After an exhausting session with Victoria's Secret Police, Cub Driver
confessed the following:

I fly about 50 hours a year and wish I could do more, just to stay in
the groove.

Could I have stayed current in a jet fighter, flying about 140 hours a
year?

Sure...if your mission was very limited. AFR 51-50 training
requirements would be fairly easy to meet. F-102 units didn't have AAR
squares to fill, no low levels, only one weapon the AIM-4...(TX ANG
was not a nuke unit) so no Dart or strafe requirements, and no ACM
back then. That leaves formation takeoffs and landings, intercepts,
instrument approaches and SFOs (simulated flameout landings). Do-able.

But like Urban mentioned, when I showed up in USAFE in 1981, NATO
standard was 180 hours minimum. USAFE F-4 guys were averaging 240-300
back then, F-15 guys a bit less ISTR 200-250.

If you had to drop bombs, strafe, fly night low levels, air refuel,
use NVGs, employ HARMs or PGMs, maintain some honest air-to-air
proficiency...140 hours wouldn't hack it today. With that little
flying you'd only be a MS (mission support) wienie and not a full up
MR (mission ready) pilot.

Robey