BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 09:57

The Hustlers just completed a 10 month cruise.

A few factoids:

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/awesom ... 1719773326

Here's their video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpCbAdq ... r_embedded

Nice editting. Good music choice.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 12:47

Wow - I had no idea such planes were flying from carriers -

Thanks for posting

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 13:26

Yep. Big ugly and ill handling.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 13:47

Halfway through I thought I was watching Super Troopers. Those were some great mustaches. Casey, where's your porn 'stache?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 13:51

I will see their cruise stache and raise a Tactical Beard.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 13:55

That doesn't make you an "operator."

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 14:00

No, I fly the operators so they can operate operationally. It's kind of like talking to the custcustomers so the engineers don't have to. I'm a people person.

(Yes, I mashed together a couple of movie quotes for those confused)

Plus I hate shaving.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 14:40

Love the COD. I too did not know anything about them, then in the late 90's I had a boss whose son went through Navy pilot training. The son wanted to fly fighters and was at first a bit miffed because he was assigned to the COD.

Every day my boss relayed stories to me that his son had told him, so I kind of got to see how things played out during his initial training and eventual deployments around the world following 9/11. From what I heard I'd say those COD pilots had the best job in the Navy!

They got to fly some interesting missions and they flew all the dignitaries and celebrities to and from the boat. One of his first missions like that was flying the ground zero flag out to the carrier a couple of weeks after 9/11. And because of the nature of their missions, when they were not fully deployed overseas, they often got to return to Norfolk and sleep in their own beds while the rest of the pilots and aircraft had to stay out at sea.

When the son's tour came up he had some good offers from the airlines and corporate aviation but he elected to stay in the Navy. He went on to command a squadron of CODs in San Diego.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 14:55

Who is he?

I flew E2s and know a lot of COD guys.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 15:05

Joel Becker. His Dad, Barry Becker, was my boss for a while at Avemco. Barry had an interesting history too, F4 pilot, had to eject over Vietnam. Haven't talked to him in years but he was a great guy and an excellent boss, sometimes we would take a long lunch and go flying :thumbup:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 26 Jul 2015, 17:12

I know who he is.

CODs are the best deal in the Navy.

I had orders to fly them but they changed them on me at the last minute to the E-2C Hawkeye, which is the radar dome carrying variant.