Here is a list of answers I have written on Quora, organized by topic:
Are there any tips or life lessons that military pilots can share with non-pilots?
A-10 Warthog
- How does an A-10 Thunderbolt II fly without hydraulics?
- How much damage would a GAU-8 Avenger do to a Abrams or Challenger II?
- How would the A-10 Warthog perform in air combat against WWII or Korean War-era fighters?
- Is the A-10 Warthog easier to fly than other fighter jets?
- The A-10 Warthog has superior turning ability. Does this make the A-10 Warthog a capable low speed dog fighter?
- The A-10 Is NOT a Dogfighter
- What material is the legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II airframe composed of that makes it so strong? And what type of armor is used to protect its Gun?
- What would be a typical weapon load for an A-10 Thunderbolt II, if it were expecting infantry targets?
- Would a two-seat version of the A-10 make a good trainer?
- How much damage can the A-10 Thunderbolt endure before being shot down?
- Everyone thinks it’s a great plane. Why doesn’t the US build more A-10 Warthogs?
- What does it feel like to fire the cannon on the A-10?
- How well would A-10 Warthog fare against contemporary Russian-made fighters?
- Why are the wingtips of the Fairchild-Republic A-10 bent down?
- Military Aviation: Does an A-10 really have a “titanium tub” for the pilot to sit in? What kind of hit can it actually take? Can it take a 50 cal explosive or armor piercing round?
- What is the capacity of chaff and flare dispensers in a combat aircraft?
- Can an A-10 Warthog airplane take down an advanced Russian tank, like a T-90, with its Gatling gun alone?
- Couldn’t attack helicopters and/or drones replace the A-10 Warthog at a cheaper cost? Are we reluctant to give up A-10 because of simple nostalgia, and not for practical purposes?
- If a modern replacement for the A10 was built today, what would it look like and what would its capabilities be?
- As a combat pilot, what would you say is the biggest weakness of the aircraft (fixed or rotary wing) you flew?
- Why upgrade the A-10 Warthog?
- What is the coolest thing about the A-10 Warthog?
- Given carte blanche, how would you improve upon the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog?”
- What aerobatic maneuvers can the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” perform?
- Can the functions of the possibly soon to be retired A-10 be replaced by the AC-130 gunship?
- How effective are air brakes in aircraft?
- I’m in love with the A10 Warthog. I think there is a core strength applicable elsewhere. Are any new designs in the works?
- How badly shredded is an enemy combatant’s body after getting hit by a couple of 30mm rounds from an A-10’s GAU-8 cannon?
- Are Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft like the A-10 and Su-25 obsolete?
- What’s it like piloting an A-10 Thunderbolt in combat?
- What’s it like piloting an A-10 Thunderbolt in combat?
- Are fighter plane cockpits temperature controlled?
- Would the A-10 Warthog be useful in proving close air support (CAS) for Kurdish and Iraqi troops in fighting ISIS?
- The US Air Force is planning to retire the A-10 “Warthog”. Why can’t the US Army “adopt” it?
- How does the A-10 stack against MANPADS?
- Given its history of success including current combat against ISIL, why does the U.S. Air Force seek to cut funding the A-10 Thunderbolt (“Warthog”)?
- Is the A-10 worth keeping?
- If the A-10 is a valued airframe, why does the United States Air Force want to be rid of it?
Military Aviation
- Is stealth needed for all military aircraft now?
- How much payload should a CAS aircraft have?
- Is the F15C ground attack capable?
- What are the main reasons why fast (military) jets can’t fly all the way across large oceans and rely, instead, on being transported as air cargo?
- Why did the USAF decide to send B-52s against ISIS?
- Can a downed military pilot act as a JTAC to coordinate air support for his rescue?
- Which airframe is the best to fly in the U.S Air Force and why?
- If I were to enter the Air Force two or three years from now, what are my chances of piloting the A-10 Warthog?
- Given that a break-in is possible, can a terrorist with flight training break into a military airbase and take off with a helicopter or fighter jet?
- Is ejection from an aircraft a difficult decision in non-combat situations?
- Air and Missile Defense: How does flying at low altitude allow aircraft to avoid radar detection?
- Why was the F-117 designated a fighter aircraft (F) when it is, in fact, an attack aircraft (A)?
- Can a fighter jet destroy a helicopter?
- If there was one faulty/poorly made part on a fighter jet, which part would have the most potential to bring it out of the sky?
- When fighter pilots take off, do they use afterburners?
- How do large formations of fighter aircraft support each other?
- Who would win in a dogfight between piloted F-16 fighters and unmanned F-16 fighters?
- Do fighter pilots often wear gear for “gunfighting”/self defence on the ground in the event of an ejection?
- When a pilot is flying a jet fighter, can he hear how loud the engines are?
- What do conventional military pilots think of drone pilots?
- How does a crash with a jet-fighter influence a military pilots career?
- In a hypothetical air-to-air combat, who is superior: the best of the USAF vs. the best of the US Navy?
