Welcome - The Rookie Thread

Sit Back, Relax and Chat about Anything
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Lawndart
Virtual Thunderbird
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Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:36 am
Location: Mooresville, NC

Post by Lawndart » Fri Jun 01, 2007 5:54 pm

Radar wrote:(I have 2 real life callsigns also Suicidehigh, and Jester. Pilots are so mean sometimes...)
That's awesome!!! :lol:

Btw, I've been flying ERJs in and out of Huntsville for the past four years. You might have filled my tanks at some point... 8)
Radar
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Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 10:19 pm

Post by Radar » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:30 am

Been there for 5 years before I left last Dec!! I worked afternoons 1230-9!! Thats awesome!!!! Have you seen the new tower going up across from Juliet from the teminal???
trprwheels
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:09 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Introduction

Post by trprwheels » Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:16 pm

Hey guys, my name is Mike "Wheels" Wheeler. I'm 22 years old from Baltimore, MD. I am just getting back into flight simulations after a year or so hiatus because of some family difficulty. I've been flying Jane's USAF for many years, and I have over 300 hours of flight time in the F-16 alone on that sim, and about 1,000 hours total on the other aircraft on the game. I am about to get LOMAC finally, and I'm also going to get a new joystick/throttle configuration because my last one broke. I just wanted to introduce myself, and maybe one day we'll fly together. :D
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Lawndart
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Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:36 am
Location: Mooresville, NC

Post by Lawndart » Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:38 pm

Welcome Wheels! Make yourself at home, there's plenty of information to be read on these boards to get acquainted with Lock On as well as flight simming in general. Check out the stickies! ;)
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Tailhook
Virtual Thunderbird Alumnus
Posts: 1052
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:17 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Introduction

Post by Tailhook » Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:03 pm

Wow! Finally, somebody else from MD. Sup man, I'm from Fallston! Hope you enjoy your stay! :wink:
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Stingray
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:31 pm

My Intro - Pilot App

Post by Stingray » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:58 pm

Please consider me for this year's Thunderbirds pilot training program. I have 40 real-time hours in a Cherokee, 300+ hours in MSFS (just starting FSX/AP), 50+ hours in Falcon 4 (Open Falcon and Allied Force) , including some 100+ hours in virtual military flight-simming groups, mostly all with VATSIM and ATC.

I look to be a SOLO Trainee performer; maybe we can get a small group of trainee's who cant get online much to put something together. I just read the new airshow this year has a reserve officer flying!

Stingray
"Keep The Shiny Side Up And The Greasy Side Down!"
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Lawndart
Virtual Thunderbird
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Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:36 am
Location: Mooresville, NC

Post by Lawndart » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:47 pm

Welcome Stingray! :)

I hate to disappoint, but we don't run a training program per se. We're busy guys (& gal) who when we get together dedicate ourselves to what we do as a team with the personnel selected. If you'd like a tryout to join the team, all the information you need can be found here: Becoming a Virtual Thunderbird

Don't fret just yet tho...

Within the topic above you'll also find links to our phantom server and how to join our Ventrilo server (VOIP). I think you'll find much of what you're looking for. There are many others like you utilizing it to master the art of formation flying (whether they are practicing to tryout or simply enjoying its use), and it's a great way to socialize and meet others sharing a similar interest in aerobatics. Make yourself at home, and as always don't forget to skim through the forum stickies to answer most of your "How To's".


EDIT: I merged a few "introduction" threads together and made a new sticky.
Metro
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:46 pm
Location: Apollo Beach, Florida

Post by Metro » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:48 pm

My name is Urban "Metro" Molter. Metro was the call sign given to me during my fleet Navy days. I have had a couple before that one stuck "hook skip" and "Urban Cowboy" to name a couple.

I started flying C-172's before the Navy. During the the Navy I flew T-34C, TH-57B/C, SH-2F, C-12 B/M, C9-B. I retired from the reserves in 2004. I also have a little time in both the Su-26 and YAK-18T.

I started my airline career with Airtran Airways 13 years ago. I have flown the DC-9-10, DC-9-30, B717, B737. I am currently in the company training department as a Line Check Airman.

