Michael Cash wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 13:14:28 +0900, Brett Robson <info@secret-web.com>
> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
> 
> 
>>
>>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.
> 
> 
> Conversion is when they switch from being an operational pilot on one
> type to another type. Call it the jet phase of training, if you like.
> 

He would have got his wings on a prop trainer like a T-33 or 
T-41, at that stage he is a pilot. His jet training was 
conversion as well as his F-102, although the F-102 training 
probably had a butch name like "Air Interceptor Course". But as 
he wasn't qualified to fly a F-102 until mid 1970 couldn't 
volunteer until then.



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