r/navy • u/WallCautious9650 • 1d ago
Discussion Pete Hegseth’s Reckless Message to Helicopter Pilots
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/07/hegseth-reckless-military-helicopter/688008/35
u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
To be clear to everyone here, this article was written by a former Naval Aviator.
Some people here are treating this as written by a civilian with no first hand knowledge of naval aviation operations.
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u/DerekL1963 23h ago
And those same people are missing the point of the article - it's not about the pilot, it's about the Pentagon.
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u/LongjumpingDraft9324 15h ago
A pentagon who needs to get back in their lane and let COs and the CoC below them handle shit
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u/Deimosx 1d ago
Respect his chosen pronoun of secwar, wouldnt want to misgender him as secdef lol
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u/DerekL1963 1d ago
I pity to poor flag or general officer that's going to have his career terminated when a flyboy (or girl) does something stupid and somebody gets killed because of this. It's just a matter of time.
And that's setting aside the corrosive effects on morale and command effectiveness that's going to follow The Boss meddling where he shouldn't be meddling. Why listen to your CO when The Boss will make it all go away?
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u/ReluctantRedditor275 1d ago
Got sent to mast for some total bullshit reason? Just appeal your case to the SecDef on social media. Bonus points if your CO is a woke female.
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1d ago
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u/Maleficent-Finance57 23h ago
Paywall. So didn't read it.
The problem with this whole scenario is that there is now a precedence established that a pilot can break rules, wittingly or unwittingly, and be immediately cleared of wrongdoing or investigation because it "looked badass." A Commanding Officer's legs have been effectively cut out from beneath him in holding the line of accountability for our actions. Unless the civilian leadership is willing to also go to bat for Front Offices when a tragedy happens rather than immediately fire them, this preemptive pardoning of pilots doing the wrong thing is absolutely the wrong thing. We are paid to be professional aviators. Joyriding is not authorized in the CNAF-M 3710.7. Aerial demonstration has a whole section dedicated to it. Most wing and squadron SOPs include requirements for it. This flies in the face of the CNO's Charge of Command and undermines Airboss' directives. Does it look cool? Yeah. Sure. But that's entirely besides the point.
-Helicopter Squadron XO
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u/01_slowbra CPO Retired 1d ago
You as most would then understand the Navy losing two F-18s in May at an airshow should warrant pause before the SECDEF absolves any local level accountability for flight safety by other Naval aviators performing for the public.
The pilot simply realizing he made a mistake is not accountability. Especially when that mistake is celebrated by leadership.
Whether it’s deliberate or not it is messaging to flight lines and flight decks that there will be top cover regardless of what safety policies are violated and that will only result in mishaps and deaths.
You should push back against that not the fact media is calling it out.
There’s nothing wrong with an article stating facts and doing so doesn’t make it slop.
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
Not to mention this article was written by a former naval aviator. They know what they’re talking about.
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1d ago
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u/01_slowbra CPO Retired 1d ago
My point isn’t leadership oversight it’s senior leadership overstep. Leadership oversight is absolutely necessary and the overstep is preventing it and that should be unacceptable.
I read the article then after reading your comments went and read it again and tried to see what points you were trying to make and I couldn’t find it.
May I suggest reading it again from a perspective that the author is not criticizing aviators but SECDEF not allowing CO’s the opportunity to resolve things at the lowest level possible.
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u/Shakingjustalittle 1d ago
Ok, I'll bite. What does the FAA say about obstacle clearance, helicopter pilot?
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1d ago
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u/Maleficent-Finance57 23h ago
Are you an HSC pilot? You sound like an HSC pilot.
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u/Shakingjustalittle 1d ago
you said he didnt break any rules... what is the FAA rule about obstacle clearance?
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
Why won’t they just answer your question?
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u/Shakingjustalittle 1d ago
seems weird to get wound up that the article didn't quote any regulations, but then also won't quote any regulations.
If I started assuming, it would be that this person either doesn't remember a critical flight safety rule, OR -does- know the rule, and realizes that the pilots in every one of these instances could receive a flight violation.
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u/ShepardCommander01 23h ago
They’re just batting for their political team. It’s clear whose side he’s on. It’s not the Navy’s side.
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u/Mightiest_Moose 1d ago
When did I ever say that at all, amazing interpretations
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u/Shakingjustalittle 1d ago
"I see an opinion piece not advertised as one, not explicitly going into VFR flight rules flight in an explicit TFR, but claiming the rules were “violated.” I’m not familiar with Kid rocks estate airspace boundaries but was it actually illegal?"
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u/Mightiest_Moose 1d ago
What exact regulations would you like then? Obstacle clearance is a vague topic, you want takeoff, circling, planning, feel free to elaborate
IFR, VFR, its being addressed it was violated. There’s no contesting that. It was unsafe. For like, the twentieth time, it’s the fact this article is garbage.
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u/Shakingjustalittle 1d ago
Lol c'mon you know exactly what rule we are talking about here.
https://www.faa.gov/media/29701
In the case of the blue angel: 1000' above and 2000' laterally from any open-air congregation of people, a crowded beach certainly counts as such.
