While I can understand the jet mechs envy that the aviators never had
to "stand a watch or get dirty", I usually asked them how long the
average jet mech spent in Hanoi as a POW, or how many of them were
lost last week during their shift. It seems to quiet the envy and pull
the plug on the green-eyed monster.

Well played, Ed. Besides, if flying wasn't the coolest thing on earth to be
paid for, there wouldn't be any envy in the first place. After three years
busting my knuckles on TF-34s, still ticking over from the last flight, I
thought (*cof*) that the guy snoozing all day in the rack beside mine was a
worthless, coffee-toting pansy. Then, I got a chance to go through the same
pipeline he did, with SAR swimmer and a few other variations thrown in. The
amount of work, studying, and danger between being a plane captain on the
flight deck of a carrier at night, and actually flying in helicopters that
operated off frigates at night, was not equal in my experience. Flying was of
course more FUN, but more work as well, and much more dangerous. Wouldn't
trade a minute of either experience though. One of my favorite visual memories
of my life was standing on the deck of the Ike as it swung around into the wind
at about 15 knots, just as the sun came up and swept the night away. The
orange ball on the razor thin horizon looked like it was rolling across a table
as we turned into it, and the flight deck's crowded ballet swung right under
the ball, and we started sending jets into it. Just frickin amazing view - one
out of many I am glad I have.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Donate your memories - write a note on the back and send those old photos to a
reputable museum, don't take them with you when you're gone.