A side note to the F-16s to Poland conversation, I'd be surprised if the Polish, or any, Air Force didn't have significantly more pilots trained on any one type than the total number of aircraft available.
When I learnt to fly at my then (Naval) gliding club, a USN F/A-18 pilot was over on secondment 'flying a desk' with the Fleet Air Arm. He told me with lament that even with all the planes the USN have the pilots are on 3 (or 6, I can't quite remember) year cycles of being a 'front line' pilot and then doing some other role, only flying enough to keep current. The result being far more qualified pilots bashing about than seats in cockpits. I guess it's a way to keep a number of reserve yet current pilots on roster if they're needed.
All this plane geekery is interesting and all, but it gives me chills to think there are normal people like me out there in Ukraine and other wartorn parts of the world on the receiving end of what these planes and pilots are designed and trained to do.
All this plane geekery is interesting and all, but it gives me chills to think there are normal people like me out there in Ukraine and other wartorn parts of the world on the receiving end of what these planes and pilots are designed and trained to do.
A side note to the F-16s to Poland conversation, I'd be surprised if the Polish, or any, Air Force didn't have significantly more pilots trained on any one type than the total number of aircraft available.
When I learnt to fly at my then (Naval) gliding club, a USN F/A-18 pilot was over on secondment 'flying a desk' with the Fleet Air Arm. He told me with lament that even with all the planes the USN have the pilots are on 3 (or 6, I can't quite remember) year cycles of being a 'front line' pilot and then doing some other role, only flying enough to keep current. The result being far more qualified pilots bashing about than seats in cockpits. I guess it's a way to keep a number of reserve yet current pilots on roster if they're needed.
All this plane geekery is interesting and all, but it gives me chills to think there are normal people like me out there in Ukraine and other wartorn parts of the world on the receiving end of what these planes and pilots are designed and trained to do.