Hegseth reinstates Apache pilots at Rocks house [Staff note in OP]

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TRX
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8:21p, 3/31/26
AG
[This thread started quickly with personal attacks and timeouts that resulted from it. The thread topic is fair game for discussion if you want to seriously debate its pros and cons in a respectful manner, but be advised we will remove posts that are personal attacks, trolls, and deliberate derails and issue timeouts as warranted -- Staff]

SIAP, didn't see anything about it.

A couple of Apaches made a pit stop outside of Kid Rocks pool and he posted some videos of himself waving to them while they hovered.

They then got suspended from flight and then un-suspended by Hegseth.

I like it.

https://abcnews.com/Politics/army-suspends-apache-pilots-hovered-kid-rocks-home/story?id=131580851
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Gaeilge
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8:23p, 3/31/26
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TX_COWDOC
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8:25p, 3/31/26
gigemtxag2025
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8:38p, 3/31/26
Imagine being an Army aviator who got disciplined for an unauthorized deviation from a flight plan and then watching these crews get a personal pass from the Secretary of Defense because they buzzed a celebrity's pool. Great way to destroy unit discipline and good order. The regs exist for a reason. Even Trump said you shouldn't be playing games with military aircraft.

Same Secretary of Defense that stood at Quantico and preached about being competent and professional turned around and told every pilot in the Army that rules don't apply if the right people are watching. But hey, celebrity got a helicopter show at his pool, so guess we should be celebrating.
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12th Man
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8:45p, 3/31/26
AG
The pearl-clutching over this is ridiculous. Military aviators have done shiite like this since the dawn of aviation, and as long as you do it safely, no biggie; even if you stretch things a bit.

I made multiple passes in excess of 300 knots over my family at my lake house in Door County, I overflew my wife on her drive home after she'd driven out to see me on a cross-country, and I did lots of sight-seeing in my career. This thing's way, way overblown.
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Martels Hammer
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8:59p, 3/31/26
Apache Pilot.

Stop playing nintendo tecmo bowl and post on this thread.
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Gilligan
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In reply to Martels Hammer • 9:07p, 3/31/26
AG
Martels Hammer said:
Apache Pilot.

Stop playing nintendo tecmo bowl and post on this thread.


Speaking of which- Apache Pilot, did they let you keep your helmet with the aTm on it or is that gov't issue you had to return?
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AW 1880
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9:10p, 3/31/26
AG
Reminds me of Kris Kristofferson flying an army helicopter to Johnny Cash's house to give him a demo tape.
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Martels Hammer
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In reply to AW 1880 • 9:11p, 3/31/26
Larry Hagman had military helicopters land at his ranch a few times while he was part of the Dallas cast.
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Ervin Burrell
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 9:14p, 3/31/26
AG
[We warned about trolling -- Staff]
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to 12th Man • 9:17p, 3/31/26
12th Man said:
The pearl-clutching over this is ridiculous. Military aviators have done shiite like this since the dawn of aviation, and as long as you do it safely, no biggie; even if you stretch things a bit.

I made multiple passes in excess of 300 knots over my family at my lake house in Door County, I overflew my wife on her drive home after she'd driven out to see me on a cross-country, and I did lots of sight-seeing in my career. This thing's way, way overblown.

No one is pearl-clutching over pilots doing pilot stuff. The issue is that the Army initiated an AR 15-6 administrative investigation, suspended the crews as is standard procedure, and then the Secretary of Defense personally killed that investigation and lifted the suspensions before it ran its course. That's not how any of your anecdotes were handled.
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Pizza
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 9:23p, 3/31/26
gigemtxag2025 said:
Imagine being an Army aviator who got disciplined for an unauthorized deviation from a flight plan and then watching these crews get a personal pass from the Secretary of Defense because they buzzed a celebrity's pool. Great way to destroy unit discipline and good order. The regs exist for a reason. Even Trump said you shouldn't be playing games with military aircraft.

