Thai "Topgun" shows US airmen how it's done!

[webfact]

Thai "Topgun" shows US airmen how it's done!

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

BANGKOK: -- A Thai airman has received a top flight flying award at a US national championships for the second year in a row.

 

And in addition the flying ace has won a bursary for further study.

 

Thai Rath reported on the glittering career of Kornwitpong Sunthornnitikun or Bright who passed out from the US Air Force Academy in May.

 

Bright was chosen to represent the academy for the second year in a row at the US National Aerobatic Championships.

 

And he won a top prize there for the second year in a row as well.

 

Following on from his gold medal in the Sportsman Category in 2015 last year he won the Glider Intermediate Category honours.

 

He earned himself a bursary for further study in the US after passing out at a ceremony on May 23rd at the academy headquarters in Colorado.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-08

[LomSak27]

9 minutes ago, Thechook said:

So he is one of the best combat fighters in the world only only graduated a month ago, great achievement to show up the U.S fighter pilots up who have actual experience.  More training required by American pilots.

 

Sorry Chook - Who said anything about Combat fighter pilots besides you? Look up  - US National Aerobatic Championships.  -  and see what he is flying. He is a good pilot sure but you have just been misled by the headline, and your own cultural prejudices. .

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed while the reply pointing out the nature of the troll post was not removed. 

[Thechook]

8 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Sorry Chook - Who said anything about Combat fighter pilots besides you? Look up  - US National Aerobatic Championships.  -  and see what he is flying. He is a good pilot sure but you have just been misled by the headline, and your own cultural prejudices. .

By congratulating him I didn't mean to show prejudice to our American Allies and I apologise, no offence intended, the U.S has great pilots also. 

[habanero]

 

He won it in 2016 in an unpowered Glider.   Hardly a "Top Gun"

Contest Results: Intermediate Glider
US Nationals Championship 2016, KGYI, 9/24 - 9/30 2016
Ranked by scores
Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration				Totals	O/all %
HC*	Khorn Soonthonnitikul	DG1001	N-501DG	997.77	1149.33	1110.51	3257.61	75.408
1	Trevor Rogers	DG1001	N-501DG	972.85	1218.90	1050.53	3242.28	75.053
2	Connor Watson	DG1001	N-501DG	1019.11	1146.17	973.82	3139.10	72.664
3	Christopher Masi	DG1001	N-501DG	961.59	1150.40	1020.97	3132.96	72.522
4	Taylor Marshall	DG1001	N-501DG	1007.11	1090.59	1003.72	3101.42	71.792
5	Reagan Moore	DG1001	N-501DG	1031.22	766.03	927.96	2725.21	63.084
6	Brian Ross	DG1001	N-101DG	687.98	846.50	922.41	2456.89	56.873

Edited June 8, 2017 by habanero

[ksamuiguy]

Congratulations You do "The Kingdom" Proud.

"The Kingdom" need all the heroes they can get, some one for the youth, the citizens of Thailand to emulate and look up to. 

To bad there don't seem to be any heroes left.

"What would John Wayne do"

[captspectre]

if the article is "correct" than "Passing out at the academy TWICE will disqualify him from all flying duties unless the "passing" out can be explained, don't need any rebuttals, just look up medical qualifications! I was a flyer so I know of what I speak!

[klauskunkel]

US national championship

Is he Thai or American? Thaimerican?

[silverhawk_usa]

I had to think about that for a second also as I speak American.  But according to the UK......

the act of leaving a military college after successfully finishing the course:

His parents attended the passing-out ceremony

[Juan B Tong]

Thais are so much better at everything.  Especially creating headlines.

[Juan B Tong]

Next challenge: powered flight.

[DILLIGAD]

Hope he's taught to fly helicopters too. Seems like quite a few fall out of the (Thai) skies !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[yellowboat]

Perhaps he can help reform the Thai aviation industry.  

[wirat69]

Thought "TopGun" referred to an active gay partner!!

[sanukjim]

48 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

Hope he's taught to fly helicopters too. Seems like quite a few fall out of the (Thai) skies !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The "falling out" of the skies has a lot to do with the bad maintenance here.The recovery of such during the decent has a lot to do with the pilot's skill.and it does seem that very few survive here but flying over the jungle decreases your chances greatly.

[sanukjim]

3 hours ago, Thechook said:

By congratulating him I didn't mean to show prejudice to our American Allies and I apologise, no offence intended, the U.S has great pilots also. 

The US Air Force has the best pilots in the world (After the US Navy and Marine Corps of course). This young man's achievement shows that with the proper training and conditioning ( By The US Air Force Academy) a Thai can achieve much.

[IMA_FARANG]

The quality of a fighter pilot is NOT a matter of nationality.

There are good combat pilots worldwide of all nationalities.

I also depends on "luck" when it comes to combat.

