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-Z- (z@gundam.com)
Tue, 12 Dec 2000 23:35:42 -0800
> A little mistyping on my part. I was trying to say that it was very unlikely
> that he was a mobile suit pilot (unless he worked his way through the ranks
> with lightning speed), but that he may have been an aircraft pilot, instead.
Since the Federation didn't have MS until September 0079, there's no way Synapse
could've had anything to do with them beyond carrying them as weapons. If he
was a pilot at all, he most likely piloted ships, as helmsman or navigator.
> Also, as we all know, Synapus isn't a pilot anymore. If you advance high
> enough in rank you can no longer be one (how many generals or admirals do
> you know of that still fly sorties? How many captains do you see fighting in
> GM's?), you end up with executive positions like the very ones you've just
> described before taking command.
I can't speak for other services, but in the Air Force you must be a fully
qualified pilot to hold command. A lot of base commanders squawk about how much
time they have to spend in the cockpit and away from their real work in order to
maintain that qualification. And it was only a decade ago that they finally
extended command to non-pilot flying officers -- navigators, flight engineers
and weapons control officers -- in addition to pilots.
You may not see generals flying missions against the enemy, but that doesn't
stop them from commandeering fighters and flying themselves across country in
lieu of flying as a passenger on a military transport or commercial airliner.
I've even been on a military flight where one of the flag officer passengers
went up to the front office and took over for awhile. Where the base commanders
bemoan the hours they have to fly to stay qualified, wing and group commanders
seem to take every opportunity to "keep their hand in" that comes their way.
Admirals have been known to take the conn whenever possible, too.
> Well, look at it this way: if you were to appoint someone to take command of
> of a warship, would you want someone who has been out on the battlefield and
> has a knack for strategic thinking, or someone who has spent most of their
> career sitting at a desk? I don't know about you, but I'd want an ex-pilot,
> not a paper-pusher (altho' the war against paper cuts is quite the fight in
> and of itself :P ).
The Air Force policy that commanders must be flight qualified goes more to the
point that they must be prepared to personally lead their command into combat if
necessary. There's also the doctrine of "laedership by example" -- the
commander must be able to demonstrate the ability to perform any duty to which
he assigns his subordinates. The Air Force motto is "To Fly And Fight" -- in
that order.
-Z-
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