- Planes were “invented” in 1903 and just over 10 years later they were already being massively used as war machines in World War I. How did this technology progress so fast?
- Is it possible to use fighter jets to shoot down oncoming nuclear missiles?
- Why is F-22 three times more expensive than F-35 while being more limited in its missions?
- Will large aircraft deliverable bombs be phased out in favor of smaller munitions?
- How would a modern fighter pilot fare in a WWI dogfight? WWII?
- What was the best ground-attack aircraft of World War 2 (on either Allied or Axis side)?
- Are fighter pilots able to eat and drink during missions?
- How do fighter pilots spend their time during long flights in both training and war missions?
- What official callsigns would a fighter pilot have in a fighter squadron? What would it be called over the radio with JTAC ATC HQ or other long range communication? And what would he be called on the internal radio, between him and his wingmen?
- As a pilot (civilian/military) what urge is most difficult to resist?
- If an aircraft carrier is 500-1000km away from the nearest runway, and it is hit by a torpedo and doomed to sink, will they try to launch the aircraft towards the nearest runway to save them?
- Should I become a naval pilot or an air force pilot?
- I want to be a pilot in the US Air Force. I know the A-10s may not be around forever, but I want to fly one. What would my training process be after OTS?
- How are missiles attached to launch rails/racks?
- Does having minor allergies ruin your chances of becoming an Air Force pilot or combat systems officer, even if it barely affects you at all?
- Could a trained NATO military pilot fly a similar Warsaw Pact plane without special training?
- How competitive is it to become a combat systems officer in the United States Air Force?
- If Tom Cruise really was a Navy fighter pilot, what would his callsign be?
- How do fighter pilots relieve boredom when they are just flying long distance from one base to another?
- How would you compare learning to fly a fighter jet to learning how to drive a car?
- Does the MiG-25 store fuel in its wings?
- Are there any tips or life lessons that military pilots can share with non-pilots?
- Milltary: What goes through the mind of a fighter pilot/soldier when actively faced with a ‘contingency’ based role?
- How does it feel being a bomber pilot knowing that your push of the button could kill many innocents?
- For a fighter pilot, which is preferable, a blackout or a redout?
- Naval Aviation: Are Navy fighter jets louder than their Air Force counterparts?
- Why do fighter jets use canards? What are the advantages of using it?
- How do fighter pilots tackle tunnel vision?
- Are fighter pilots really that arrogant?
- Can fighter pilots listen to music while flying or during combat?
- What is it like to have diarrhea in the cockpit as a fighter pilot?
- What is the effect of the recoil of the 105mm Howitzer on the AC130s during flight? What is the mechanism for counter-balancing it?
- What is a thrust-to-weight ratio in simple terms?
- How much armour is in a modern fighter plane?
- How do fighter pilots defend themselves?
- What is terrain masking, how is it achieved and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
- What is the difference between a USAF attack pilot and a USAF fighter pilot?
- How do US ground troops avoid accidentally calling an airstrike on themselves, or avoid mis-reporting a set of coordinates?
- Why does deploying flaps reduce stall speed?
- How much math is involved with becoming and being an airline pilot?
- What makes the difference between a good fighter pilot and great fighter pilot?
General Military
- How good is the Thanksgiving food for American forces in a war zone or aboard a ship?
- Under what circumstances would an Air Force Pararescueman be attached to another SOF team?
- What are the best officer jobs in the US Air Force?
- What helped you the most throughout AFROTC?
- Can I expect to be an engineer in the Air Force with an average ASVAB score?
- Is it irresponsible for me to join the Army knowing that my fiancé and family are completely against it?
- For a novel I’m writing, what smell does an Air Force pilot associate with his job that he loves?
- Which brand or type of adult diapers are most effective for military activities where lavatories are inaccessible?
- What are your thoughts on preventing women from getting pregnant during their first term of military service?
- What were your feelings towards the opponents you fought against while at war?
- If the US has another military draft, should we allow drafted people to pay others to take their place?
- How difficult is to become an Air Force officer in the United States?
- How likely is it for a RCAF (USAF) pilot to deploy overseas.?
- What US Military hardware is purely for defensive purposes?
- Can a fighter jet withstand a missile hit?
- How much could I make coming out of the air force as an officer with a computer science degree?
- If shooting a pilot escaping from a plane is considered dishonorable during air combat, why is it morally acceptable to kill pilots on the ground?
- Can a citizen with tattoos that violate military regulations be drafted?
- How is the German military seen by members of the militaries of other nations?
- How are the IDF and Israeli Special Forces in particular viewed by members of other countries’ Armed Forces in regards to their competence?
- What are good, solid reasons for enlisting in the military of one’s country?
- Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps: What are some things you regret doing or not doing as an AFROTC cadet?
- Should I give up on pursuing my dream of becoming a Navy SEAL?
- What are the pros and cons of joining the United States Air Force and the Indian Air Force?
