# Canadian TOPGUN Pilot



## Walt (22 Dec 2020)

Congratulations to RCAF Captain Chris "LIME" Swartz for earning the TOPGUN accreditation during his exchange/posting with the United States Navy while training at the USN Fighter Weapons School! Story in the following link, including some awestriking photos of carrier training:

http://rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=move-over-maverick-canadian-pilot-graduates-topgun-program%2Fkixoui9y&fbclid=IwAR2vAy4Jfyz-HGPvRHFGYZ6Vn40TQ2KxGRnsFtPx_rt1ySzPB8vDsJ700QQ

Noteworthy is that he has been flying the F-18 Super Hornet!

Cheers,

Walt


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## dimsum (22 Dec 2020)

Walt said:
			
		

> Congratulations to RCAF Captain Chris "LIME" Swartz for earning the TOPGUN accreditation during his exchange/posting with the United States Navy while training at the USN Fighter Weapons School! Story in the following link, including some awestriking photos of carrier training:



I, for one, am surprised we still have 2 ACSOs on exchange on the Super Hornet.  What are the chances we're getting Foxtrots (with WSOs)?


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## brihard (22 Dec 2020)

Trench-digger here. Setting aside whether we’ve historically done something or not and the institutional knowledge that comes with that, what are the real advantages versus disadvantages of a two person fighter? Intuitively it would seem to me that having a second brain, set of eyes, and set of hands to do things would offer advantages if a crew works well together, but I’m sure there’s tons I don’t know.


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## dimsum (22 Dec 2020)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Trench-digger here. Setting aside whether we’ve historically done something or not and the institutional knowledge that comes with that, what are the real advantages versus disadvantages of a two person fighter? Intuitively it would seem to me that having a second brain, set of eyes, and set of hands to do things would offer advantages if a crew works well together, but I’m sure there’s tons I don’t know.



https://navy.ca/forums/threads/22809/post-1578096.html#msg1578096

Basically yes, if a crew works together.  Then again, that can be said of any crew.

The big disadvantage from the nuts/bolts perspective is having 2x the people, in trades that aren't exactly full.


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## Navy_Pete (22 Dec 2020)

Brihard said:
			
		

> Trench-digger here. Setting aside whether we’ve historically done something or not and the institutional knowledge that comes with that, what are the real advantages versus disadvantages of a two person fighter? Intuitively it would seem to me that having a second brain, set of eyes, and set of hands to do things would offer advantages if a crew works well together, but I’m sure there’s tons I don’t know.


Always have a winger for beach volleyball?


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## Quirky (22 Dec 2020)

That's going to look great on his resume when he applies to Air Canada.  :-X


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## dapaterson (22 Dec 2020)

Quirky said:
			
		

> That's going to look great on his resume when he applies to Air Canada.  :-X



"What's that, WS 3469?  Think you're gonna be first to the gate a Pearson?  THINK AGAIN!"


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## dimsum (22 Dec 2020)

Quirky said:
			
		

> That's going to look great on his resume when he applies to Air Canada.  :-X



Relevant "Iceman - the Later Years" link:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk75ps


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## Walt (22 Dec 2020)

Quirky said:
			
		

> That's going to look great on his resume when he applies to Air Canada.  :-X



No!!!! Can't do Mach 1+ in a jet liner! It would be akin to asking a Formula 1 race car driver to semi-retire to drive a school bus.


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## SupersonicMax (22 Dec 2020)

That is no small feat. Lime is the first Canadian to ever be allowed on the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program. 

Well done Lime!


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## MilEME09 (22 Dec 2020)

SupersonicMax said:
			
		

> That is no small feat. Lime is the first Canadian to ever be allowed on the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program.
> 
> Well done Lime!



Hopefully this opens the door to more of our pilots being able to go. I am assuming to be allowed to go is a very strict set of requirements but if it can become a routine thing that our pilots can go if they make the cut, that might be incentive for more pilots to stay.