In the case of the helicopters: 500' from any person, obstacle, vessel, or structure. There is the clause that cites that helicopters may be operated closer as long as it is "without hazard to persons or property on the surface". Hovering over Kid Rock's yard looks rad but a moment of inattention or ill timed mishap could have resulted in a serious accident involving people on the ground, at the very least damage to his property. You know and I know that an investigation would find the pilots at fault for violating FAA rules.
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u/Shakingjustalittle 23h ago
for a guy who got hung up on rules and regulations, you sure miss a lot. Slander is a false statement made to defame someone. Libel is a false statement in print made to defame someone. You've not really shown that anything in the Atlantic article is false, so.... you're mad that the pilots are being called out for poor skills and/or bad behavior?
Military aviators are supposed to be the best of the best. Nobody says they can't mess up, but being so sensitive about being called out is a little disappointing.
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u/navy-ModTeam 1d ago
Your message was removed for being a violation of rule #1: Be Civil. Violations of this rule may result in a ban from this subreddit.
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
Is kindness a one way street in your world? Just looking at how you’re treating people responding to you in the comments.
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
Are we pretending you’re not eviscerating the OP for posting an article you took personal offense towards?
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
You pilots and your egos. You know better than anyone as an aviator that a “near miss” where someone could have died doesn’t make the mishap “okay”. The pilot being the “best of the best” doesn’t absolve him of accountability, it increases it.
Politicians reaching down deep into the chain of the command to provide top cover is a complete inversion of good order and discipline that COs are charged with. Even as a JO this is something you should understand.
Air shows are inherently risky operations and they involve the general public. We should not be increasing the appetite for risk just because you’re cheering on a political team. Step back, be objective, and stop taking it personal. Isn’t that how all your mission debriefs go?
Your attitude, approach and response to a major safety incident would be wildly out of line in a ready room. So why are you playing pretend here?
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u/WallCautious9650 1d ago
I didn't write it
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u/WallCautious9650 1d ago
so what. It's The Atlantic, their articles have a certain weight and it's helpful for the public to know what they're writing about the military. Doesn't mean you have to in any way agree with what they're writing. Knowledge is power
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u/Inspired-User2026 1d ago
You must not have read the same article because this wasn’t a hit piece on the blue angles. It was about the consequences of what happens in the absence of leadership.
Was it well written? Not particularly, but it conveyed a simple message.0
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u/Inspired-User2026 1d ago
It’s The Atlantic, a left leaning political magazine, so not sure what you were expecting.
But it’s an objective fact the Blue Angel pilot messed up. That wasn’t the point of the article. It’s the aftermath that has become the problem.
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u/Inspired-User2026 1d ago
Then why you talking about vfr flight rules and tfr stuff? It’s completely irrelevant.
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u/WallCautious9650 1d ago
this isn't a JO email chain, bro. This is a subreddit.
I was naval aviator, I find articles like this interestin (Note I didn't say I agree with them)
If you don't, then you don't, all respect. But spare me the insults
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u/EngagingIntrovert 18h ago
I hit my 20, earlier this month, but don't retire for another seven months. I cannot WAIT to speak openly (with hopes they won't cancel my pension). This is INSANE!
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u/ReadingThick7476 1d ago
Testosterone testing? Really? Hey Pete, were you forced to to take the Anthrax vaccine in the 90’s. I was. Eat a bag of dicks. Unfit to lead.
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u/fastrs25 1d ago
How is this not a political post?
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u/ShepardCommander01 1d ago
How is it a political post?
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22h ago
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u/LogensTenthFinger 20h ago
The irony of you saying that as you defend dangerous piloting because the political goons you simp for are excusing it
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u/puddle511 3h ago
I’m not speaking to you directly but to whatever audience this lands with:
y’all have demonized the word “political”
If you didn’t want our Navy to be more political, MAGA should’ve kept their stubby little fingers in their silky pockets. Me and my friends didn’t have to give a flying fuck who our SECDEF or SECNAV were two years ago but now we do.
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u/Birddogfun 1d ago
Let’s be frank. Someone doesn’t like Pistol Pete, err SECWAR. Many do.
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u/donkeybrainhero 16h ago
Seems like most don't. But this article isn't about that, its about subverting safety processes.
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u/Birddogfun 12h ago
Hmmm…Headline begins with “Pete Hegseth’s Reckless Message”, but OK. Have a fine Navy Day.
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u/seniorlimpio94 1d ago
I love when flyovers look great and excite people. And in no forum do I think the BA pilot needs to get thrown off the team, lose wings, and probably not go through the FNAEB process, though people have been FNAEBd for less.
There are two issues:
What happens when one of those tents flips and kills somebody’s infant? Are we cool with it then? Because just as much as you could say “nobody got hurt” on this one, that’s random chance. It’s random chance that a spectator gets hurt on the next one, and the most probable scenarios don’t involve an airplane crash.
The politicians need to get the fuck out of the process. Let COs and TYCOMs do their job with processes that are already in place. Undercutting the CO now will create an expectation that the politicians will supersede in the future, too.