Which Airframe = Best Life Style?

[doc.keltie]

Picking airframe here soon, but I'm not sure what I want. I know the airframes and their missions, but what is the community and day-to-day life like with each?

[AriX17]

C-12😊

[TheSmallLebowski]

13 hours ago, AriX17 said:

C-12😊

Yep. 

I fly the allegedly next most chill airframe and I hate my life.

[SBuzzkill]

My QOL changed with each new commander and each PCS season.  No point chasing it in the Army.

Edited May 30, 2022 by SBuzzkill

[AriX17]

11 hours ago, TheSmallLebowski said:

I fly the allegedly next most chill airframe and I hate my life.

Why's that so ?

[TheSmallLebowski]

13 hours ago, AriX17 said:

Why's that so ?

Buzzkill is spot on, I had something as small as a PL change have significant impact on QOL.

For me personally, it's the two weeks every other month doing some validation exercise, 14 hour duty days with flight extensions, and then maybe getting 5 flight hours during that time. Which all leads to NTC, then deployment, and being guilted anytime leave is requested. 

[StockTrader]

And Ive flown apparently the “bottom 2” and had an absolute blast

[Thedude]

It's the Army, you'll always be bitching about something. The long post that seems to have been deleted was bitching about pretty normal Army life from my experience over the last 15 years. 

If the most chill coincides with the least amount of field time and Army style fun then I'd guess that C12s are the way to go. My opinion though is if you're going to spend time in the Army you might as well have fun flying and C12s are not that. 

[AriX17]

On 5/18/2022 at 2:27 PM, StockTrader said:

And Ive flown apparently the “bottom 2” and had an absolute blast

It's rare to find an Army chopper pilot, who's satisfied with his life, and double-rare if he's flying  AH-64.

[Thedude]

6 hours ago, AriX17 said:

It's rare to find an Army chopper pilot, who's satisfied with his life, and double-rare if he's flying  AH-64.

I would disagree with both of those statements. Most of us pilots are happy but willing to acknowledge there are greener fields elsewhere or plenty of improvements that could be made. Most Apache pilots wouldn't give it up to fly the other airframes with the exception of the C12. Although the other aircraft might be more reliable they have boring missions and aren't flown anywhere near the intensity of an Apache having fun. 

[StockTrader]

16 hours ago, AriX17 said:

It's rare to find an Army chopper pilot, who's satisfied with his life, and double-rare if he's flying  AH-64.

Its a double edged sword.  I love what ive done across both airframes but its really been the units ive been in that made it a blast.

 

Dont get me wrong.  There have been some really shitty times but more good than bad.