Hello to everyone

[TestPilot]

Newbie to rifles and precision LR shooting scene. Moving from SoCal to NV where the gun climate is a bit more tolerable and lots more open spaces. Looking to get involved in LR shooting. I enjoy reloading which up to now has been for my pistol stable. I've got a Dillon 550 with an assortment of Dillon/Forrester/Redding/Lee dies. I've totally enjoyed browsing this site which is over flowing with great information. I'm a retired US Navy Test Pilot and about to retire from a second career managing software development for various DOD programs for the past 20 yrs. Besides shooting, fly fishing takes up the remainder of my time.

 

[bigbuck]

Hi TestPilot, Welcome to LRH and Thank you for your Service.

BigBuck

 

[royinidaho]

Welcome aboard.

Go Navy!!!

Good shooting and have fun!

 

[bigbuck]

Testpilot, Sir did you test the jets ? If so what kind and please tell us what kind of rush it must be to fly one

Thanks

 

[TestPilot]

Enlisted in the Navy in '67. Became a submarine (USS Francis Scott Key SSBN 657) reactor operator as an E-6 Electronic Technician. I was very fortunate and got selected for a commissioning program and spent 3yrs at Univ. Of Colorado, Boulder where I got a ME degree and a regular officer commission as an Ensign. I was assigned to flight school in Pensacola, FL. Got my wings in Sep 76 after finishing flight school and Carrier Qualification on the USS Lexington. Spent 3 yrs in San Diego flying on/off the West Coast carriers in the venerable C-1 Trader, a twin engine cargo plane with a total of just shy of 100 carrier landings. Following that I was assigned to Patrol Squadron 22 out of Barbers Pt, Hi for 3yrs flying the P-3b Orion ASW aircraft. We flew all over South West Asia, South Pacific, Guam, Japan, Korea, and the Indian Ocean. At the end of my tour I was selected to attend the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md. Enroute there I stopped in Meridan, MS to qualify in the T-2 jet trainer. 11 months later I graduated in Class 83. I stayed on at Patuxent River flying as an Engineering Test Pilot for the next two plus years. All totaled, I flown about 30 different aircraft including the A7, A6, T38/F5, F14, S3B, C135, CH46, OH57, F80, Beaver and a sail plane or two…A really excellent time for me. I decided not to pursue Astronaut training in Tx. I closed out my Navy career in San Diego as the Flag Communicator for Battle Group Bravo/Commander Carrier Group 7. We made a WestPac deployment embarked in USS Kitty Hawk and several shorter deployments near Alaska and Canada embarked in USS Constellation. After I retired, I worked in San Diego in the Defense industry until 2005. At that point I moved to Huntington Beach, CA and went to work for SAIC, as an Assistant VP, Program Manager working on the very large, $14 Billion, Future Combat System Army modernization program. I'm now working at a small DOD software company where things are a bit slower paced. Life is good. The biggest rush in all of that is without a doubt the carrier landings followed closely by 600kt low level (500 ft) visual navigation training (ok, really just legalized flat hatting)…I'm proud to be an American and glad I was able to do my part. I have the highest respect for our boys/girls walking the wall for us in Afghanistan and Iraq today.

 

[bigbuck]

Enlisted in the Navy in '67. Became a submarine (USS Francis Scott Key SSBN 657) reactor operator as an E-6 Electronic Technician. I was very fortunate and got selected for a commissioning program and spent 3yrs at Univ. Of Colorado, Boulder where I got a ME degree and a regular officer commission as an Ensign. I was assigned to flight school in Pensacola, FL. Got my wings in Sep 76 after finishing flight school and Carrier Qualification on the USS Lexington. Spent 3 yrs in San Diego flying on/off the West Coast carriers in the venerable C-1 Trader, a twin engine cargo plane with a total of just shy of 100 carrier landings. Following that I was assigned to Patrol Squadron 22 out of Barbers Pt, Hi for 3yrs flying the P-3b Orion ASW aircraft. We flew all over South West Asia, South Pacific, Guam, Japan, Korea, and the Indian Ocean. At the end of my tour I was selected to attend the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md. Enroute there I stopped in Meridan, MS to qualify in the T-2 jet trainer. 11 months later I graduated in Class 83. I stayed on at Patuxent River flying as an Engineering Test Pilot for the next two plus years. All totaled, I flown about 30 different aircraft including the A7, A6, T38/F5, F14, S3B, C135, CH46, OH57, F80, Beaver and a sail plane or two…A really excellent time for me. I decided not to pursue Astronaut training in Tx. I closed out my Navy career in San Diego as the Flag Communicator for Battle Group Bravo/Commander Carrier Group 7. We made a WestPac deployment embarked in USS Kitty Hawk and several shorter deployments near Alaska and Canada embarked in USS Constellation. After I retired, I worked in San Diego in the Defense industry until 2005. At that point I moved to Huntington Beach, CA and went to work for SAIC, as an Assistant VP, Program Manager working on the very large, $14 Billion, Future Combat System Army modernization program. I'm now working at a small DOD software company where things are a bit slower paced. Life is good. The biggest rush in all of that is without a doubt the carrier landings followed closely by 600kt low level (500 ft) visual navigation training (ok, really just legalized flat hatting)…I'm proud to be an American and glad I was able to do my part. I have the highest respect for our boys/girls walking the wall for us in Afghanistan and Iraq today.

Thanks for the reply. I have worked in pensacola Fl and I watched the blue angles practice, several times they would fly over . My heart would race every time. I guess I qualify as a speed junky the closest thing i've ever done to that is my R-1 154 mile an hour weelie . I actually sold it probably a good thing. anyways that doesn't have nothing on what you guys do.

Most of all thank you for serving and protecting our country .

With respect,

BigBuck

 

[winmag]

First off, thank you for your service to our country!
Second, welcome back to America(once youve moved from Cal.)
Third........as former test pilot moving to Nevada..........Sorry I gotta......does area 51 kick as much butt as weve been led to belive? oh, and who killed J.F.K.?.........
Just kidding, welcome aboard! I very much look forward to reading your posts.