Airframe assignment 160th SOAR(A)

[Ricochet17]

Hey all quick question,
Is it true that the 160th does recruit aviators that fly the AH-64 Apache? I read somewhere that A couple were accepted and fly the AH-6 Little Birds. If you were ultimately hoping to join the 160th, would it be better to fly the Blackhawk or Kiowa?
Thanks!

 

[Marauder06]

Yes, the 160th takes Apache pilots, but you have to "reclass" (whatever the pilot term for it is) into another airframe. We had a couple of former Apache pilots in my battalion (2/160) but most of the other pilots made fun of them for it, they said the dumbest people in flight school got assigned Apaches, I didn't know if they were kidding or what. Personally I think the Apache is bad ass.

As far as what airframe, an individual with actual flight experience in the 160th would be better positioned to answer that than I, but you can do the math... if you goal is simply to be in the 160th, there are four battalions that have Blackhawks, and only one that has Little Birds.

Chinooks don't appeal to you?

 

[AWP]

I served with an NCO who went Active as an Aviation Warrant. I bumped into him years later, he was a Kiowa pilot with the 101st who was attending Green Platton after an Afghan deployment. I remarked about his current airframe vs. the 160th's stable and he said it didn't matter as they would reclass those who needed it (like Kiowa and Apache pilots). He mentioned putting down a Dream Sheet of airframes, but that would wait until after GP. As he put it "'Needs of the 160th' sounds a lot better than 'Needs of the Army.'"

I don't know if he made it, but that conversation took place in 2009.