- Would WWI and II have ended sooner if the USA allowed people with a disability to fight beside normal people?
- Air force entery question? Please read comment
- Can men in the U.S. be drafted into the military if they don’t want to?
- How does Air Force ROTC work?
- What are some of the best books on military psychology for a layman reader?
- If you meet an old veteran who was in the army, marines, navy or air force and you are a soldier, do you owe him professional respect in accordance with the old veteran’s apparent rank?
- Is the USAF “Aircraft metals technology” career choice a good transferable civilian career?
- Can the history of landmines guide us when thinking about drones?
- Is it true that you need to give up a second citizenship to be part of the US air force? When is that true/required?
- I have an astigmatism in both eyes with power -0.5 and -0.75. Am I eligible for the flying branch in IAF?
“What if?” questions:
- How practical would an X-wing be to the US Air Force/ Navy?
- If you were abandoned in a war zone and allowed 10 pieces of military equipment what would you want?
- Can you sink a modern aircraft carrier by flying an SR-71 Blackbird into it at full speed?
- Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Why don’t we have vertical take off (VTOL) pods to reduce traffic congestion?
- Considering that war is always bad for the economy, where would the world economy be if all the money wasted on wars would be available today?
- Would you apply to the training pipeline for a military posting to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit as a drone pilot if you were in the military, eligible for selection and knew the attendant risks inherent to working in space?
Life & family questions:
- I’m male and didn’t have a father, what’s some paternal advice you can offer now that I’m getting ready to go to college and generally into the world?
- Could you imagine bringing your 5-year-old to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens if it is rated PG-13?
- I’m heavily slacking on my classes and my job now that I have entered university and live away from home. I feel like I never learned actual self discipline and have been given more autonomy than I’ve ever had before. How do I turn this around?
- How do I keep an eight-month-old busy?
- What is a legitimate cause for worry when flying in a passenger airplane?
- I’m going to take up fishing again and teach the kids how to do it. In what ways is this politically incorrect?
- How can I figure out what I really want to do with my life after college?
- Language Usage: Is the phrase, “in my opinion”, always redundant?
- Why am I like this and what can I do to fix the problem?
- Why can’t I feel good about myself?
- Aren’t Americans ashamed they don’t have a language of their own and have to borrow from the English?
- Is it worth it to succeed without cheating?
- Can I power through an aversion to emotional vulnerability?
- Sexual Abuse: How do you get past literally wanting to kill someone who molested your 7-year-old son, especially if the person that did it was your 16-year-old niece?
- Do Social Conservatives want Christianity to be the official religion of the United States?
- What should I tell my parents about what I saw?
- How can I improve my relationship with my husband?
- Whenever a helicopter (police, military or private) flies low overhead, I usually salute it with double middle fingers because I think it’s funny. Could anything bad come from this?
- I am 34 years old and have never met my biological father. What is the best method to contact him?
- How do I motivate my 15-year-old brother?
- What should I do if my mom wants me to spend less time upstairs in my room?
- Do parents treat boys and girls equally?
- What are some good tips to start writing a book?
- How can I be a good father?
- Is it racist for someone to ask “where are you from originally”?
- What do people think of graduates of the University of Phoenix?
- What are some examples of things that are morally wrong, but not illegal?
Religion questions:
- What do Mormons in general and leadership of the LDS church think of Family First Weddings?
- What would you do if your son or daughter became an atheist?
- Could you explain the reasoning behind the LDS (Mormon) Church prohibiting children living with gay parents from being baptized?
- How do mainstream Mormons feel about the recent ban on baptisms for children living with same sex couples?
- What are some resources to teach a Mormon (Christian) guy to be successful in dating Mormon women?
- As an atheist, how do I sidestep the question “Do you believe in God” when my friends ask me?
- Why don’t more Christians address God the Father of Jesus in their worship?
- What do everyday Mormons think about Julie Rowe and her predictions of global disaster in September 2015?
- What effect do you think the release of photos of Joseph Smith’s seer stone will have on the LDS Church?
- Why do they make Jesus white if he was born in Jerusalem?
- In The Book of Mormon men are sometimes tied in “bands”. What are bands? Just a synonym for cords or rope?
- If you are a Mormon, how was your one year mission? I am not Mormon, but have had many friends who were. Where did you go, what did you achieve, and what did you learn?
- Is an LDS likely to face consequences for opting not to do a mission?
- Is Mormonism the true religion?
- Why do Mormons say ‘I know’ instead of ‘I believe’ when talking about the divine?
- Can someone summarize/introduce the most famous Book of Mormon characters and what they did?
- Bible Study: Why did God allow polygamy – man marrying more than one woman?
- Does the LDS term “Elohim” refer to the Heavenly Father and Mother as a unit?
- How could Mormons truly believe that a 3rd book of God was dug up in the hills of Rochester NY, and by a man of relatively ordinary means?
- I am in the middle of life-threatening adversity. Is it true if I keep hope God will show me the light and give me a golden opportunity?