I am married with 2 boys. The boys are crazy about the "Virtual Thunderbirds" and I hope to get them involved when they get old enough to really understand it all. Heck, I don't even understand it all. Can't even keep my computer working. HELP!
c130dcc
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:10 am
Location: Tucson, AZ

Post by c130dcc » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:12 pm

I'm 47, married and been living in Tucson for three years now. I came here after a 24-year career as a professional soldier in the USAF. As a mechanic I worked on C-141B's/Altus, OK, various acft/Panama, VC-9, C-20B, VC-137, 747-200/Andrews AFB, MD, C-130H/ Dyess AFB, TX where I was a primary crew chief/flying crew chief on one acft for nine years. Since I came to Tucson I've worked for Evergreen Inc., IAR/C-130A flight mechanic, load master and equipment operator. Presently I am a level two mechanic on CRJ-200/700/900's for Skywest Airlines in Tucson and hope to have my level three by next year. I've been watching the VTB's and VBA's since 2006 and have really enjoyed watching you guys grow as a team. Myself, I do fly Lock On, but I'm still learning and practice whenever I can. Take care.
C130DCC, U.S. Air Force Retired
Turkanator
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Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:13 pm

Post by Turkanator » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:03 pm

I’m a 37 disabled person (a minor case of Cerebral Palsy) from Central Kansas and my favorite all time computer flight simulator has to be Falcon 3.0, I love the free flight mode it had. I have seen both the Blue Angels & the Thunderbirds a number of times.
Kyrill
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Joined: Wed May 13, 2009 2:49 pm

Post by Kyrill » Wed May 13, 2009 3:02 pm

Hello everyone, I'm 34 married, live in Moscow, captain B-737 Globus Airlines.
Nice to have opportunity to speak about sky and aviation!
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141st_Kaplan
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Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:46 am
Location: Turkey
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Post by 141st_Kaplan » Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:18 am

Hi everyone. I'm 28 years old. I'm living in Kayseri/TURKEY. I'm food engineer and working Kayseri. I love your team! I'm virtual fighter pilot for 141st_Wolves www.simwolfs.com

Good fly everyone...
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Ray
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Location: Las Vegas, NV

Post by Ray » Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:30 am

Great thread, really enjoyed reading about everyone and putting some background info to the internet names.

I'm Rick Charles, 24, graduated from Kennesaw State University last July with a major in Organizational Communication (don't ask exactly what that is, I just needed a degree to fly and I figured that one was somewhat interesting.)

I was born in Atlanta on 11/5/84 and have been living in the same house ever since. I still live with the 'ol mom (I'll get outta here one of these days, :lol: ). I have a sister, 22, also at Kennesaw State.

At the moment, I work at a pharmacy as a cashier - been with the company about 5.5 years now. It works for now, have some great co-workers. It makes me feel good to know that I'm helping people out, especially the older ones, even though they do sometimes try to run me over in their motorized cart :(.

[Cliche on]I've been interested in flying for as long as I can remember[/off] - one of my first words was "air-car" because I saw what I thought were cars, but they were in the sky, so air-car made sense to me, lol. My dad and his brother purchased a '54 Super Cub in '86 - so I spent many hours hanging around the airport with him and fiddling with the plane. He took me taxiing in it quite often, and I always told him "now don't take off dad!" I guess I was a little aprehensive about actually taking flight, I was about 4. At 6 he took me flying in it for the first time and let me hold the stick on the takeoff climbout - I thought that was pretty slick, I guess that's when I got bit by the flying bug and from then on I knew I wanted to be a pilot when I grew up. Dad and I have spent many hours slipping the surly bonds.

At 14 I made my first unassisted landing. I began formal flight instruction at 15 and solo'd on my 16th birthday in a C-172. That was quite a feeling to be up there by myself, just me, the plane, and the sky - and I made what were probably the 3 best landings I'll ever make, just greased 'em on!

So in high school I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Air National Guard, specifically F-16's, but I'd settle for F-15's or A-10's, lol. However, a few years ago I found out I had scoliosis in my lower back (I didn't even know I had it) that would most likely DQ me from ejection seat aircraft. So I decided that I would go the civilian route to the airlines.

This fall I plan to start flight instructing to build time to get ready for what I hope will be another hiring boom.Would probably go with ASA, as they're based here in Atlanta, and my mom's a flight attendant for Delta, 43 years! I hope to end up flying for FedEx. Flying's in the blood and I can't see myself doing anything else.