Same Secretary of Defense that stood at Quantico and preached about being competent and professional turned around and told every pilot in the Army that rules don't apply if the right people are watching. But hey, celebrity got a helicopter show at his pool, so guess we should be celebrating.


Meh. You created a hypothetical because no examples were cited.

I decided to look up a few, and it usually involves jets over stadiums....
Very very different scenarios.

I'm cool with it, and I think most rational people are as well.
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to Pizza • 9:31p, 3/31/26
Pizza said:
gigemtxag2025 said:
Imagine being an Army aviator who got disciplined for an unauthorized deviation from a flight plan and then watching these crews get a personal pass from the Secretary of Defense because they buzzed a celebrity's pool. Great way to destroy unit discipline and good order. The regs exist for a reason. Even Trump said you shouldn't be playing games with military aircraft.

Same Secretary of Defense that stood at Quantico and preached about being competent and professional turned around and told every pilot in the Army that rules don't apply if the right people are watching. But hey, celebrity got a helicopter show at his pool, so guess we should be celebrating.


Meh. You created a hypothetical because no examples were cited.

I decided to look up a few, and it usually involves jets over stadiums....
Very very different scenarios.

I'm cool with it, and I think most rational people are as well.

The hypothetical illustrates the principle of the Secretary of Defense personally overriding the Army's own disciplinary process based on who's politically connected. Whether it's a flight deviation over a stadium or a pool doesn't change what happened procedurally, even if you're "cool with it." See my last comment.
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12th Man
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 9:41p, 3/31/26
AG
Wrong. You have nfi how far the Army's "search for the guilty" had progressed, and you most certainly don't outrank Secretary Hegseth, so rather than being glad four Army aviators evaded-by-decree the Army's process-punishment, you clutched your pearls. It is what it is.
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to 12th Man • 9:43p, 3/31/26
12th Man said:
Wrong. You have nfi how far the Army's "search for the guilty" had progressed, and you most certainly don't outrank Secretary Hegseth, so rather than being glad four Army aviators evaded-by-decree the Army's process-punishment, you clutched your pearls. It is what it is.

"Evaded-by-decree" is a pretty great way to describe the problem, actually.
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12th Man
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 9:49p, 3/31/26
AG
That you think it's a problem is actually a problem. These guys were going to be pilloried, but as has happened throughout our military history, a heavy weighed in & made an absurdity go away. I don't have a problem.with it, you do. Oh well: tomato/to-pearlclutching.
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ApachePilot
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9:52p, 3/31/26
AG
My only reservation would be FAA regs possibly broken. Other than that this stuff never bothers me. It's always a gamble when you do this stuff that the wrong person sees it. Lots of Karen's out there.
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to 12th Man • 9:55p, 3/31/26
12th Man said:
That you think it's a problem is actually a problem. These guys were going to be pilloried, but as has happened throughout our military history, a heavy weighed in & made an absurdity go away. I don't have a problem.with it, you do. Oh well: tomato/to-pearlclutching.

When has a Secretary of Defense publicly killed an active AR 15-6 before it ran its course?
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fullback44
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In reply to 12th Man • 9:57p, 3/31/26
AG
12th Man said:
The pearl-clutching over this is ridiculous. Military aviators have done shiite like this since the dawn of aviation, and as long as you do it safely, no biggie; even if you stretch things a bit.

I made multiple passes in excess of 300 knots over my family at my lake house in Door County, I overflew my wife on her drive home after she'd driven out to see me on a cross-country, and I did lots of sight-seeing in my career. This thing's way, way overblown.

thank you for your service sir... any chance I can get a ride on one of those bad machines
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Teslag
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In reply to ApachePilot • 10:03p, 3/31/26
AG
ApachePilot said:
My only reservation would be FAA regs possibly broken. Other than that this stuff never bothers me. It's always a gamble when you do this stuff that the wrong person sees it. Lots of Karen's out there.


