Sugarbear
April 11th, 2007, 01:19 PM
After 8 years in the Marines, and a long time considering my future, I have completed MEPS and sworn in as a 15R in Phoenix with the 285th. Was considering Blackhawks as I have over 3000 flight hours as a crewchief, but the thought of entrusting my life with a Guard pilot didn't quite sit well. Cant wait to get back in!
matthew.ritchie
April 16th, 2007, 03:00 PM
... the thought of entrusting my life with a Guard pilot didn't quite sit well. Cant wait to get back in!
Perhaps you should re-think your prejudice. You're in better hands with Guard pilots than active duty pilots.
ARNG aviation accident rates are consistently lower than the active Army even though we have older aircraft. ARNG pilots are more experienced than active pilots, and serve with the same crews year over year; as opposed to active duty pilots that change around every 24-36 months. The average Guard pilot has two or three times the flight hours as an active duty pilot.
See attached document from the Army Safety Center. The FY03-FY06 document compares accident rates for us and them. Rates are used to compare the 2 compos to ensure that the data is not skewed by component size, number of aircraft, or personnel. The rates are per 100,000 flying hours, so we're comparing apples to apples.