In modern combat with laser guided and radar or television  guided  SAMs being in the wrong place at the wrong time is part of that "luck".

Ask any USAF active duty combat fighter  pilot, and they will acknowledge that fact.

And yes, as another poster pointed out passing out in a high G stress situation is a matter for  medical review, and may end an otherwise excellent combat pilot's combat career early.

Being a combat fighter pilot is a "best of the best" high risk situation for those that can handle it physically and mentally.

 

 

 

[boike]

Although I don't want to take anything away from his win, it's a aerobatic championship with aerobatic airplanes.

Sent from my XT1572 using Tapatalk

[Juan B Tong]

Another fine US Airforce Academy graduate.

Edited June 8, 2017 by Juan B Tong

[hugh2121]

2 hours ago, captspectre said:

if the article is "correct" than "Passing out at the academy TWICE will disqualify him from all flying duties unless the "passing" out can be explained, don't need any rebuttals, just look up medical qualifications! I was a flyer so I know of what I speak!

Learn English.

[chickenslegs]

[Classic Ray]

Credit where it's due. Doing more to promote the image of Thailand than many other military or police officers.

[aussie11950]

Congratulations. 

Good news. 

 

[nahkit]

3 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

US national championship

Is he Thai or American? Thaimerican?

He's Thai - look at the photograph, he's wearing a patch with the Thai flag on his uniform.

[Orton Rd]

Thais have so little to be proud of that he will probably be due for a medal

[Bill Miller]

4 hours ago, captspectre said:

if the article is "correct" than "Passing out at the academy TWICE will disqualify him from all flying duties unless the "passing" out can be explained, don't need any rebuttals, just look up medical qualifications! I was a flyer so I know of what I speak!

No. you do not know whereof you speak, and saying you do not need any rebuttals is a very  unlikely result here in TV.  
 He did not "pass out AT the academy", he passed out FROM the academy. And where did you get "passed out twice"? Not from the article.
From a Wikipedia article:
"Passing out is the completion of a course by military or other service personnel or the graduation from a college."
I think it is a more commonly British expression.
Other guys have been under the misapprehension that the young man won awards as a fighter pilot, aided by the "Top Gun" reference in the article's title. He won awards for aerobatic excellence in a glider. 
Good on him, and a really cool  accomplishment, but that does not translate to a "top gun" fighter pilot rating. He may be good there, too, but not what the article is really about. 

Edited June 8, 2017 by Bill Miller

[billd766]

5 hours ago, habanero said:

 

He won it in 2016 in an unpowered Glider.   Hardly a "Top Gun"

Contest Results: Intermediate Glider
US Nationals Championship 2016, KGYI, 9/24 - 9/30 2016
Ranked by scores
Rank	Pilot	Aeroplane	Registration				Totals	O/all %
HC*	Khorn Soonthonnitikul	DG1001	N-501DG	997.77	1149.33	1110.51	3257.61	75.408
1	Trevor Rogers	DG1001	N-501DG	972.85	1218.90	1050.53	3242.28	75.053
2	Connor Watson	DG1001	N-501DG	1019.11	1146.17	973.82	3139.10	72.664
3	Christopher Masi	DG1001	N-501DG	961.59	1150.40	1020.97	3132.96	72.522
4	Taylor Marshall	DG1001	N-501DG	1007.11	1090.59	1003.72	3101.42	71.792
5	Reagan Moore	DG1001	N-501DG	1031.22	766.03	927.96	2725.21	63.084
6	Brian Ross	DG1001	N-101DG	687.98	846.50	922.41	2456.89	56.873

 

You have to work a lot harder in a glider than you do in a powered aircraft and you need to be far more aware of the outside world too.

[Bill Miller]

"You have to work a lot harder in a glider than you do in a powered aircraft and you need to be far more aware of the outside world too."
I very much doubt that this is true, especially when it comes to dogfights in fighter jets.
An ex girlfriend, who was a very senior commercial pilot,  owned a Pitts Special. Loved doing aerobatics.
I only had a few hours in a T28 myself, courtesy of Marine Corps ROTC. 

[JAFO]

Hey Lets be fair. Congrats to the guy. He won the competition and its a nice achievement. No need to hate on the guy. There are some really good pilots from all over the world

 

What seemed to have got many US folks wound up was the headline. I just laughed at it personally. He is not a "Top Gun".  He won an aerobatic competition. The Top Gun classification is only handed out to top combat pilots and it is held at Miramar, California. 

 

Nice Job to the pilot though

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

Thais have so little to be proud of that he will probably be due for a medal

Yes he might well be issued a medal and good on him. A special release "Top Gun" medal which might just start a medal trend to add to all the other fashion medal trends.

If that happens then we should expect to see all military, air force, navy and police personnel wearing their newly purchased Top Gun medal alongside their parachute wings.