Alumni HouseView Articles
The Alumni Department at Fighter Pilot University is very active. There are thousands and thousands of FU Alumni all over the world. Retired fighter pilots, one commitment and out fighter pilots, I always wanted to be one but that’s not going to happen now fighter pilots.
The Alumni Department constantly hears from FU graduates. We receive photos, stories, inquiries on old friends, information about squadrons now closed and much more. The Alumni Department’s objective is to pass on those gathered pieces of graduate memories and place them here for all to see.
US Navy A-7E Corsair II
Photo courtesy of Steve Williams
If you have something that you’d like to display, a picture of squadron mates, a history of a favorite squadron that’s no longer active, photos of fighters no longer operational, a story of past accomplishments or unique displays of buffoonery send them to Alumni@fighterpilotuniveristy.com. If you’ve got an upcoming reunion, looking for a lost buddy or just about anything else that pertains to glorious past of the fighter pilot, send that to the FU Alumni Department.
If you send a text document with pictures, the Alumni Department asks that you send them as separate files rather than just a text file with embedded photos. If you want to send anything via the post, you’ll see our mailing address at the bottom of this page.
A strong alumni program ensures a strong university. Actually a lot of cash and hot cheerleaders help too.
Beaver AthleticsView Articles
Like any university of note, Fighter Pilot University has an extensive athletic program. Fighter pilots are very competitive people. In the air, whether winning a mock air-to-air engagement or dropping the best practice bombs, or on the ground, especially during free time with the buds, fighter pilots want to win.
Most of these athletic activities involve competition for money or to see who pays for the next round of drinks. Just like in the air, rivalry can be intense and when a certain game pits one squadron against another, the intensity level steps up very quickly.
A-10 "Warthog" Thunderbolt II
Photo courtesy of Gilherme Bystronski
All our athletic events require a serious adherence to tradition and etiquette that is at the very core of being a fighter pilot. To sway from either, tradition or etiquette can easily cost the person infringing on protocol a round of drinks for his friends. Something as simple as speaking a prohibited word can be a violation. Fighter pilots do not say h**d, they say cranium. Fighter pilots do not say b*x, they say container. Fighter pilots do not point with their finger during day-to-day activities or during a game. If someone asks who's next, the appropriate response is to use a bent elbow to point to the proper person. This spirit runs through almost everything a fighter pilot does, including our athletic programs.
You will notice that the individual who has "the hammer" starts many of these games. That normally means the person who lost the last game but sometimes just the opposite, the previous winner. However, during certain games the hammer can be taken away and now that person will direct the continuation of the game.
Fighter pilots believe in fair play and adherence to the rules unless cheating is necessary to absolutely ensure a win. So the rules you read below may be bent as long as it's in the name of friendly competition.
If you have an activity that your campus (fighter squadron) enjoys, send it our way and we'll incorporate it into Fighter Pilot University.
Fighter Pilot University Athletic Director
Oh yeah, almost forgot. We know the first thing you were asking when you got on this page was, where's the school mascot? Like any other major university we've got ours too. Introducing the Fighter Pilot University mascot, Capt. Harold Beaver.
Fighter Pilot University, home of the ragin', fightin', angry Beavers.
Squadrons of the WorldView
There are campuses of Fighter Pilot University all over the world. Our goal is to eventually list every one of the campuses (fighter squadrons) in the world. Our list attempts to include every current, active fighter squadron anywhere in the world.We believe that fighter pilots, no matter what country they're from, share a common bond. That bond is an attitude of being the best, of knowing your superiority.
When two fighter pilots meet from different countries, they shake hands, maybe a little more firm than with some regular guy on the street. Although they both know they're better than the other, they also know they share the uniqueness of being a fighter pilot.
USA F/A-18C Hornet
Photo courtesy of Unknown
This part of the Fighter Pilot University web site is an on going project. We're working to minimize mistakes. If you see errors or omissions let us know. If you have a digital image of a squadron patch/insignia or squadron histories, please send them our way.
There is an index of abbreviations, terms and aircraft at the end of each country's list of fighter squadrons. You will see under "mission" that we kept specific squadron flying missions quite simple. Squadrons are listed as operational, meaning full-up go to war, defend the country squadrons, or training, any fighter lead-in, tactics/test, replacement training or other non-deployable squadrons. Actually we had to guess on some of these based on aircraft flown and country assets. We do not list ballet squadrons, squadrons that fly to music or squadrons whose reason for existing is to fly close formation.
Russian Su-27SMK
Photo courtesy of Kristof Jonckheer
If you fly an aircraft, jet or prop, that is used to attack other aircraft in the air or people and things on the ground, you made our list.
If you're in a squadron that trains future fighter pilots, instructed by fighter pilots you're on our list. If you fly a fighter jet used for reconnaissance or electronic warfare, you too, are on our list, unless there are more than two occupants. Once you get to the family version of some of these jets, 3-4 people inside, that's just stretching it too much.
Again, if you see a mistake, your squadron isn't listed here and you think it should be, you've got a squadron history or a digital image of a patch/insignia, we'd like to hear from you. There's a lot going on in the fighter community around the world, especially with respect to new jets and base closures. We'd appreciate your inputs to make the information here as accurate as possible.
All histories are cut and pasted from various Internet sources. So if there's something wrong, we didn't write it, but we'd be happy to correct it.
We'd like to thank the many photographers who's work you see on these pages. We're making every attempt to credit all fighter pictures appropriately. If you see one of your photos here and we didn't give due credit, let us know and we'll get that straightened out. Some of our contributing photographers have their own web site. On our Links page you'll find an acknowledgement of those sites and the link to get to some really great sites and pictures.
Fighter Pilot University Dean of Students