lose their corrective lenses. This is like that in most European countries, even in my native Turkey, because small fleet, tons of applicants, they have to disqualify somehow. If a guy in the US could fly a F-16 with 20/70 vision, there is no reason he could not if he is Polish, Turkish, Russian whatever... I know it sucks. I have started developing myopia when I was 17. Since then, I have read a lot on the eyes, eye deficiencies whatnot, Bates Method is basically bogus. It is based on a theory he came up early past century. Modern science debunked his approach. It does help but doesn't correct. I have tried many studies and methods, plus lenses, See clearly method, etc, these things don't affect the refraction error which is the main thing they check during exams. Quiet quiet... Wait until I pick the Apache...

I wear them only when I go to the range to qualify with my weapon, however, flying is a different ball game. In the Army, everything has to be authorized. PRK would be the one I'd prefer over LASIK but I am not a good candidate due to the relatively small prescription I have, compared to good candidates. I do not wear glasses in daily life.

Brad, you'd probably know about this since you already picked your airframe. I believe (according to my last exam which was a while ago) I have better vision than 20/50 which is Army requirement however I do not have 20/20 in either eye. Some guys at work was telling me that anything worse than 20/20 is a disqualifier for the Apache, you won't get to pick it due to IHADSS, can't operate the system with corrective lenses. Is there any truth to this? Because I have heard from a NG guy who flew the Apaches, he got authorization for contacts. Ask around for me if you have 20/20 and never had an issue with it. Thanks man.:pilotfly:

I understand that AH-64A is meticulously modelled and am happy about it. If and when Longbow is being modelled, how hard would it be for the programmers to base the modelling on top of the already existing code for "A", or do they have to model the Longbow from scratch? I can safely say, there are tons of people waiting a good sim since Jane's...

Let me guess... You want to go to Korea... LOL!!! Hopefully you get where you want, I would want to come back to Savannah because I hate cold places, and anywhere you get Apache it gets darn cold, even TX. My wife complains about that. I would just be darn glad to get the 64, and that is enough for me, first things first, get the 64, then I wouldn't even mind Riley. Though, if they say your entire class is going Hooks, I think I would be pretty upset, anything other than 64, this person is definitely taking the fixed wing when time comes.

Tight? Probably with all that flight gear, especially in the desert... though I never found it tight so that I would feel crammed, hmmm... It gives me more comfort because ifront station sinks compared to the back which gives me the feeling I am always sitting on a high chair. Anyway, I will find out in due time, I am assuming you don't have unit assignment yet, but here in 3d CAB, I have not seen a WO1 or 2nd, or even 1st LT in the rear yet. You'll have more freedom once you pin W2. :smartass: CAB Commander always flies CPG. :)

Though in units, generally, you would find that higher ranking pilot flies front seat. If it was up to me, I would fly front seat my whole career... :)

When, 2025?