As an Apache pilot, you feel this will destroy army aviation morale as that one poster claimed?
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ApachePilot
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In reply to Teslag • 10:07p, 3/31/26
AG
Teslag said:
ApachePilot said:
My only reservation would be FAA regs possibly broken. Other than that this stuff never bothers me. It's always a gamble when you do this stuff that the wrong person sees it. Lots of Karen's out there.


As an Apache pilot, you feel this will destroy army aviation morale as that one poster claimed?


No I do not. Everyone needs to chill.
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Cowboy Curtis
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In reply to 12th Man • 10:22p, 3/31/26
AG
Do it again and you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog **** out of Hong Kong.
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Rockdoc
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10:27p, 3/31/26
AG
OMG just saw this thread. How ridiculous. If it weren't for the Karens this wouldn't even be a thread, or a news story. Isn't there something actually serious to throw a hissy fit about?
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to Teslag • 10:35p, 3/31/26
Teslag said:
ApachePilot said:
My only reservation would be FAA regs possibly broken. Other than that this stuff never bothers me. It's always a gamble when you do this stuff that the wrong person sees it. Lots of Karen's out there.


As an Apache pilot, you feel this will destroy army aviation morale as that one poster claimed?

I said discipline and good order, not morale, which are different things. Same guy who stood at Quantico speaking about standards, professionalism, and holding personnel accountable killed an investigation before it finished because the guy they buzzed is politically connected. Don't doubt you can be in great spirits and still be in a system where the rules are applied selectively.
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Ellis Wyatt
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 10:37p, 3/31/26
gigemtxag2025 said:

When has a Secretary of Defense publicly killed an active AR 15-6 before it ran its course?
Bahahahahahaha!

How would we ever know? The military existed a long time before the internet and camera phones.
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gigemtxag2025
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In reply to Ellis Wyatt • 10:40p, 3/31/26
Ellis Wyatt said:
gigemtxag2025 said:

When has a Secretary of Defense publicly killed an active AR 15-6 before it ran its course?

Bahahahahahaha!

How would we ever know? The military existed a long time before the internet and camera phones.

Then nobody can claim this has happened "throughout military history" either. And the fact that Hegseth did it publicly on X is exactly what makes it different from a quiet phone call.
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Ag00Ag
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10:57p, 3/31/26
AG
I can personally attest to some military history of pilots doing unauthorized fly by's.

My dad was a Navy pilot. Flew A7's. For several years we lived in Orange Park, Florida…a town near Jacksonville, close to 1) NAS Jax, 2) Cecil field and 3) Mayport. I went to Lakeside middle school and as you might guess, due to the proximity to 3 Navy bases, there were several kids with dads that were Navy pilots. I can remember at least a dozen times when someone's dad made a low pass fly by and the kid knew there dad was going to do it. My dad did once.

I also recall a squadron party at my house and hearing a bunch of the guys in my dad's squadron joking about the times they did it and getting slapped on the wrist for it.


Edited to add that this would have been 1978-1980.
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Mas89
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11:22p, 3/31/26
AG
Had 2 come out to my ranch and shoot hogs one night. But I don't know if they were Apache or what.
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Blackhorse83
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12:07a, 4/1/26
AG
Apache pilots are dumb.

Signed;
Kiowa pilot
Scouts Out
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sanangelo
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12:52a, 4/1/26
AG
Back in circa 1991, two Buff co-pilots in the old SAC ACE program flying the T-37 decided to perform a loop for family near (I believe), Jackson, Mississippi. They mis-judged the altitude -- or just didn't pull enough G after the inverted top. The family airshow ended in 2 fatalities and a pancaked T-37.

Same era at Laughlin AFB, a DC-9 medivac USAF jet (can't remember the USAF designation.. C-9?) stopped through for gas. One the way out, the DC-9 pilot took the jet on a low level tour of the Big Bend area, swooping through the canyon where the Rio Grande was. The 2 pilots lost their wings.

