Michael Cash wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 12:45:58 +0900, Brett Robson <info@secret-web.com>
> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
> 
> 
>>
>>Michael Cash wrote:
>>
>>>On 22 Aug 2004 07:31:35 -0700, Brett Robson <jet_boy@deja.com> brought
>>>down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 10:08:13 +0900, Michael Cash  ...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>On 21 Aug 2004 08:59:12 -0700, Brett Robson <jet_boy@deja.com> brought
>>>>>down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://tinyurl.com/4bxoh
>>>>>>
>>>>>>"A total of 14 or 15 F-102 fighters were lost in Vietnam. Three were shot down
>>>>>>by anti-aircraft or small arms fire, one is believed to have been lost in
>>>>>>air-to-air combat with a MiG-21, four were destroyed on the ground during Viet
>>>>>>Cong attacks, and the remainder succumbed to training accidents"
>>>>>>
>>>>>>So that is 4 lost to combat. F-4 760 lost, F-100 242, F-105 397.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>"Nevertheless, we have established that the F-102 was serving in combat in
>>>>>>Vietnam at the time Bush enlisted to become an F-102 pilot."
>>>>>>
>>>>>>In regular USAAF units.
>>>>>
>>>>>You missed the part about pilots from Bush's unit  [volunteering to] rotating
>>>>>there?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>"...routinely rotated to Vietnam for combat duty under a **volunteer**
>>>>>>program..."
>>>>>
>>>>>For which he tried to volunteer.
>>>>
>>>>No, he "inquired". This is undated, but I recall a source saying this was before
>>>>he had even done jet conversion.
>>>
>>>
>>>So his unit was still using prop fighters in 1968-9?
>>
>>His unit was flying F-102s. He was not even allowed to climb into 
>>the cockpit of an F-102 until Jan 1970. He complete his training 
>>on T-41(?) jet trainer Dec 1969.
> 
> 
> Then there was no "jet conversion".
> 


"...was before *he* had even done jet conversion"

Conversion is the term used once someone is a pilot and they 
learn a new aircraft. It's also used moving from fixed wing to 
rotary wind. When the new Airbus comes out pilots will do 
conversion to become qualified on it.