This time a professional one. I started my USAF KC-10A Flight Engineer school back in Jan. Spent a while doing academics and sims and after a sim check did 9 rides and a checkride in the jet. After 10 years aboard the mighty C-5A/B/C Galaxy I was ready for a change. I like this jet because it's operated just like the commercial carriers operated it. We are more of a third officer than an Engineer. Much more involved with the pilots than I was on the C-5 which fits my fresh instrument ticket and being a pilot myself nicely. This is the third USAF jet I've been qualified in and second crew position. Feeling extremely blessed.

Received my key to the jet in a handshake just after the ride.





The 10 can be a tanker or a receiver. Here's the ultimate formation flight. Close to a million pounds of metal getting ready to be physically connected at over 400 kts TAS.

Wow, and I felt pretty cool doing touch and goes in my 150 last night. Nice job!

A great summation of the physics involved with a tanker flight You doing that and then jumping in your Avid, is like me parking the crane and driving home in the Yaris.

Congratulations, Avid!! That's great!

Congratulations, Joey. A long way from Pierce!

Nice work Joey! Congrats!

That's awesome Joey! Now that you have the keys when are you giving rides???

AKT

Solid Brah.

I'll buy lunch if you stop at Hickam AFB. The lunch/dinner buffet is the best in the Pacific.

Does this mean you had to re-up for another two or four? Good on yah however man. You're doing us proud.

Congrats!

Thanks everyone! I've been very fortunate with the timing over the course of my career. Not many enlisted aviators have the chance to fly combat sorties in three different airframes.

Congrats! Like my friend, who is a C-130 navigator with the Wyoming Guard, says, "Flying is flying. As long as I can get up in the air, I really don't care who is driving the bus, as long as he knows what he's doing." Incidentally, I took that as a compliment, since he said it while we were returning from OSH one year in my airplane with me at the controls.

Cary

Great job, Joey! Nice to have met you and your family at Red Hills. Maybe you will run into Dave Palm. He is in the reserves and flies KC-10's at Travis. He is married to my wife's cousin.

Congrats, Joey. Very cool!

Congratulations young Master Sargent. The bus I drove in the Army was very small compared to the one you are responsible for, but I well knew who was keeping it in the air. Driving was the simple part. Ten hours of maintenance for each hour of flight, even on the simple Huey.

Congrats man. It always feels good to get through a check ride. Just had one Wednesday myself in the sim. Looking forward to TDYs again soon. Have fun out there.