vTF-77 Pilot recruitment OPEN

[vTF-77 Command]

Virtual Task Force 77 is Calling All Pilots!

Recruitment is NOW OPEN, and we’re hunting for skilled aviators to join our ranks in the ultimate DCS mil-sim experience!

Who We Are:
vTF-77 is a high-octane, West Coast-based DCS task force specializing in fighter, attack, and expeditionary operations. We deliver heart-pounding, realistic missions while keeping the vibe fun and camaraderie tight. Whether you’re drawn to the precision of Air Force, the swagger of Naval aviation, or the grit of Marine ops, our diverse squadrons offer a home for every pilot and controller. Our command teams bring a wealth of real-world and virtual expertise, ensuring you’ll master cutting-edge tactics and soar to new heights.

What We Do:

• Train Like Pros: Every Tuesday and Thursday at 20:00 PST on our dedicated servers.
• Epic Missions & Campaigns: Regularly deploy across our diverse airframes for immersive, story-driven operations.
• Off-Night Shenanigans: Bond with the crew, share laughs, and embrace the dad-joke glory.

We’re Recruiting for:

• F/A-18C Pilots
• F-14B Pilots/RIOs
• F-15E Pilots/WSOs
• F-16C Pilots
• AV-8B Pilots
• F-4 Pilots/RIOs
• Helo Aircrews (AH-64D, Mi-24, OH-58, Ka-50)
• Mission & Campaign Designers
• ATC/AIC Controllers
• JTAC/FAC(A)

What You Bring:

• A mature, respectful attitude with a love for good vibes and epic banter.
• A solid HOTAS setup.
• Willingness to learn (we’ll train you on Discord and SRS if needed).
• Commitment to attend at least 50% of training nights monthly.
• Reliable and coachable with a hunger to dominate the skies.
• Ownership (or ability to acquire) Syria, Persian Gulf, Sinai maps (NTTR recommended) and the Super Carriermodule for naval ops.

What You Get:

• World-Class Training: Learn from seasoned instructors with robust programs.
• Diverse Squadrons: Choose from seven elite squadrons, one aggressor JTAF unit, or our ATC/AIC crew.
• Immersive Missions: Fly on dedicated servers with meticulously crafted campaigns.
• Epic Community: Join a tight-knit, inclusive crew that’s all about the thrill and the laughs.

Ready to take flight with vTF-77? Check out the links below to apply and join the action! Let’s rule the skies together!

Our Discord is https://discord.gg/E8WNwgxhkN

The virtual Task Force Website: https://www.vtf77.com/

Edited May 7 by vTF-77 Command

[vTF-77 Command]

[vTF-77 Command]

VF-143, the "Pukin' Dogs," was a U.S. Navy fighter squadron with a significant F-14 presence in the Tomcat era.

• Cold War Operations: Deployed on carriers like USS America (CV-66) and USS

  Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), VF-143 patrolled tense regions (e.g.,

  Mediterranean, Persian Gulf). The squadron intercepted Soviet aircraft, like Tu-95

  Bear bombers, during NATO exercises and Cold War standoffs.

• Gulf War (1991): During Operation Desert Storm, VF-143 was part of Carrier Air

  Wing Seven (CVW-7) on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, flew F-14 combat air

  patrols and escort missions, protecting coalition forces over Iraq.

• Nickname and Legacy: The "Pukin' Dogs" nickname originated at a squadron

  family gathering when a pilot’s wife saw the griffin insignia and remarked,

  "It looks

  like a pukin' dog!" The pilots loved it and adopted it on the spot, making it iconic

  on the F-14’s tail. But perhaps, greatest in their legacy: the Pukin' Dogs stand

  as one of 3 squadrons to graduate from the very first TOPGUN class. And the

  first squadron to score an enemy aircraft kill from a TOPGUN graduate!

• Disestablishment (1994): VF-143 was disestablished on April 1, 1994, due to

  post-Cold War cuts. Its F-14 legacy continued with VFA-143, which transitioned to

  F/A-18 Hornets.

[vTF-77 Command]

727th EACS “Kingpins”

In the autumn of 1950, as the Cold War’s chill settled over the world, a new unit emerged at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 727th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, later known as the “Kingpins,” was born to watch the skies and guide the fight. Equipped with radar and radios, its Airmen scanned for threats, their screens glowing in the dim control rooms. Through the 1950s, they stood sentinel, part of the 507th Tactical Control Group, ensuring no enemy slipped through America’s defenses. By 1964, redesignated as the 727th Tactical Control Squadron, they embraced mobile radar systems, ready to deploy wherever the Air Force called.

The Vietnam War tested their resolve. In the late 1960s, the Kingpins, now under the 602nd Tactical Air Control Group, sent detachments to Southeast Asia. From forward bases, they directed air strikes and coordinated fighters, their voices crackling over radios to guide pilots through monsoon-soaked skies. Back home, the 1970s brought new challenges. Redesignated the 727th Tactical Control Squadron (Test) in 1979, they joined the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center, pioneering advanced command-and-control systems. By 1991, as the 727th Air Control Squadron (Test), they refined tactics for a digital battlefield, but peace’s arrival saw them inactivated in 1995.