My grandad was a barnstormer/test pilot in 20's and went on to fly for Pitcairn airmail, which evolved into Eastern Air Transport and eventually Eastern Airlines. He flew the first passenger flight out of Atlanta Hartsfield (Candler field at the time) and flew the last official open cockpit airmail flight. He also set the world altitude record for sailplanes in 1943 by flying up into a damn hailstorm! lol (the world/national has been broken but the Georgia record still stands). Here's a link to his journal entry about his ride up into that thunderstorm. http://www.soar-mgsa.org/GeorgiaHOF/Hal ... 20Page.htm - and here's another page with his bio
http://www.dmairfield.com/people/charles_js/index.html Sadly I never got to meet him, as he died in '59 - but I'd say he's certainly a "hero" figure of mine, flew in the golden age of aviation, wish I could hear some of his stories. Both my uncles also flew for Eastern, one flew P-47's in the Guard as well as F-84's in Korea with the 49th FG 80th FS.

I'm writing a book here or something, lol. For my hobbies, I of course enjoy flying, second is performance cars - I have a '03 Mustang Cobra, black of course, modded all to hell, still somewhat reliable, it's my daily driver - makes ~530 RWHP and has been 11.95 @ 125 mph (weaksauce launch) I should be deep in the 11's! It's a heck of a lot of fun getting together with my other fast car friends on the weekends and cruising around, making passes down drag strip, road course or some curvy mountain roads. I'm always tinkering/fixing it or detailing the crap out of it.

And of course I enjoy playing sims on the PC. I started out in '95 with USNF Gold and ATF - followed by Longbow, iF-22 Raptor, Jetfighter I-III, Longbow 2, Su-27 Flanker, MSFS series, Janes WWII Fighters, Falcon 4.0 and quite a few others that I've forgotten in between them all. I like racing sims as well, like GPL, GTR, GTR2, GT Legends. I hate to think how many hours I've sat, baking myself in the glow of that big 'ol radiation tube, blasting bad guys, shooting approaches in MSFS, or trying to find that perfect racing line. I'd say I have 1,400 hours in Falcon 4 alone lol. I was in a few squadrons over the years with that sim, lots of fun.

I've been having an absolute blast flying with the Virtual Thunderbirds (trying out), what a great group of guys AND girl :lol: Really good stuff to have the opportunity to fly with you all.

I just wrote a novel, how about that. :lol:

Great Scott Marty! Look at the length of that post!
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Gunner
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Post by Gunner » Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:32 am

Ray wrote:I just wrote a novel, how about that. :lol:
Now we know what a degree in Organizational Communication does for you! :wink:

I was just thinking...maybe you should use this emoticon 8) in all your posts. :D
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Teej
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Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:29 pm
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Post by Teej » Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:39 pm

Hey Tom Kopp here...middle initial J...back before the intarwebz I used "Tjk" a lot on the old BBS systems and such...and when we met in person people just started calling me "Teej" instead of "teejaykay".

39, married for just under 18 years.

Back in February I got laid off from my job in IT that I'd had for 14+ years. I do Windows / Citrix / VMware stuff.

On the side, I also do some photography - aerial, youth sports and various kinds of people shots. Some can be seen at http://www.milwaukeesportphoto.com

Long time sim-pilot...going back to about '83 or '84 with Flight Simulator 2 (before MS owned the franchise!) on the ol C64. As with LD, I've had pretty much every flavor of Falcon since the original in ~ '87.

Always an airshow fan too, of course, but I don't get out to as many as I'd like. I despise the traffic/parking issues. A few years back we were out in LA and went down to Miramar for the big show down there. Not only did it take us probably half an hour from the time we got to the car just to get back to the Miramar gates....but it took over an hour to get from the gates to the freeway (a mile or so). The headliner of the show were the blue angels of course....and the show finished up at ~ 4:30 on a Friday...

Other hobbies include radio control (planes & helis)...cars ('95 Z28, modified to a lesser degree of hell than Ray's 'stang, but will go 12.0 @ 110 w/ no blower/nitrous)....motorcycles (have a '2001 Aprilia RSV Mille...Italian sportbike v-twin liter).
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