pressclick
Well-Known Member
Like when good Airwolf was going up against the "bad" orange-colored Airwolf?
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Iran AF F-4/F-5/F-14
- Thread starter MikeD
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You got it!
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To add, would've been cool to get a speech or presentation from one of their crews, and even more badass: a one-time, final goodbye to the USN Tomcat of a formation or division of two IRIAF Tomcats and two USN Tomcats flying together; what a photo op that would've been!
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
Like when good Airwolf was going up against the "bad" orange-colored Airwolf?
Ah, a connoisseur of the finer things, I see.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
Yeah, hmm, IMS, the retirement happened round about 2006? I can forsee a potential hiccup or two...
Cool seeing the old setting of VNY in that show. Was just the two of them, then they added the female helo pilot who was the Texas DPS officer.
Yeah, hmm, IMS, the retirement happened round about 2006? I can forsee a potential hiccup or two...
Just wishful thinking on my part........putting politics on the shelf for a few days, and just letting Tomcat crews be Tomcat crews.
Pilot Fighter
Well-Known Member
You had leave that question hanging, didn't you. As it turns out, it looks like the F-5 is the plane of choice for mercenary pilots. According to the Interwebs, a pair of Israeli pilots flying Ethiopian F-5's bagged a pair of Somali MiG-21's and a Taiwanese pilot is said to have a kill flying for North Yemen against an unspecified South Yemeni aircraft.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
There is, of course, the famous old saw that the F-20 lost out to the F-16 based purely on Northrup failing to line the right pockets with the correct amount of loot. Anyone want to weigh in on that one?
I do remember Yeager speaking very highly of the F-20 back in the day.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
Well, from what I can glean, ole Chuckie isn't exactly a beacon of moral rectitude w/r/t endorsing things for money. But I've head it from other (also totally third hand) sources, too...
bunk22
Well-Known Member
Too bad no one speak highly of Yeager!
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
bunk22
Well-Known Member
Mercenary fighter pilots? There is still such a thing? Count me in!
Oh yes there are. The Su-27 Flanker has kills over the MiG-29, by Russian mercenary pilots, including at least one kill by a female mercenary.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
Mercenary fighter pilots? There is still such a thing? Count me in!
World's second oldest profession. Doubt they advertise in "Flying Magazine", and I'd imagine they'd want to see some credentials, or at least some cool patches. But where there are people killing each other, there are people killing each other for money. Bank on it.
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
I'm well aware of the mercenary world, just didn't realize there were random fighter jets floating around for the highest bidder like in Ace Combat. Is the pay comparable to a gunner working for a private contractor in Iraq or Afghanistan?
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
I'm speaking way out of my depth on this one, but I rather suspect that it's one of those "if you have to ask" kind of dealies...
It's sort of like becoming a Test Pilot, except, you know, much cooler. And I would imagine with a somewhat reduced life expectancy.
PS. Can't be arsed to find it, but back in the various unpleasantnesses of the 60s/70s in Africa (Biafra, Angola, etc etc), mercs did most of the flying, from what I've been able to glean. Eastern Bloc mercs in MIGs and mostly Western Europeans in, well, anything with wings and hardpoints. I believe there's a famous incident where some ragtag Swedes ruined some tin-pot dictator's whole day flying some little bugsmashers with ingeniously mounted FFARs...
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
I'm messing around... Aviation is a small circle to begin with, so I'm guessing the size of the mercenary fighter pilot circle makes the "lighter than air" circle look like mainline.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
IMS, he somehow broke his foot in the 90s (or so). The joke went something like "yeah, his ego fell off the pedestal".
Works equally well with "his endorsement check", I think.
Pilot Fighter
Well-Known Member
There still mercenary opportunities, but most are low-paying and involve flying freight.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
A quavering, rickity DC-7 full of Chinese knockoff AKs and a grass strip lit by kerosene lanterns? OK, now you can sign ME up.
