Leaderboard

I bet the real reason is that Emirates' pilots "are not provided the opportunity for meaningful leader development."

O-4s: “we are leaving at the end of our commitment.” AF Leadership: “Say no more, let’s ask the Navy Lt why AF O-4s are leaving” Seems about right to me.

This. This. A thousand times this. Belongs in "why the AF is f*&#ed" thread. I've considered myself lucky anytime I've had leadership I feel comfortable being open and honest with (i.e. no reprisal for my sharing information about my personal/family career desires and goals), and it's certainly been the exception and not the norm. When you win the lottery with a commander you are able to be honest with, without exception, it is a drastically different feeling (empowerment) and the system can work SO WELL. Sadly it's not common.

Write a book?

Down range viewing I recommend Workaholics, Deadwood, Westworld, Back Door Sluts 9 (saved in a folder titled “Masters Work”), and the opening speech to Patton set as your alarm clock.

Let’s not forget how they killed that green beret in Africa too for not accepting the money out of the “informant fund” the SEALs have been skimming. https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/us/politics/navy-seals-green-beret-death-mali.amp.html

CAFB 18-09 T-1 C-130J Little Rock AFRC C-130J Ramstein C-17 OH AFRC C-17 Dover C-17 Elmendorf C-5 CA AFRC C-5 Travis KC-135 TN ANG 2x KC-135 HI ANG KC-135 KS ANG KC-135 McConnell KC-135 Kadena KC-135 Fairchild KC-135 March KC-135 Mildenhall KC-10 McGuire U-28 Hurlburt T-38 2x F-16 TBD F-35 Luke MC-130J Kadena KC-135 Kadena C-130J Dyess T-38 FAIP Columbus

What’s Driving the U.S. Air Force Pilot Shortage? https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/04/whats-driving-the-u-s-air-force-pilot-shortage/amp/ Navy pilot Lt. Jack McCain claims that Air Force pilots “are not provided the opportunity for meaningful leader development.” If this is your boy, please tell him to STFU. He isn't helping.

I’m sure you know as well as I do that declining to compete on my last look is equivalent to showing my cards before the flop is even delt. Does it weigh on me that I could have possibly taken a nomination from someone who wanted it? Yes, but I am keeping doors open until the last possible moment. I have to do what’s best for my family and my career, in that order.

Thanks for the advice @Champ Kind. I’ve never been a fan of having to play the “I want to be the next CoS” game, but I’ve never had enough trust in my leadership to be open and honest about my career aspirations. @tac airlifterCopy, I fully intend on doing so.

Champs comments are good, but I’ll add my opinion: if you don’t want to do it, and you can option out, then option out. Make your own choices.

1) It depends. #4 from a large wing or center of 20+ eligibles? I’m assuming not since there aren’t too many 2* WG/CCs out there. Or was it #4/4 from a staff director? The larger the pool the more significant the push and the better chance of getting picked up. 2) There has not yet been an eligible O-5 IPZ group that could have declined IDE to receive promotion board results. 2004 YG on their third look for IDE was the first IDE eligible group with that option. Their O-5 IPZ board is not until next month so you won’t have any possible data points until those results are released. My recommendation would be to see how the IDE results pan out and keep your options open. If you ID now, you are showing your cards early. With pilot retention being what it is, nowadays I would generally advise people to just be honest with their chain of command as to their true intentions rather than play the “I want to be a commander” game I grew up with. In your case, though, it sounds like you intend to stay in and compete for O-5. I think you can make a better case to decline school for family QOL reasons rather than remove yourself from contention now.

You use bing?

Not a dig at you, But what it’s gonna take is guys acting with conviction and not doing the stupid stuff even if it’s to the detriment of their careers. Unless a mass group does that it won’t change.

ACSC was totally worthless. SHACK That said, it’s not all that time consuming if you can fog a mirror. This mindset is feeding the AF machine in a negative way. Rationalizing "worthless" tasks is EXACTLY the reason we are all stuck in this sinking ship. I was able to knock out most of the self paced classes in well under 2 hours, and the group classes took an average of maybe 6-9 hours spread over a couple weeks. Congrats.

It's lazy/uncourageous leadership looking for easy discriminators instead of getting know their people (and giving them honest feedback).

That, right there, is where you went wrong.

You would think, but we have in fact ramped up production through syllabus cuts, maintaining break neck lines per day (much more emergency returns recently than is generally expected), leadership encouraged PA's, as well as waiving multiple sorties in current classes until the new and "improved" (shorter) syllabus is fully in swing. OBOGs be damne'd the machine carries on. Side note old timers should be happy, we are using paper gradebooks again for our new syllabus until TIMs can be whipped into compliance (it too is rebelling, yay Timmy!)

Huggy. I've spent the last 7.5 years deliberating and waiting for life to slow down so I can build my RV-7. I waited so long that eventually the -14 was introduced and I was quickly sold on it. When my profit sharing check showed up a couple of months ago, my wife told me to buy the dam tail kit already (she's a keeper!); guess she got tired of my constant yapping about it. I went to the Vans factory last month as well and got the full tour and RV-14A flight. Having flown in -6, -7, -8, and now the -14, I have a decent ability to compare them. Of course, I am now building the -14 so I am a little biased. The best way to think about the -14 is "2 seat RV-10 capable of gentlemans aero, and builds more like a -12." It is by far the best to sit in for room/comfort and has great visibility with the lowered longerons (-8 would be close). It's very light and nimble but also very well balanced. The -10 airfoil used was a great choice (just shorter span) for cross country or IFR. Also, the usable load is insane. You can almost always take full fuel and load- literally two hop across the country if you can sit for that long. Usable load for aero is great as well, especially compared to -6/-4. It's a hot rod like any RV. The throaty -390 lifts the -14 off the ground as fast as you can gently apply full power. I swear within seconds of leveling off at 2500 we were already doing 150+. My plan is to fly with Mrs. Wonderful Wifey all over the country and then beyond. She would absolutely appreciate the difference between the -7 and -14A. I also want to be able to introduce people to basic aero (loops, rolls, Cuban-8's, etc). If you're thinking about the -14 you will not be disappointed. The quality of the kit components and instructions are incredible. My hold up will be waiting for money as opposed to time. As my project gets underway, you're more than welcome to come visit. I'm up the road in Truckee. Cheers! (Pic of -14 and -14A)

Thought I would add my experience to this topic in hopes it could help somebody. I failed depth perception (uncorrected) at MEPS on letter B. It was extremely alarming and decided to go see my civilian doctor who told me difference of refractive error within eyes can negatively affect your depth perception. I let the doctor dilate my eyes and he was able to write me a prescription for corrective lens, which are ALLOWED to be used to take the Depth Perception test during your flight physical. I took the DP test again during my flight physical and was able to pass through letter F (perfect). If you ran into this issue, don't stress but make an appointment with your civilian doctor to get a glasses prescription.