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Gutsy? Or foolhardy? You make the call... http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/03/after-a-decade-aloft-ready-for-a-landing/ (don't know how to disguise/shorten link on iPhone, sorry)

Why not? We could use a few more opinions.... There IS a trend. The trend is that in a few cases, dudes disregarded the rules for whatever reasons and got burned. Some died. Show me one period of aviation history where that HASN'T happened. There's a reason rules are rules is all I'm saying. The vast majority of experienced aviators, and dare I say officers, know that there is wiggle room in any set of rules giving operators more than enough room to maneuver or hang yourself. The choice is ultimately up to the operator. Ive flown with guys who knew every goddamned line of the V3 by heart. They could quote the 11-202 like scripture. And when they came upon a decision or mission that required them to THINK rather than recite, to decide how far to BFM the rules... they froze. Literally, stopped thinking - inability to make a decision. Rules are necessary. And strict adherence to regulation is not practical in all cases. If you want to be an automaton that doesn't have to think, this job ain't for you. Check that - you could always be a ground safety officer (don't get me started) or a SNCO on shoe/sock/lightbelt patrol at a deployed location earning your Bronze Star... Bottom line - there are times when rules don't apply and you have to manage the risk/reward benefit (thats what they sent you to all that training for): when lives are on the line, combat, emergency, etc. Airshows and flybys ain't on the list. Chuck

This new focus on PT is retarded. I know guys who are cross-fit freaks who go on about how awesome the new PT focus is, but really? We're the fucking Air Force. How important is being able to crank out a million push ups in 30 seconds? We now live in a world were flying hours are getting cut, funds are scarce and you want to shift the focus away from mission excellence? The only fucking thing that matters is getting the job done, everything else is ancillary. If a dude is obviously a fat ass, sure put him on a program to un-fuck himself. But is it really worth it to the AF to take an otherwise excellent aviator/troop/leader and hamstring him due to lackluster performance in an area that has nothing to do with his ability to do his job?

The aircraft commanders are both permanently grounded. Perhaps that's what's needed to get someones attention. The 2 Navy F-18A pilots that flew low over the GA Tech football game last year loss there wings as well. It's amazing that during the Army Navy football game in Dec, the Navy's flight of 4 F-18 flyby could be hardly seen. I guess some people got the word. Maybe its time to put military aviation in the NFL. That's the No Fun League. If you think the services are getting chicken shit, get out and fly for the airlines. But remember if you bust their regs like flying 150 miles pass your destination while on your laptop you'll get fired too. I guess flying is a serious business. Any course of action on the T-38 flight of 4 flyby as of yet? If they flew at the proper altitude they should be given a written apology. They have been put through the ringer. If the flight lead intentionally flew low on his final flight, he needs to be permanently grounded even for the ANG/Res. And if the FAA warrants a flight violation, hopefully that will kill his commercial aviation career. I assume he was an exceptional Officer and pilot but his grounding will serve another purpose. That's to have a positive impact on other aviators to follow the regulations. Don't even want to write about the C-17 crash in Alaska. And I won't. Does anyone see a trend here, and how do you lessen it?