The Global War on Terrorism rekindled their fire. In 2005, reborn as the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, a provisional unit under Air Combat Command, they became “Kingpin” for good, assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. Deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, in 2005, they orchestrated air operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, their radars tracking friend and foe alike. By 2011, at Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, they supported Operation New Dawn’s end, pivoting to Arabian Gulf air defense. Their mission grew, covering Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel, directing strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

In 2021, the Kingpins made history at Al Dhafra. For Women’s History Month, an all-female team—dubbed “Queenpin”—ran a three-hour mission shift, from radar operators to intel analysts, led by Col. Kristen Thompson. Airmen from the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the UK united, proving women’s prowess in command and control. That April, the squadron relocated to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, after a decade in the UAE, continuing to provide real-time air battle management. By 2023, under Lt. Col. Daniel Longstreet, they stood ready, their legacy celebrated in patches and nose art.

The Kingpins’ story spans decades, from Cold War radar vans to modern digital networks. They’ve earned a Meritorious Unit Award and multiple Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, their emblem—a crowned chess piece—approved in 1981, symbolizing strategic mastery. As the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron prepares to take their mantle at Robins AFB, the 727th EACS remains a linchpin, weaving airpower into victory, their eyes ever on the skies.
 

Come and fly with live controllers - Website:
 https://www.vtf77.com/?utm_source=discord&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=DCSF

[vTF-77 Command]

The 409 Nighthawks

In the summer of 1941, as the skies over Britain darkened with the threat of Luftwaffe bombers, a new squadron took flight from the windswept runways of RAF Digby. The 409 Nighthawk Squadron, born under the banner of the Royal Canadian Air Force, was forged in the crucible of World War II. Its pilots, young men from the prairies, forests, and cities of Canada, embraced the night as their domain. They called themselves Nighthawks, a nod to their mission: to hunt German bombers under the cover of darkness. With Boulton Paul Defiants, their turrets bristling in the moonlight, and later the radar-equipped Bristol Beaufighters, they patrolled the black skies, guided by the faint glow of instruments and the courage in their hearts. By 1943, the sleek de Havilland Mosquito became their steed, a wooden wonder that danced through the night, chasing down enemy aircraft and striking airfields deep in occupied Europe. They flew through the chaos of D-Day, their Mosquitoes weaving above the Normandy beaches, shielding the Allied invasion from Luftwaffe raiders. When peace came in 1945, the Nighthawks’ wings were folded, and the squadron disbanded, their legacy etched in the stars.

But the story didn’t end there. The Cold War’s shadow loomed, and in 1954, the Nighthawks were reborn at RCAF Station Comox, on the rugged shores of Vancouver Island. Now, they flew the Avro CF-100 Canuck, Canada’s own jet interceptor, built to meet Soviet bombers in the icy skies of the Arctic. The world had changed, and so had their mission. No longer just night fighters, they stood guard for NORAD, eyes fixed on the horizon for any sign of intrusion. They moved to North Bay, Ontario, in 1957, their Canucks roaring over the Great Lakes, a shield for the heart of Canada. But the Nighthawks were restless, and soon their gaze turned across the Atlantic.

In 1963, the squadron traded the Canuck for the supersonic McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo, a beast armed with missiles and nuclear rockets, and set sail for Europe. Stationed in Germany at RCAF Station Baden-Soellingen, they became knights of NATO, ready to hold the line against the Warsaw Pact. The Voodoo gave way to the nimble Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter in the 1970s, a scrappy jet that could strike tanks or dogfight in the skies above the Rhine. For years, the Nighthawks trained in the forests and fields of West Germany, their engines a constant thunder in the Cold War’s uneasy peace, until Canada called them home.

In 1987, the Nighthawks settled at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, a frozen outpost where the aurora borealis lights the winter sky. Here, they met the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet, a versatile warrior that could duel in the air or rain precision strikes on the ground. The Hornet carried them into a new era of conflict. In 1991, their jets screamed over the deserts of the Gulf War, guarding skies and striking targets in Operation Desert Storm. In 1999, they flew over the Balkans, their bombs falling on Serbian positions during NATO’s Kosovo campaign. After the towers fell in 2001, the Nighthawks patrolled Canadian airspace, a quiet sentinel for a nation on edge. They soared over Libya in 2011, enforcing no-fly zones, and later joined the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, their Hornets delivering justice from above.

Through it all, Cold Lake remained their home, a place of relentless training and camaraderie. Exercises like Maple Flag and Red Flag tested their mettle, pitting them against allies in mock battles that honed their edge. In 2019, they journeyed to Florida for Combat Archer, firing missiles and dodging threats in the humid skies over Eglin Air Force Base. The Nighthawks’ crest, a hawk in midnight flight, adorned their jets, a reminder of their roots as masters of the dark.

Today, in 2025, the Nighthawks still fly their aging CF-18s, though the jets bear the scars of decades of service. They stand ready for NORAD, NATO, and whatever the world demands, their pilots training for the day when the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II will take their place. The F-35, with its stealth and sensors, promises to carry the Nighthawk spirit into a future of unseen threats—hypersonic missiles, drones, and stealthy foes. Yet, no matter the aircraft, the Nighthawks remain true to their motto, Media nox merides

nunque— “Midnight is our noon. ” From the Blitz to the deserts of Iraq, from the Cold War to the edge of tomorrow, the 409 Nighthawk Squadron has flown through history, a shadow in the sky, always ready to strike.

 

 

Come and fly with 409 Nigthhawk squadron - Website:
 https://www.vtf77.com/?utm_source=discord&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=DCSF