The O'Neill Paradox

[The Prophet]

....it's... ...all... ...an.... illusion...

*spooky*

[Unbreak]

Well, the way you people are talking, it seams air force is the place where we can find the greatest minds in the world.

Operational knowledge and scientific knowledge are very different, pilots need the first. They DONT need to have a physics background, or know how to make a atomic bomb in order to be a pilot. They need to know the part of physics that are involved in flying a aircraft.

Carter isnt a perfect pilot, I really think it would be stupid to risk someone like her as a pilot.

In real life, there are lots of colonels just like him. In fact, most of them probably arent like the idea of geek colonel that was said here.

AND, saving the earth several times, and sometimes doing that alone ( I mean, sg1 alone, no an army and all ) you CAN be an ass and all.
Hell, if the program was made public, he could even get elected president. o.O

[Steam]

Jack is a genuis hence "MAGNETS"

[Everlovin]

One can not be stupid or lazy in order to survive and succeed the way Jack has, doing what Jack has. Therefore, it is all a front.

[MerryK]

One can not be stupid or lazy in order to survive and succeed the way Jack has, doing what Jack has. Therefore, it is all a front.

Not exactly true. It can easily be somewhat of a front, in that he's got "street smarts"—he's cunning, quick-witted, strategically minded, determined—but lacks "book smarts". He's neither stupid nor lazy when it comes to street smarts, but when it comes to book smarts, he's definitely lazy though not exactly stupid. Believe me, survival and success need very little cerebral intelligence.

[Jackie]

Well, the way you people are talking, it seams air force is the place where we can find the greatest minds in the world.

Operational knowledge and scientific knowledge are very different, pilots need the first. They DONT need to have a physics background, or know how to make a atomic bomb in order to be a pilot. They need to know the part of physics that are involved in flying a aircraft.

Carter isnt a perfect pilot, I really think it would be stupid to risk someone like her as a pilot.

In real life, there are lots of colonels just like him. In fact, most of them probably arent like the idea of geek colonel that was said here.

AND, saving the earth several times, and sometimes doing that alone ( I mean, sg1 alone, no an army and all ) you CAN be an ass and all.
Hell, if the program was made public, he could even get elected president. o.O

Where in my post does it state a pilot needs the physics level needed to make a nuclear weapon?

Physics is a very broad term and aerodynamics is physics. Flight manuals have basic physics in it, a pilot needs to know the physics behind the aircraft they are flying to understand what the craft does. An apple falls on your head it's called gravity aka physics.

Carter would be the perfect pilot, she knows the physics to a craft, the engineering to the craft, and computers that run them. In essence, she would be a perfect pilot...for the task of pilot. If you want to get technical, she shouldn't be going off world on SG-1 cause she is the head of her department. Major security risk there.

The subject of the thread was Colonel O'Neill being smart and thick...of all the pilots and air force personnel I have meet, none play both. Usually, pilots in general are very bright people with leadership skills. No offense but I have yet to meet a dumb pilot or officer.

In order to get a pilot's license there are a number of things a pilot must be tested and pass on. They need to know navigation, weather, how airspeed and weather can effect fuel consumption, mathematics, flight maneuvers, what the craft will do under certain conditions. Todays pilots need to have some computer skills.

It's not like stargate's pilots where John Sheppard can jump into any alien craft laying around, start the thing up and go.

Even aviation greats like Howard Hughes, who could fly the plane from factory to airline co, had to read the manual.

[The6thRace]

I don't really question whether or not an alien aircraft can be flown with any amount of knowledge. Lots of things can be made idiotproof, and while I certainly don't dispute that flying an aircraft is difficult, there are surely ways to make alien spacecraft as easy as driving a car, which even a kid can do with just a little bit of proficiency.

I don't know though, just seems like O'Neill wouldn't be the type to be an actual pilot. And I know the air force isn't all about flying, but yet he is, as he has test piloted the X-301 and flown the X-302 on important missions, as well as briefed other pilots on the X-302. Then there was the fact that he did a lot of covert ops, which I guess is within the realm of possibilities, although weird for someone who trained to be a pilot. Doesn't it cost the air force something like a million dollars plus to train just a single pilot? It doesn't seem like a good idea to switch someone to covert ops when they already have a useful and specific skill set.

[System Lord Anubis]

I've got my Associates in Computer Programming and I really hate when I do techno-babble. I try to simplify it the best I can. I'm incredibly smart, got good grades and marks where I needed, but hey it's all about personal preference. I noticed sometimes when you use techno-babble you make the other person feel quite inadequate as well. Just another point out there to add an emotional quality to it.

[Steam]

I'm incredibly smart, got good grades and marks where I needed, but hey it's all about personal preference. I noticed sometimes when you use techno-babble you make the other person feel quite inadequate as well.

dont forget modest to haha

[Rudy Pena]

Well, the way you people are talking, it seams air force is the place where we can find the greatest minds in the world.

And the laziest people(The Air Forces PT test for the running part is one mile as the Army's is two miles).

[Rudy Pena]

Actually it's a mile and a half.

still lazy.

[jenks]

How quickly do they have to do it?

[Rudy Pena]

How quickly do they have to do it?

Well for the Army it depends on your age group. The Army PT tests standred is 60% all three events(Push-ups, Sit-ups, 2 mile run). Ages 18-21 is 42 push-ups, 53 sit-ups, 15:54 two mile time, but these are the min you need to pass. But as you move up in the age group the standred goes up. And when you get to a certain age group the standred starts go decrease.

Note: This is for the US Army only.

[garhkal]

One could also assume since he was 'black ops' *iirc* for a while, he was taught what he needed to fly planes as part of that.

[atfan]

Jack O'Neill in the film was much smarter than RDA's version. RDA gave the character a "thickness" for the sake of humor.

If Jack was real...than he would pretty much be a genius. Not only for pilot training but also for military career school. His degree in military operations would have to be master's or above...for major general...probably even higher.

In order for Jack to be an officer, promoted to full colonel, he cannot be as thick as RDA played him. And the show even had carter stating he was smarter than he let on...but in real life, any colonel who acted like Jack wouldn't be tolerated for very long. Doesn't matter how many time you saved the earth from aliens too.




Kind of need to know physics to be a pilot. Need to be really good at math too. Need to know weather patterns, aviation mechanics...with modern aircraft...a bit of a computer wiz.

He doesn't need to speak 37 different languages.

Carter as a pilot does fit with her scientist and mechanical background.

So true besides Jack was way smarter than he pretended to be. More than likely he had some type of engineering degree to get to the pilot program plus he could have gone in with as litttle as an associate degree and then finished pilot training get bachelors degree and then get masters in something like military tactics and strategy he wasn't dumb he just needs to know the basics in order to make a decision and be an effective leader he knew when to defer to Carter or Daniel or even Teal'c depending on the situation by playing dumb your enemies underestimate you which can be an advantage especially in covert-ops and SAR which he did as well. In order to make General he would have had a master's at least. You don't have be a math genius to fly just understand the concepts of velocity,lift trajectory etc.
If he did go in right out of high school he was enlisted not officer and then he could have gotten his comission after completing some program but in the program like that you earn college credit while serving.