TheElGordo
114484
2586
99
Just had my last flight at the controls of a Naval aircraft. 10 years of turning jet fuel into freedom, 2 years deployed, 15 countries, 1,900 flight hours, 700 simulator hours, 1 bad back, 1:1 takeoff to landing ratio, 1 marriage, 2 kids and a whole lot of cool memories.
Sorry for the selfies
duttry98
Thank you for your service!
sayplease60
shamalamaderp
Well done and thanks for your service!
letspoopandbrowse
Well done.
atesomebadfugu
Ha, helo pilot talks about flight. We know you're just keeping them from crashing. Thanks for your service..
pizzabortionist
And the helo mechanics are just trying to keep them from thrashing themselves to pieces...
canibFrank
Well said. Are you considering writing as your next endeavor?
dreamstamp
t33kay
What is your favourite memory of your job? New ACSO asking
TheElGordo
Saving lives / helping people. Knowing I made a small difference, at least for those people.
Biggursmallz
Badass.
Mcknizzle
Fuck yeah
TheMortiestMortyfromC137
Thank you for your service sir.
emscode3
Nice Romeo!
andrews510
frostcash
I like your stats set
bzort
Congratulations! Now march proudly into ElGordo's Phase Two. I'm saluting - and I know how.
Bigol284
My uncle was in Air Cav during Vietnam. His stories are amazing.
BarrioLoganMojo
Looks like the San Diego FRS. Congrats squid kid!
TheElGordo
fleet squadron but I did do a tour there.
BarrioLoganMojo
HT-18 or HT-8? If it ain't 8 it ain't straight.
TheElGordo
18 - Factory Hand machines the smoothest of sticks
BarrioLoganMojo
My fave IP was from 18 so I'll never knock it. Cheers shipmate :)
TooManyBawbags
Fuck I miss this job. Congratulations.
PapaBearclaw
As a PR1, I'm happy for you sir. #H60life
TheElGordo
Hell yea!
PapaBearclaw
By the way, is that AWS1 Rockwell is the background?
TheElGordo
No :(
kylania
Thanks for your service!
Iceman0624
I'm headed to Pensacola in January, sad to see you go before I got to fly with you OP but go home to your family and have a beer for me
TheElGordo
Let me know if you have any questions. Seriously. Good luck!
Iceman0624
Oh only about half a million of them lol
TheElGordo
PM me, I was being serious.
gurglingsteak
Thank you for my freedom
sheetslikepaper
TYFYS.
BigBossTheMSFCommander
Give us some stories, please
TheElGordo
Bout what?
TimothyDavid7
your most dangerous flight
TheElGordo
Took off in a sandstorm at night with 1/4 mile visibility to fly 150 miles to another ship to drop off a kid whose appendix burst.
eggselent
Air Force flyer here. Always glad to hear of someone who gets out with a 1:1 takeoff and landing ratio.
TheElGordo
And only one mishap!
SanchoWasHerNameO
I had a double take thought they were dumping fuel on you in the last picture!
Marine0311
JP-5 is yellowish in color IIRC
canibFrank
Same. I think it was the "jet fuel into freedom" bit. Hopefully just water.
TheOneTrueNerd
"All my friends were killed in a freak gasoline fight accident."
dzbomber
TheDino
The orange thing the guy is holding is a flare gun to ignite it.
PedestrianElectrobastard
Turns out you retire fighter pilots the same way you retire American flags.
streptovsky
They were. When a successful pilot retires he's burned with fuel from his aircraft so his warrior spirit watches over the baby jet fighters
ColtTheKid
Like a Viking funeral?
OneShucklak
Shrais
"10 years of turning jet fuel into freedom" <3
InsidiousExperimental
Jet fuel can't melt STEEL FREEDOM!
dreamstamp
GasBandit
Wouldn't it technically be turning *helicopter* fuel into freedom?
ExaDeuce
It has a jet engine!
GasBandit
Well it has wheels, too, but it's not a car!
BessotenJenny
Fun fact, most vehicles on the U.S. armed forces run on JP-8 (jet fuel) so as to simplify supply chains. Aircraft, tanks and even Humvee's.
dubbelu
TheMoreYouKnowRainbow
TheElGordo
"Tickling the sky's belly." "Experiencing the magic of flight" "dinosaurs into freedom" "sitting in a chair in the sky"... so many.
JayEnfield
When flying in the sky, try to stay away from the edges of the sky.
LearnSomething
Pretty sure we work on the same base
TheElGordo
NASNI?
LearnSomething
Yep. Dolly Parton hangers.
TheElGordo
Them double domes
jjjjn
Congrats on the 1:1 ratio for takeoff/landings and the family. Good luck on the next stages.
scottydawg76
Plot twist. The 1:1 ratio includes 1 take off without landing and one landing without take off.
jmeyers1983
As a fixed wing guy, it made me chuckle remembering that autorotation is a thing.
spookyu
Different story if it was an Osprey....
DADNoodlePrince
1:1 he could be rounding up
waitwasthatreal
Well unless he is currently up there, he must have come down after every take off
jjjjn
Then it falls into another pilot adage: Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.
Kedearian
And if you can use the aircraft again afterwards, it's an excellent landing.
TheElGordo
An acceptable landing is one you walk away from. A good one is when you can hope to use the aircraft again...
IVerifyPeoplesUsernames
My personal addition: a great one is when the NTSB doesn't get involved.
DreadPierateRoberts
Anyways wondered do they have a setup to practice bail out seat?
TheElGordo
No bailing out. No parachutes. You ride it to the ground.
Djdoubleb
Thank you for your service. My family appreciates the freedom you have provided.
dreamstamp
The freedom you have burned!
v
Djdoubleb
???
OfficialSponsor
They didn't deserve it in the first place, amiright?!
Huor
Well done! What's next?
TheElGordo
Dunno, got any jobs?
Huor
Well ... can you work legally in Canada?
TheElGordo
I dunno, can I? Would they have me?
Huor
Well immigration to Canada is based on points, and more education means more points. But maybe there's a demand for pilots?
TheElGordo
I have a Masters degree. What's that worth?
Diddyu
I got a hand...
dreamstamp