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Show Supplement to the HILL TOP TIMES HEADS UP Friday, December 5, 1 986 OQ i ilpllplgp V It all begins with listening, crew clhsSefs discuss fighter idea Pitafls unA 77?e (Courtesy Photo by Gary Tolbert, General Dynamics) mosf important aspect By Maj. Len Barry 419th TFW Public Affairs Office (Reserve) They're a team: Those who get them ready and those who take them up. It's vital that 6 Fighting Falcon crew chiefs and pilots work together to achieve the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing's ultimate objectives of placing bombs on target or shooting enemy aircraft out of the sky. F-1- People you can couimi on ONWARD AND UPWARD That's the direction the reserve at Hill has taken over the past 26 years, accord- ing to Golden War-nic- k, a 419th TFW civilian air operations specialist. Warnick began work in November 1960 for the 733rd Troop Carrier Squadron, staying on with the 945th Troop Carrier Group, 945th Military Airlift Group, 508th Tactical full-tim- e Fighter Group and 419th Tactical Fighter Wing. Assigned craft included C-11- C-12- 4s, F-1- 9s, 05s 6s. - Golden Warnick and "I've seen a lot of changes,and for all been they've the better," he said. F-1- (U.S. Air Force Photo by Maj. Len Barry) air- of flight may be your partners Some pilots and crew chiefs were recently asked what they would consider to be the "perfect" or "ideal" partner in this matchup the traits they consider most desirable in each other. Some of those comments, without attribution, appear below: Comments on pilots "The first thing that comes to mind is patience. The ideal pilot has a lot of patience and understanding and realizes operations and maintenance are two different worlds and, a lot of times, don't think the same. Most pilots fit this category. There are some who find it hard to relate to us because of their experience and education, but they're in the minority. When something goes wrong, the ideal pilot takes it with a grain of salt and doesn't jump to conclusions ana take it out on the crew chief." "To me, the ideal pilot is one who doesn't go out of his way to find a problem. He's willing to discuss problems with you and get your viewpoint. He doesn't have a feeling of being superior because you're enlisted." "The ideal pilot treats his aircraft like he would his own car. He's not afraid to admit he's wrong, and when he makes a mistake he doesn't blame it on the aircraft. He treats the crew chief as he'd expect to be treated. The crew chief is taught to think of it as his aircraft, which he loans out to a pilot for an hour or so, and he expects to get it back in the same shape it left in. The Guard and Reserve have Kearuifliinig- a unique situation, unlike active duty. It may be that you've been strapping that guy in the seat for 10 or 12 years. You know his family, what he does for a living, may have gone fishing with him. He's not just a pilot, but a friend." Comments on crew chiefs "The perfect crew chief is any guy who's out on all good. They're all perfect. When you think of them in the snow at 40 below, while we're sitting in a nice warm building that's total dedication. I don't know of one crew chief I that flightline. They're don't like." "The guys I enjoy working with not only know the airplane, but are also interested in the mission, where we're going. Their involvement goes beyond the gas up, start and go. I guess we need more ideal pilots who get out there early enough to talk to them about it." "The ideal crew chief is one you can work with on an equal level, as a team. 'Partners' is the way I look at it, without conscious regard to rank. When you're on an equal level, it allows each of you to do your job and work together toward your common objective." Perhaps Chuck Yeager best captured the essence of this relationship in saying, "When a crew chief tells a pilot that a jet's good, that's all he needs to know...but that crew chief had damn well better know what he's talking about!" gcais exceeded The Air Force Reserve met its recruiting goal for the ninth consecutive year. With a total strength of more than 77,800 at the end of fiscal 1986, AFRES exceeded the Congressional goal. "No other branch of the service has been as consistent in meeting its recruiting targets," note command recruiting officials. Field trips, familiarization flights for businessmen and community leaders and a strong volunteer force have chiefly been responsible for the success of the recruiting program. This year recruiting received a boost when celebrities such as race car drivers Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr., and Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner donat ed their time for nationally-televise- d public service announcements for AFRES. Also, recent incentives such as promotions for critical skills and the new G.I. education bill have helped recruit for some job areas that have traditionally been difficult to fill. Another incentive is availability of training that will benefit civilian careers. Reserve recruiting standards are the same as active duty and the same training schools are used as the regular Air Force. Col. John J. Closner, 419th Tactical Fighter Wing commander, said, "It's important for everyone in the Reserve to be a recruiter by telling friends and what we have to offer." rs |