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Something similar happened to my dad (USAF fighter pilot) in around 1961 or 62: He was test-flying a T-33 single-engine jet trainer assigned to his unit after i
by dctoedt 4y ago
Something similar happened to my dad (USAF fighter pilot) in around 1961 or 62: He was test-flying a T-33 single-engine jet trainer assigned to his unit after it'd had repair work. The engine quit and wouldn't restart. He ejected, but his parachute didn't deploy fully (much the same as in the article) and he got tangled in the shrouds. He said a quick Hail Mary just before crashing head-first in a muddy, fresh-plowed field. The pilot of another plane in the area saw the crash and radioed the tower to send the meat wagon and not the ambulance, but my dad walked away with just a headache — and with his helmet split open like a melon. The impact apparently damaged his inner ear: five years later he started getting vertigo while aloft, and soon afterwards got medically grounded. (That meant he lost the extra flight pay and was reduced to his base pay, with four school-aged kids while stationed in the Washington DC area — to make ends meet, my mother had to go back to work as an RN [registered nurse].)
EDIT: What I remember was that when my dad crashed (see above), my mom came to get me from playing with the neighbor kids in their yard. Dad had called her from the flight surgeon's office and told her about the crash (very nonchalantly, she later said), and that he was OK. So six-year-old me blithely went on playing. Of course, my mom had been living with that possibility all their married life ....
- Forgeties79 4y ago>and soon afterwards got medically grounded — which meant he lost flight pay, with four school-aged kids while stationed in the Washington DC area; my mother had to go back to work as an RN (registered nurse) to make ends meet. That’s so, so wrong.
- otikik 4y agoNot only it’s inhumane, it’s also stupid: it incentivizes pilots who have problems like that to hide them, instead of coming forward.
- Diesel555 4y agoI'm not sure I agree with the inhumane (flight pay is an incentive pay where without it pilots still make the same pay as the rest of the military their rank), but I can confirm the stupidity of the policy. Usually anyone medically interacting with a fighter pilot on an issue that could be grounding must spend some time gaining trust for the pilot to be completely open with them. The result of this policy is normally that pilots are completely fine - until they are completely broken.
- tyingq 4y agoFor some context, "flight pay" ranges from $150/month to $400/month today, depending on tenure. A brand new lieutenant has a ~$41k base salary, a 4-year captain ~$65k. So it's not a small incentive, but not huge either. There are other things like base housing (or a housing allowance), overseas pay, etc, that bump up overall comp a bit.
- CuriousCosmic 4y agoAdditional context: At the time this happened (after 1958 and before 1963), monthly pay for a new 2LT was 220 (2.7k per year) and for a 4 year captain 420 (5k and some change per year). Flight pay would be 100 and 185 per month (1.2k and 2.2k per year respectively). So while today it's not a lot, back then it'd be at least a 30% pay cut which would be hard for any family. https://www.dfas.mil/Portals/98/MilPayTable1958.pdf https://www.dfas.mil/Portals/98/MilPayTable1958.pdf
- tyingq 4y agoWow, they really let the flight incentive pay erode over time.
- Forgeties79 4y agoThe fact that his mother had to return to work just to “make ends meet” indicates it was not an inconsequential loss, I think “inhumane” isn’t too far of a stretch. Especially given his injury was the direct result of risking his life for the American government.
- dctoedt 4y agoAccording to my dad, flight surgeons are the natural enemies of military pilots.
- the__alchemist 4y agoDepends. Fighter squadrons generally have their own dedicated in-house flight doc. They stop by the squadron regularly, hang out outside work, deploy and go TDY with you etc. The good ones will do their best not to screw you over. It's best to be guarded against anyone external though!
- Blackthorn 4y agoIndeed, this is exactly how the FAA medical system works. People either avoid medical care, or conceal it by paying in cash for everything, rather than risking their medical status.
- ghoward 4y agoYes, absolutely. I have a pilot acquaintance that would refuse to go to the doctor when he was younger. I also tried to become a pilot, but because of a documented history of taking anti-depressants, the FAA grounded me for life, despite being years removed from needing them. [1] I wish that history was not documented. [1]: https://gavinhoward.com/2022/09/grounded-for-life-losing-the-dream-of-flight/ https://gavinhoward.com/2022/09/grounded-for-life-losing-the...
- dmitrygr 4y agoAre you sure? Last I checked (a friend was on anti-depressants), as long as you only want a private (not commercial or ATP), a year off the meds or a year at a stable dose and a letter from your doc that you're ok will be enough to get a 3rd class medical.
- gavinhoward 4y agoI have been denied a medical by the Federal Air Surgeon. I have the personal letter from her to prove it. This is usually done on a case-by-case basis; I just happened to come down on the unlucky end of it.
- dmitrygr 4y agoSorry, that sucks. There is hope that MATRIX will allow more small planes to be piloted without a medical. Hang in there.
- Blackthorn 4y agoThe FAA rarely follows their own guidelines and procedures on this matter.
- Aerroon 4y agoIt's unrelated, but I wanted to nitpick this: >safety comes first. Always. The safest way to keep the airspace above the US would be to ban all general and commercial aviation. Safety does not come first. Safety never comes first, because the safest course of action is to never do anything. It is always a balancing of risk. It is very unfortunate that something like this is keeping you from your dream. I'm sorry.
- runjake 4y agoWelcome to the US military and being a veteran. There's a reason they call it a sacrifice.
- daguava 4y agoHow we treat our wounded and hurt is so incredibly fucked up. I won't candy coat it - if we put you to training and battle and you get hurt I fully expect you + family to get an upper-middle-class experience.
- lern_too_spel 4y agoHow does that not qualify for VA disability compensation?
- dctoedt 4y agoI think he did get some kind of VA disability compensation after he retired, but not while was still on active duty, and it wasn't much dollar-wise.
- toaster_fcker 4y ago