Someone who flies 'ball to the wall' ?

Yeah, not a Naval aviation term or slang. Sounds like ghetto street talk merged with aviation mishmash.

In Navy fighters we'd say he's a 'good' ball-flier (landing on the boat), a 'good' wingman (i.e. in position on the lead and not running outta gas), or a 'good' lead (flight lead who doesn't fuck over the wingman, run them outta gas, etc). If we say someone is 'tactical', it meant they had their shit together in fighting the jet.

But Naval aviation is full of 'understatements', meaning if we say 'good', they are really 'great'.

Something that happens when the term for the best carrier landing you can fly is just "OK" and nitpicking your performance, to the point of falling your sword with no ego, is expected. Failure to criticize your own errors was doubly bad, because (1) you suck and (2) you suck so bad that you don't even know that you sucked at something.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Skull Leader:


So what is a baller pilot?

I've been in aviation a long time. Never heard that term.

Sounds like something some kid came up with.

]

Yeah, what guppy said. I watched a the first few seconds of those videos. Looks like 3rd tier pilots trying to act like 2nd tier pilots. I only lasted a few seconds it was so cringe worthy. No professional pilot talks like that. As Rhino said before, the highest rating a professional calls another is "Good". He's a Good Stick. He/She's a good Pilot. He/she's a good captain. Good means the best. And that's the only above board rating. You're either the best, or average, and the term for average is "OK". Below average and the rating is "watch you ass". So a pilot is Good,Ok, or Watch your ass. Baller is something the kids who play pilot say.

I used to work with a gentleman whose highest praise was "it doesn't suck."

How was the steak? It didn't suck.

How was that landing? It didn't suck.

How's your wife?

There's always a point of diminishing returns.



Ok...I watched the first few seconds of the damn videos. It was about all I could take. "Baller" is a reference to a millennial term, more often used by rubber boned teenagers, referring to someone or something that's knocked it out of the park, living large, nailed it, a total rock star. Nothing says "I still live with my mom," like including "dude" in a sentence, or using a word like "baller."

It looks like Wing Aviation, whatever that is, attempted to appeal to kids fresh out of high school or in college, probably to sell flight instruction. It's an attempt to talk down to kids to reach them at their level, where ever that might be.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:......
But Naval aviation is full of 'understatements', meaning if we say 'good', they are really 'great'. ...

In the US of Air Force, it was a "good stick".

And, yeah, "self-depreciation" is considered a "the right thing to do".

In the "AV8-ing" business, folks make mistakes just like anyone else, but recognizing, correcting and "not doing stupid shit, again" is a key to longevity and being around to take a lot of crap off of everyone else.

And always add "Air Station" or "Air Force Base" after your last name. If it sounds really cool and rolls off the tongue, maybe consider cross-training...

I never heard that in Marine Corps aviation.

Nope. Never heard of it.