ANG transfers and flight physicals

[trof]

1. Transferring between Air National Guard units-
A close friend joined the guard and went to pilot training a year before I did. After graduation, he came back to the home unit in Birmingham, Alabama, and checked out in their aircraft, the RF-84/F reconnaissance fighter.

A few months later, he was hired by Trans World Airlines. During the months he was in their training program in Kansas City, he continued to come back to Birmingham on week-ends/days off to attend drills and do the additional flying necessary to maintain his proficiency and fulfill his commitment.

Upon completion of his TWA training, the company assigned him to their New York base. It would now be very difficult to remain in the Birmingham unit. He applied for, and was granted, a transfer to the Connecticut Air National Guard. Since the taxpayers of Alabama had "paid" for his initial pilot training, our commanding officer wasn't happy about losing him, but understood his dilemma and accommodated him.

The Connecticut guard was flying the F-100 fighter, so he was trained to fly that. See? Just like that. No problem.
About a year later, his schedule with TWA became such that he was able to return to the Birmingham unit. He felt he still owed an obligation to them and the state of Alabama, so he did the right thing and rejoined our squadron for the balance of his required time.

2. Flight Physicals-
The statement that bush* didn't get his physical because he couldn't return to "his personal physician in Houston" is pure BS.
So is the excuse that "he was unable to return to his squadron at Ellington AFB (Houston)".
Only a USAF officer, trained and certified as a Flight Surgeon, is authorized to administer a Flight Crew Physical Exam. Period.
In Alabama, flight surgeons were available in Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, and Mobile. He could have arranged to take his physical at any of those military facilities, IF HE HAD WANTED TO.

[arwalden]

1. Great Post Trof...

Thanks for your insight and for filling in the blanks with the facts that the media has overlooked (or simply neglected to mention.)

-- Allen

[jcrow]

2. Did they have access to horseless carriages back then?

Checking Mapquest one finds that it's about 666 miles or 10 hours and 35 minutes of driving between Birmingham and Houston. That's driving at or under the speed limit.

Apparently this was a major obstacle for our young flier.

So, because of this hardship, he missed his physical and lost his flight privileges.

Now, in reality, he probably thought that Dad and friends would cover for him.

I expect he made beer runs longer than this during his college days.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi jcrow!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[DemoTex]

3. At the time there were three USAF/USAF-related facilities in Montgomery.

1. Maxwell AFB
2. Gunter AFB
3. Dannelly Field AANG facility.

All three were within about 10 minutes of Montgomery city-center.

[PaDUer]

4. Thanks Trof..

I look forward to your posts since you know what the hell lies that idiot and gang is throwing..I hope that you're sending your comments to these BS articles to the media to set them straight and let them know the people aren't buying their BS.

[Catshrink]

6. Thanks, Trof...

Glad you didn't go away..

This part really stood out for me:

"Only a USAF officer, trained and certified as a Flight Surgeon, is authorized to administer a Flight Crew Physical Exam. Period."

[DrBB]

7. But you're missing an excuse there, Trof

Sorry, but get with the program. The latest excuse for not taking the flight physical is that he knew he wouldn't be flying in Alabama, cuz they didn't have F102s, and so he didn't take the exam, cuz why bother, y'know?

Course having multiple conflicting explanations is a bit of a problem, but I Believe Our President Because It's the Patriotic Thing To Do. And this is the latest explanation, so stop repeating those old ones, m'kay? They're no longer operative.

Oh, and if someone points out that one problem with this latest explanation is that he skipped the physical a couple of weeks before he actually knew he was going to be allowed to transfer to Alabama, I trust that as a good patriotic 'Murican you will tell them "Just shut up. Shut up shut up shut up." Another patriotic thing to say would be NA NA NA NA NA NA NA I'm not listening just shut UP!