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Moose, the weapon in question is DA/SA and the defense argued that it was stolen while in SA mode and the light trigger pull of 4.4 lbs contributed to the gun “accidentally discharging.” Anytime the trigger is squeezed, it is no longer an accident and becomes negligence in my opinion, but many folks still consider it an accident if they squeeze the trigger and something they don’t like happens. NS— firearms definitely do not regularly discharge accidentally. Mechanical failures causing a discharge are extremely rare, but you might be of the camp who considers it an accident if you squeeze the trigger and recive an unintended outcome. My general take on this trial is that we don’t know what evidence the jury heard to reach their outcome. However, that so many liberals I know are pleased this guy escaped a murder conviction has forever turned me off to their opinions on gun control. Here we have a multiple time felon, illegal immigrant, with a stolen police weapon who kills an innocent person with the stolen weapon. If one cannot support a criminal conviction in this instance, we have a philosophical disagreement that can never be bridged and nothing left to talk about regarding gun control.

Staff: “The reason guys are leaving is the huge pay gap between the Airlines and what we can pay!” General: “I have a great idea. Let’s widen the gap even more by making enlisted pilots!” *All others in room stand and applaud in unison* Just a scene from a play I am working on.

The general feeling I get is that the City of San Francisco is more concerned that an illegal immigrant not be subjected to immigration laws than the fact that an innocent person was shot to death by someone who had no right to be in the country. They’re more concerned about their holy status as a “sanctuary” than hey are over the death of this woman. Nothing could be more political.

But seriously, not one post on this here internet (anywhere) has successfully addressed the VERY low hanging critique that a lesser-paid individual has LESS incentive to stay in the AF long-term. Read: enlisted pilots have a greater incentive to separate at their first opportunity than do officer pilots. So, given that, how does having enlisted pilots solve our manning problem?

Because they need it. 3 months doing T-6 instrument sims in a cardboard box made to look like a cockpit and Microsoft Flight sim 1998 software is not doing the job, especially when the follow on aircraft has no actual IFR instruments. (Mil hud and moving VFR map). Most these kids are smart, some have some stick skills and probably would have made it through regular UPT, but the quality of airmanship of the new guys is god awful. Hardware has been smashed and many of shots missed because of it. Q3, requaled in 2 or 3 days, put em back in the seat. Any other plane the knee jerk reactions would have happened years ago, but the generals need their pred porn and no flag covered coffins, so we brush it under the carpet and move along. Nothing to see here

Since when did we have a problem with the pool of candidates? We don’t have a production problem. It’s a retention problem. Enlisted would be less retainable than officers. Its not as if we are having problems stocking the UPT pipeline.

That depends on how badly a program needs to succeed.

My son is a CFI, has all the required quals to enter into this program, and he's currently flying as an F/O in a regional jet. After spending the last 5 years following his progress I can tell you that there is a clear difference in the way civilians are trained versus the Military. I witness the differences every year at my airline job when it's checkride time. The difference is, civilian training is low threat, train to proficiency. Unless your a real flight safety threat, they will give a student many chances to pass a phase, or checkride. If you screw up your V-1 cut, "let's try that again, and this time remember to step on the correct rudder". Each year at my airline, I am 110% prepared for my checkride, I have all the gouge, intel, and scenarios. Yet every year I'll run into a civilian guy and I'll offer my gouge, and his response is, "I don't want to know what's on the checkride, I rather see how I'd do without ithe intel" My reaction is always, "What alternate universe did you grow up in!" Many of them were trained to proficiency, so check rides are considered a non-threat event. This breeds a more lax, less prepared, less aware , mindset in my opinion. If this program succeeds the civvy pilots that succeed will have to be very good, highly prepared, and the type who goes above and beyond what's normally expected. It myay be an eye opener for many of them when they find out you don't get 4 or 5 strikes before you strike out.

i would expect it will go back to the levels of two years ago. It has actually gotten better the last 12 months or so, granted lots of young new guys but you gotta take what you can get, currently in the calm before the storm. I think the expansion of the 18x pipeline and expulsion of the 11s is the best thing for the community. For to long RPAs were a dumping ground for bad apples on the 11 side, or a place good 11s were forced to and became jaded. RPAs are a unique/developing enterprise, pulling manned guys initially made sense, but the AF needs to take the time/money to keep the 18s around to lead the force and develop the community. Hang in there, learn what you can from your casual job, make friends with the dudes in the current classes and get gouge. I waited 8 months after I commissioned to go on AD, and another 7 months casual at UPT waiting for my class dates. Sucked at the time, but as a exec assistant I learned a shit ton about the inner workings of how a flying squadron functions, and how to make the queep magic happen, helped a million times over when I showed up at my first ops unit.

You'd think that admitting to trying to shoot a seal would've gotten him the death penalty in granola land...

I hear there will be some available soon in Tucson.

Well, damn, another case of me not being able to read.

The very first line he caveats that it's an unfounded theory with no evidence. Not much onus for a citation after that.

Unfounded theory with no actual evidence: The efforts to turn enlisted dudes into pilots is a power grab by Chiefs. They will finally have control over actual Air Force operations by controlling the careers of the operators. They want the AF to look like the Army - crusty Senior NCOs calling the shots while mentoring/scoffing at inexperienced officer leadership. How I know this: the proposed solutions aren't effects-based, they're based on enlisted guys wanting to sit at the cool kids table. Enlisted pilots solve nothing. They won't hang around longer than better-paid officer pilots. They don't solve Delta's production problem (airlines want 4-year college grads anyway). Most importantly, they don't provide the decentralized decison-making ability/authority that we need in complex NKE-thrashed environments.

"Hey there Major. I don't care about your morale patch, I mean I'm cool I have even drank a beer before, I'm a bro. But I know the Wing commander does that silly stiff, so may wanna just take it off for a bit. I know I know..." LTC Everyoneever

HuggyU2 Agrees, a pic from his recent inprocessing after returning to active duty.

That one’s easy .... ”No”

It’s all about the near rocks and far rocks. Right now we NEED to generate new pilots. The retention issue, to me, is a different problem but obviously related because we’re talking manpower. I can only speak for myself (off-topic) but the AF has treated me and my family very well so I might be a skewed data point. Despite this fact, I’ve had periods of time where I thought...as soon as my commitment is up I’m punching. The weird part is that it wasn’t caused by: the amount of time I was deployed, the nearly twice-yearly visits to CATM, the unpredictable homestation flying schedule, or even the bullshit language CBTs for a culture I could give two hoots about. It was the pervasive fundamental under appreciation and lack of emphasis placed on aviation. The AF does a lot of great things, but pilots/aircrew are the fking life blood of this service. The moment the rest of this enterprise stopped looking up to the people who deliver hate to our enemies is the day we lost. It’s the daily attitude of “you’re all the tip of the spear” that ruined things for me. Example: quiet hours at the airfield for an outdoor change of command for the MSG. Guess what motherfkrs...airplanes can be loud. Guess what again...we need to train because there are soft pink bodies on the other side of the ocean that need to be reduced to hair, teeth and eyeballs. /rant_off. As mentioned: we are hemorrhaging as a force but sometimes you need to put some quikclot in that wound before you make it to the OR.

Oh, well if your after F-15s only the rules are slightly different. Make sure you bring something special for the crew chiefs and tell your current boyfriend not to get too jealous.