Also side bar note id love to hear the story on how the call sign Lime came to be.


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## SupersonicMax (22 Dec 2020)

All I'll say is that LIME is an acronym for something.

I doubt the US Navy will allow our aircraft to participate with our pilots.  The only way I see this happening is from an exchange billet.


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## brihard (22 Dec 2020)

If I understand correctly, “top gun” used to be more of a dogfighting finishing school, and now it’s more about warheads on foreheads?


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## SupersonicMax (22 Dec 2020)

Brihard said:
			
		

> If I understand correctly, “top gun” used to be more of a dogfighting finishing school, and now it’s more about warheads on foreheads?



In its beginnings, it was exclusively about killing MiGs.  Now, it evolved and is representative of the multi-role nature of the Navy’s fighter force.


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## PPCLI Guy (22 Dec 2020)

SupersonicMax said:
			
		

> I doubt the US Navy will allow our aircraft to participate with our pilots.  The only way I see this happening is from an exchange billet.



Yup.  They don't want the competition.  I hear our pilots are relatively extraordinary...


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## SupersonicMax (22 Dec 2020)

PPCLI Guy said:
			
		

> Yup.  They don't want the competition.  I hear our pilots are relatively extraordinary...



Pilot skills aside (our pilots tend to do very well when integrated with our allies), I think it’s more about our technical capabilities than our pilot capabilities.  We are way behind technically.


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## dimsum (22 Dec 2020)

SupersonicMax said:
			
		

> Pilot skills aside (our pilots tend to do very well when integrated with our allies), I think it%u2019s more about our technical capabilities than our pilot capabilities.  We are way behind technically.



If I had a dollar for every time I heard this (and not just about Pilots, but pretty much all trades) from other nationalities while on operations or exercise...

I'd have some dollars.


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## Lumber (22 Dec 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> If I had a dollar for every time I heard this (and not just about Pilots, but pretty much all trades) from other nationalities while on operations or exercise...
> 
> I'd have some dollars.



"What do you mean you deployed for a major multinational exercise without a working Link-16?"


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## Good2Golf (23 Dec 2020)

...and HaveQuick before that....and so on....and so on....


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## SupersonicMax (23 Dec 2020)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> If I had a dollar for every time I heard this (and not just about Pilots, but pretty much all trades) from other nationalities while on operations or exercise...
> 
> I'd have some dollars.



Except this is based on actual recognition.

Since 1988:

USAF TPS: 3 RCAF pilots topped the course.  Jameel Janjua, Josh Kutryk and Chris Hadfield (https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/canadiantopsusaftestpilotcourse/). 
USNTPS: 3 RCAF pilots topped the course. Andrew Soundy, Desmond Brophy and Maxime Renaud

It is fairly rare for foreigners to top those courses. For LIME, his US Navy squadron wanted him there: they gave their one slot to a Canadian.  This is something quite special.


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## daftandbarmy (23 Dec 2020)

SupersonicMax said:
			
		

> Except this is based on actual recognition.
> 
> Since 1988:
> 
> ...



Good on him. Seriously.

We often see Canucks topping the US Ranger courses too, which is also awesome.

What we forget is that Canada is a small country, population wise. When someone from a country of 30 million tops a course in a country of 300 million, that's alot of competitors that they've managed to outperform.

 :cdnsalute: :cdnsalute: :cdnsalute:


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## Cloud Cover (23 Dec 2020)

37 902 835 as of 30 seconds ago: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/canada-population/


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## Drallib (26 Jan 2021)

If anyone wants to see the cruise he was a part of, youtube "*VFA-143 2019-2020 WORLD TOUR*". I spotted him at 3:00.


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## DecapitatedApple (2 Feb 2021)

Drallib said:


> If anyone wants to see the cruise he was a part of, youtube "*VFA-143 2019-2020 WORLD TOUR*". I spotted him at 3:00.


lmao i was just thinking if I woulda seen him on a cruise vid


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