Turkish Air Force F-16 landing at RAF Waddington

[Colonel Sanders]

the Canadian taxpayer trained and employed me to do something Hedley could never do

Fly straight and level for Bobby Milton?

Great guy to work for, I hear.

[AuxBatOn]

Or shoot down MiGs, fly in 45v50 packages, drop bombs, protect his country.

[Colonel Sanders]

Waving the bullsh1t flag. No Canadian pilot
(even the vaunted Rockie) has ever shot
down a MiG. At least not in over 60 years.

Don't think Rockie was on exchange on F-86's
in the Korean War, sorry.

[AuxBatOn]

He was still trained to do it.

When is the last time you flew with 4 nations, dropping bombs on a military installation in the center of a major city, in the middle of Surface to Air threats and do it without losing anybody and not breaking anything you should not break?

[Colonel Sanders]

Is that how you get a job with Air Canada?

[AuxBatOn]

Isn't this about Rockie having never done shit as cool as what you do?

[Colonel Sanders]

I have no idea what this is about.

Rockie is spewing plenty of class anger
about Sammy Mason and my kid for
some reason, this evening.

Then he started talking about flying for
Air Canada, I think. I lost interest then.

[AuxBatOn]

He has a point that not every 17 years old is as fortunate as E. I wish I had the same chance, but my parents had 0 interest in aviation and were very lower middle class people, so they had no money to invest in my aviation passion. I mowed lawns (so to speak) and shovelled driveways to get a bit of money to get some lessons before I joined the military.

The I did cool shit the vast majority of people will never do and no, it isn't flying upside down at 10 feet but it is probably more dangerous and involves probably the same amount if not more (different) flying skills. Rockie did the same thing.

[Rockie]

You're a little out of date Hedley, Milton left a long time ago. I've flown and worked with many people just like you Hedley because you're a dime a dozen.

The difference is they grow up.

[Colonel Sanders]

AuxBatOn: you probably forget, but I was born at
Cold Lake.

My father was at CEPE on the -104, and we flew
airshows together afterwards in the Pitts. Guess
who my flight instructor was?

I will grant you that the F-18 is much more difficult
to fly than the -104. Much higher casualty rate.

Anyways, my father seemed to think that what
we did in the Pitts was much more difficult than
what he did in the military.

He was the first to demonstrate the all-weather
capability of the -104 as a nuclear bomber, btw.

they grow up

No, Rockie, you just got old.

[AuxBatOn]

Are we talking about you or your dad?

Has your dad ever been shot at while doing deliveries?

Has your dad flown 4 ship air interdiction all lights out, at night, no moon and flown precise formation for a simultaneous attack onto a target while being in the heart or Air Defenses?

[Colonel Sanders]

my father seemed to think that what
we did in the Pitts was much more difficult than
what he did in the military

So he is not entitled to an opinion, as a T-6,
T-33, F-86 and F-104 weapons test pilot and
instructor?

I will mention that to him.

[AuxBatOn]

I could keep measuring dicks (sts) but it doesn't bring anything. The point is there are different skillsets and it could be flying the perfect ILS, the perfect formation, the perfect attack, the perfect manoeuvre, as long as people strive for perfection.

Keep thinking you and your family are God's gift to aviation...

[Colonel Sanders]

and what, pray tell, does that have to do
with Sammy Mason flying his first airshow
at age 17 in California?

I assure you that he is not related to me,
despite your insistence otherwise.

[AuxBatOn]

I don't think you get it, or ever will...

[Rockie]

Haha. Yes Hedley, I am old. It galls you doesn't it to talk to people who have done things you admire but could never do. So much so you have to invoke things your father did - not you - to retain some semblance of your sense of worth.

Sad.

[Colonel Sanders]

I dunno, Rockie, I'm pretty happy with my
life, even if you aren't happy with yours.

My software runs on the core routers of
the internet, and a million other places.

There more to life than just driving airplanes
around. Too bad you never learned that.

[AuxBatOn]

Have you ever told somebody: "Man, I wish I could do this and do this as well as you can."?

[Rockie]

Believe me Hedley I love my life. But...I freely admit you're a better computer guy than I am if that'll make you feel better. After all you made millions writing BORING computer code.

[Colonel Sanders]

Actually, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

[Rockie]

I'm sure it was...

[Colonel Sanders]

It sure was. More intellectually challenging
than watching an autopilot fly straight and
level. Really.

[Colonel Sanders]

Driving airplanes around is fun, but AuxBatOn,
don't you find it more interesting as to which
fighter Canada is going to fly for the next 30
years?

You've probably never heard of Col John Boyd,
but after he tired of driving airplanes, he played
a much more interesting game in the Pentagon,
deciding the fate of the F-15, F-16, and F-18.

Read his biography sometime. You might find
it interesting reading. Ever heard of the OODA
loop?

[Rockie]

Well, as a living it's more fun than sitting in front of a computer. Also it's a sure bet that you don't know the first thing about the experience derived judgement required to ensure the safety of passengers in conditions that would make you shit your pants. But no worries, you aren't responsible for stuff you don't know.

[Colonel Sanders]

Just got a phone call. Another ex-military jet type rating

Life is good.