Leaderboard

You forgot the classic... Gird your soldiers in belts of light, that they might be visible from every aspect. None shall smite they that glow.

Thank you Mr. Webster. Related question, what is the distance from an airfield where it's safe to become hypoxic while flying?

We all know that we are going to get a wide variety of commanders. Some you would follow anywhere they asked because you know without a doubt that they are looking out for you (a very rare breed these days) and then we have the majority of our current managers who couldn't lead a bowling ball down a hill. When you have an actual leader as a commander, even in the worst of conditions they will rarely have to use the term "suck it up"... and if they do then you can be damn sure the word "we" is going to preface it and not "you". I've been in really crap situations with a great commander and guess what... nobody complained about anything and because of the way he led there was even an "Is that all you got?" attitude amongst the guys. Morale was through the roof! We've been at this for a long time and folks are pretty burnt out. Ridiculous ideas like "everyone is a warrior" and "resiliency" coming from some commander who hasn't been in the fight for 4-5 years because he was off at Staff and School doesn't mean shit to that TSgt MX or SP troop who just PCS'd to Langley and is headed out on his 7th deployment while his recent ex-wife and young kids are still at Travis or McChord! Does he need to hear "suck it up" from his Sq or Wing Commander? You can't lead through e-mail and Commander's Calls and you certainly aren't going to lower suicide rates amongst a tired force with buzz words and CBT's

WTF...maybe the numbers in AP1/B are going to Base Ops? Whichever base is the scheduling agency for the route, find a number to wing scheduling at the OSS and call them. They will know what you're talking about. Wing scheduling should also have SA, or at least be able to point you to the right person, regarding range availability in their area.

Do some research on Meniere's Disease or Meniere's Syndrome. The four classic symptoms are tinnitus, hearing loss, feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear and occasional vertigo episodes. After 13 years of flying for the AF, I started to have similar issues with my left ear. Over a ten month period, I had 7 vertigo attacks with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that would last from 2-4 hours. It was horrendous. I was DNIF'd and run through a battery of balance tests and MRIs. Visiting an ENT is a good first step, but I highly recommend that you insist on seeing a NeurOTOlogist (not a neurologist). They specialize in inner ear issues. I was placed on a diuretic (Maxzide), and all the symptoms went away except for the tinnitus and slight hearing loss. The AF then made me show 12 months of symptom-free history before I was returned to fly. Bottom line, this is a serious issue that you CANNOT afford to fly with, and if you fly with a crew, you would be endangering other people. However, try hard to keep the words "Meniere's Disease" off your medical records. Find a flight surgeon, and a neurotologist that will treat you for MD, but are willing to stay vague in your medical report with terms like "vertiginous episodes". Believe me, this road sucks, but you need to get help for this.