Simviation Forums

I was having a conversation with one of the airport old timers about old planes... we drifted from related topic to related topic. eventually scrapped and surplus P-51s came up.

he said...

"You know back in the 1950s and part of the 1960s there was a country in South America that acquired a good number of surplus P-51 mustangs after world war two. they had a massive civil war break out and used these mustangs as their primary fighter in their air force. problem is they only had a few trained pilots. at the time they were offering $250,000 to $500,000 to experienced pilots willing to join their air force for 12 months... similar to the eagle squadron for the Brits back before the US was in the war. back then that was a lot of money. There were a few from the united states who went down there that i know of. it was illegal of course, and if you got shot down or captured you were on your own... the state department could do nothing for you."

so... if such an offer found its way to you, $250,000 to $500,000 to go to another country and serve as a fighter pilot for a one year term... would you do it?

Only if it was 500,000 and I was flying a Mustang against comparable aircraft

be one heck of a ride

Depends on who I was expected to kill, and why.

Depends on who I was expected to kill, and why.

agreed...

and to Jared...this would be back in the 50s and 60s and mostly ground attack as the "rebels" would likely have no airplanes.

Depends on who I was expected to kill, and why.

agreed...

and to Jared...this would be back in the 50s and 60s and mostly ground attack as the "rebels" would likely have no airplanes.

...I've always been known as a bit of a Rebel...

...with just a Motor-bike......!

I just hope no one tries to eliminate me with the aid of an old P-51 Mustang... ...!

F.... ...!

If I were young and that $500,000 was adjusted for inflation (i.e..  $8,000,000 in in 2007 dollars) I might be able to overlook the moral dilema (who it was I'd be killing and why) and would probably do it.

At 48 with a conscious, and a few people counting on me staying alive ?  Probably not...

[quote]were offering $250,000 to $500,000 to experienced pilots willing to join their air force for 12 months... similar to the eagle squadron for the Brits back before the US was in the war.

No.

If the question were: "would you do an exciting and dangerous job for millions of dollars" (essentialy what $250k would be in today's money) I'd say probably yes.  But since we're talking about killing people in someone else's war then most certainly no.

Yep, many Brits already do/have done over the past half century with secondments to various air forces on the Arabian penisular (Saudi - [PC9, Hawk, Tonka], Oman [Hawk and Jag] etc). Another dimension of the recent "bribes" enquiry that was overlooked by the reporting press. I would. A year or two in the desert at

Without a doubt.
I'd see it as being paid to do a job, just like any military job, the second you make it personal is the second you cant do your job properly.
Thats a lot of money at any part of the century.

Without a doubt.
I'd see it as being paid to do a job, just like any military job, the second you make it personal is the second you cant do your job properly.
Thats a lot of money at any part of the century.

The professional soldiers I've talked to are in the military for patriotic reasons first, money second.  That patriotic alience is the difference between a professional soldier and a mercenary.  I guess there's nothing wrong with mercenaries per sae, but I wouldn't be one as it conflicts with my morals.  I would however be a professional soldier if necessary.

My comment towards professional military personel was not meant as a way of compairing them to mercinaries.
It was meant in the sense that. If a soldier goes into a firefight, he doesn't think too much about the personal side of who he's shooting at, otherwise at a crucial moment he may hesitate, and that could be the differance between living and dying.
An Airforce pilot again, should not be hesitating about releasing a bomb or a missile. They trust in the information they have being correct. That hesitation could be the differance between hitting a munitions factory and a school. Or between getting a flare off or being shot down.

My comment towards professional military personel was not meant as a way of compairing them to mercinaries.
It was meant in the sense that. If a soldier goes into a firefight, he doesn't think too much about the personal side of who he's shooting at, otherwise at a crucial moment he may hesitate, and that could be the differance between living and dying.

Yes, that makes sense.  I battle the complexities of "why" take a back seat to "how", namely "how do I keep myself alive and execute my mission".  But in the decision of whether or not to join a military (or in this case, the military of a South African nation) there's a lot of time to consider the "why".  It's probably the most important question at that moment.

I'd join then desert, steal  one of those Mustang's and get it back to the US