This one is old air force... One of my dad's squadron mates was flying the last U-2 out of Laughlin AFB circa 1964. At the same time, the mayor of Del Rio had died while in office and there was a funeral procession downtown. U-2 pilot Major Pat Halloran decided to make an impromtu low level pass over downtown Del Rio as a salute to the squadron's home for the past 6-7 years. He flew right over the funeral procession Halloran knew nothing about. After he landed, he was informed that he made a low level pass over the mayor's funeral and the mayor's family was grateful. Many years later, Halloran retired as a general.

Bud Holland became famous for the B-62H crash at Fairchild AFB in Spokane in 1994. Before that fateful day, however, he practically blew down an "Air Force Now" camera crew perched on a ridge line to film his Buff's fly-by. I found a video of it on instagram.

Here are some flybys that attracted scrutiny:


The Kid Rock Apache scenario was very mild compared to the above.


San Angelo LIVE!
https://sanangelolive.com/
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Ag with kids
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In reply to Blackhorse83 • 12:58a, 4/1/26
AG
Blackhorse83 said:
Apache pilots are dumb.

Signed;
Kiowa pilot

I think we've got an ROTC hoping to be an O-1 telling the actual military folks what they should and shouldn't do...



Or more probably, it's a Soros minion trying to influence TexAgs...
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Gilligan
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5:35a, 4/1/26
AG
Back in the day when they'd pass the North end zone and one would hit the afterburner and go straight up. The hair on my arms would stand straight up. Good stuff
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Pizza
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 5:45a, 4/1/26
gigemtxag2025 said:
Pizza said:
gigemtxag2025 said:
Imagine being an Army aviator who got disciplined for an unauthorized deviation from a flight plan and then watching these crews get a personal pass from the Secretary of Defense because they buzzed a celebrity's pool. Great way to destroy unit discipline and good order. The regs exist for a reason. Even Trump said you shouldn't be playing games with military aircraft.

Same Secretary of Defense that stood at Quantico and preached about being competent and professional turned around and told every pilot in the Army that rules don't apply if the right people are watching. But hey, celebrity got a helicopter show at his pool, so guess we should be celebrating.


Meh. You created a hypothetical because no examples were cited.

I decided to look up a few, and it usually involves jets over stadiums....
Very very different scenarios.

I'm cool with it, and I think most rational people are as well.

The hypothetical illustrates the principle of the Secretary of Defense personally overriding the Army's own disciplinary process based on who's politically connected. Whether it's a flight deviation over a stadium or a pool doesn't change what happened procedurally, even if you're "cool with it." See my last comment.


Still don't see an issue with it.

We have judges in this country violating law all the time, a former president who threw our border wide open for drug/human trafficking etc.

Society is being entertained to death...which is why "some people" focus on something incredibly silly like a flyover, while the foundations of established Society & World Order are shaking.
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ts5641
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 6:01a, 4/1/26
gigemtxag2025 said:
Imagine being an Army aviator who got disciplined for an unauthorized deviation from a flight plan and then watching these crews get a personal pass from the Secretary of Defense because they buzzed a celebrity's pool. Great way to destroy unit discipline and good order. The regs exist for a reason. Even Trump said you shouldn't be playing games with military aircraft.

Same Secretary of Defense that stood at Quantico and preached about being competent and professional turned around and told every pilot in the Army that rules don't apply if the right people are watching. But hey, celebrity got a helicopter show at his pool, so guess we should be celebrating.

They're human beings in a stressful job. Who gives a ***** I don't blame Hegseth at all.
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12th Man
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In reply to gigemtxag2025 • 6:02a, 4/1/26
AG
gigemtxag2025 said:
Ellis Wyatt said:
gigemtxag2025 said:

When has a Secretary of Defense publicly killed an active AR 15-6 before it ran its course?

Bahahahahahaha!

How would we ever know? The military existed a long time before the internet and camera phones.

Then nobody can claim this has happened "throughout military history" either. And the fact that Hegseth did it publicly on X is exactly what makes it different from a quiet phone call.


I can and do absolutely claim that higher-ups have weighed-in and waived due process and/or punishment. Ever heard of the USS William D. Porter?

Oozing sanctimony -such as yours- is concerning.
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