[Wild Irish Rogue]

Can you give us your expertise as to whether someone with Kerry's pilot training, could have flown an Israeli combat jet in 1991 ?
With his level of training, could Kerry possibly have done barrel rolls and other aerobatics in a fighter jet, like he claimed last night ?

calcowgirl found this ,but, bear in mind, this is what Kerry's ratings are in 2004, who knows what they were in 1991.

From Landings.com

Airmen Database Search Result

---

Name : KERRY, JOHN FORBES
Airman's Address : 19 LOUISBURG SQ
BOSTON, MA, 02108-1202
FAA Region : New England
Date of Medical : Dec, 2003
Class of Medical : 2
Expiration : Dec, 2004
Airman Certificates : Commercial Pilot
Airplane Single Engine Land
Airplane Single Engine Sea
Airplane Multiengine Land
Instrument Airplane
Glider Aero Tow (Private Pilot)

[calcowgirl]

RVN Airplane Driver tracked his ratings back to 1986, I'm not sure what the source was. Here is his response to me re doing loops in a trainer at 12000 feet:

Yeah, I did a database search also and see the he has an amsel and instrument ticket that was awarded in 1986...so what. He is what is called by airline folks as a FLAP..light airplane pilot is the last 3 words. His whole tale indicates his ability level. First in a jet you only see 12,000 feet twice...once going to altitude and once coming back through for the approach..unless you are doing close air support. However for a FLAP lying 12000 feet is nose bleed territory...actually it is as high as you can go w/0 oxygen....hardly an altitude that a jet fighter would be working in...also...there is no pilot in the world that would let anyone touch the controls of an airplane that they are not being checked out in under 5000 ft...more like 10,000....let alone give them a T/O. Given his track record...he probably wasn't even in Israel, let alone begging for a ride in a fighter. As old "Mudbone" of Richard Pryor fame used to say "Damn that boy can lie; that was his job, I'm pretty sure that was his job, because that's all he did"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1129089/posts?page=102#102

[Pukin Dog]

Combat aircraft at altitude are very easy to fly, if you have lots of space and no particular place to be or marks to hit. Taking off is relatively easy, but landings in combat aircraft are always difficult. I have no doubt that anyone with at lease enough hours for an instrument rating can maneuver a fighter jet. With enough thrust, you can almost fly a brick if they put wings on it.

The difference, is managing to fly, fight, land, shoot, fly in formation, drop ordinance, refuel, merge, dogfight and all the rest that goes into piloting a combat aircraft. Once the thing is in the air, anyone with enough sense to get a license can turn and burn in the air. Just don't ask him to put it down on a runway or carrier, or fly anywhere near another aircraft.