Leaderboard

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend the MCAS Cherry Point Air Show as a photographer. Thought I'd add a couple of shots. (Have literally hundreds more, it was that good a weekend...) I know a lot of you fly, sometimes almost daily, but I'm a crew chief, long out off of the flightline (and I feel pretty privileged that you guys let me stumble through the Base Ops door now and then.) I never got an incentive flight during my time - probably wasn't in long enough to really deserve one - and have to admit for the years I was on the flightline, and pretty much even since, I've wondered - dreamed about - where my airplane went, what my pilot saw and what they did after they left chocks each day. Well, Saturday at Cherry Point my number was called and I strapped in to the back seat of Art Nalls' Aero L-39 Albatros. (Art's a retired USMC Lt.Col. and current civilian Sea Harrier owner and pilot.) Also learned that the most empowering, yet most concerning phrase I've ever heard, is "Ok Mike, you've got the airplane." Sure I know the mechanics of the flight controls, I've been imagining them since I was ten, but in that one moment I was flying, not just riding, but flying. While each of our steep turns, aileron and barrel rolls both reminded me of famous people, his, completely easy and smooth like Bob Hoover, and mine, well let's just say Ray Charles and we'll leave it at that. But it was thirty minutes that I'll never forget if I live to be a hundred. It was magic, I can't even think of words to describe it, and after all of these years, just with that short view of "the other side", I understand. Not sure I'll ever look at things quite the same way again. Mike Aero L-39 Albatros .5 Hours

No - this is much, much worse. Still, I am happy for the folks headed out - getting what you want in life is important. And timing is everything... Chuck Edit: For a point of clarification: this will be worse in the C-17 community, who will have now endured two force reductions which have decimated the IP ranks since its inception, one in 2006, now one in 2014 (and a minor one in 1999). Though years apart, the cumulative effects of starting a community between 1994-1999, the outflow of IPs in 1999, constant mobility operations without any letup between 2001-2006, the VSP debacle of 2006, the expansion of the community 2006-2010, its organ-donor relationship with the RPA community, and now its inevitable retraction (CHS and TCM will each lose a squadron - sorry Pathfinders and Food Lions), and the 2014 VSP have taken quite the toll on the active duty force - not sustainable. Training is down, experience is down, morale is down. Picking up the pieces will not be easy given the compound interest of the problem at hand. Fly safe dudes, watch your asses.

No, the union always faces forward. You're correct, that guy is a mouth breather.

Agreed...I've met several LTs from SEC schools that don't speak English fluently

Thanks Fbomb, I could care less at this point. You must be a wing exec or something.

Never too late to learn to fly

Will require pics of ATM & picnic table to know if this was justifiable....

Late to the party, on leave so I called TFSC. Approved! 2005 11M 2.75 yrs UPT ADSC C-17 in AETC Congrats to all those getting approved and best of luck to those still waiting! Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Approved. '06 11M. ~3 yrs. UPT ADSC. Congrats to all. I guess I need to get started on that Truckmaster Driving School app.

You should see Creech, last one out get the lights!!!

Pipeline RPA dudes aren't 11x's and aren't pilots. They are pilots*. *Not able to be rated for any manned aircraft

Approved 2004 11M filling an RPA billet for the last 4.5 years 14 Months UPT ADSC waiver In other news, my wife was tentatively offered a training slot to RETURN to the C-17 (from RPA's) today.

32-Year-Old Houston Man Sues Stripper Claims he "loaned" her money and wants it back. "Nomi" says there is no such thing as "stripper refunds." Apparently there's no lawaway plan either! He says he's learned his lesson and will no longer "date" strippers! BEST LINE: "I've given him gifts to, y'know. How do I get bootie and boobs back? See video at link. Stay class, Houston!

Appreciate the help, but it is irrelevant at this point.

No, but if you have any expectation to be taken seriously in your complaints to any governmental official you need to have your facts squared away.

AFPC is not a major command, its a field operating agency.

Yes, because no one else has ever screwed in a 135... Ever. And, when I was a maintainer, my nuts were never put on the boomers chin rest... Ever.

This is issue about how one industry -the ISPs (who are decidedly not monopolies) charge another industry -the content providers (also not monopolies). Other than preventing collusion and ensuring monopolies don't become established, the government should stay the hell out of deals between businesses.

Thanks. No. Well, I would start by making those stated objectives. Instead, SECDEF has tasked the services to "improve safety and reduce the risk posed by alcohol" and to prepare an "implementation plan." The focus is on alcohol and on the plan--not on sexual assault. The wording you used would be much more effective guidance. Your words put much more focus on the actual problems and don't micromanage the solution. Regarding how to "create a service culture that abhors sexual assault", I would start by looking patterns. Do we know what sexual assault abhorrence looks like? Would we know it if we saw it? Do we have some communities that already abhor sexual assault? What things are those communities doing differently? Do some leaders appear to have a history of tolerating sexual assault? Can they be eliminated? Can we predict which units will have more sexual assaults? Can we identify other conditions that can predict sexual assault? [side note: I don't think that alcohol consumption by itself is an effective predictor of sexual assault because, by far, the majority of times alcohol is consumed no sexual assault occurs.] Unfortunately, the service won't come up their own, they'll do what SECDEF told them to do. 100% agree that that we have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment, which includes crime prevention. For clarification my comment was directed at the alcohol risk reduction implementation plan, which I don't think will accomplish anything towards reducing sexual assault. I don't think that legitimate efforts to prevent crime is a distraction.

Here's a sneak peek for you ladies at what I'll be doing if I get RIF'd... writing ChickLit. It's probably just as important to the defense of the nation as the monkey dance I do on a daily basis right now anyway.

I'm happy for everybody in my year group that gotten approved so far because that lessens my chance of getting RIF'ed in the fall. Keep the good news coming! Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

First let me say I'm sorry for posting this video clip but the Transgender education must move forward (caution advised). CBT#3; Androgynous:

Bad analogy. The EU is not a sovereign nation. The US is. England and Germany are not states of the EU in the same sense a Michigan and Rhode Island are of the US in the least.