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
TooManyBawbags
Fuck I miss this job. Congratulations.
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...
gurglingsteak
Thank you for my freedom
Bigol284
My uncle was in Air Cav during Vietnam. His stories are amazing.
sayplease60
andrews510
duttry98
Thank you for your service!
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!
kylania
Thanks for your service!
sheetslikepaper
TYFYS.
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.
canibFrank
Well said. Are you considering writing as your next endeavor?
dreamstamp
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 :)
letspoopandbrowse
Well done.
bzort
Congratulations! Now march proudly into ElGordo's Phase Two. I'm saluting - and I know how.
frostcash
I like your stats set
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.
Mcknizzle
Fuck yeah
shamalamaderp
Well done and thanks for your service!
PapaBearclaw
As a PR1, I'm happy for you sir. #H60life
PapaBearclaw
By the way, is that AWS1 Rockwell is the background?
TheElGordo
No :(
TheElGordo
Hell yea!
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.
emscode3
Nice Romeo!
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?!
eyesopenedandarmed
Thank you for your service
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
dzbomber
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."
PedestrianElectrobastard
Turns out you retire fighter pilots the same way you retire American flags.
TheDino
The orange thing the guy is holding is a flare gun to ignite it.
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
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
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.
Shrais
"10 years of turning jet fuel into freedom" <3
dreamstamp
InsidiousExperimental
Jet fuel can't melt STEEL FREEDOM!
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
Shrais
What is the conversion rate for Dinosaurs and Freedom units?
TheElGordo
Same rate rate as Shrute Bucks to Stanley Nickels.
TacticallySignificantTurtle2ElectricBoogaloo
What's that in shmeckles?
TheElGordo
148 Schmeckles, obviously
GremGrem
Multiply by the ratio of leprechauns to unicorns
MurphyPandorasLawBox
42.