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Mackay Trophy

The reason that the Lt’s are jaded is because all of their true mentors are bailing for the airlines at their first opportunity then reporting home about how stress-free their lives now are. Not because of what they are reading on BODN.

I found an obscure article that just came out that might explain.........😁 Fallon, NV (AP) An American hero is back. Following a desperate call by the US Air Force and Navy for retired fighter pilots to consider returning to the cockpit, Pete Mitchell, better known as “Maverick” is returning to the skies. Turning 60 later this year, he is one of the oldest fighter pilots to answer the call. When asked if he’s concerned about being able to keep up with his younger counterparts, he quickly dispelled any doubts. “I’ve been working as an instructor at Air Combat USA”, Maverick explained. “I’m one of the most requested instructors and I always tell the customers that they can be my wingman any time…… They really like that.” Mitchell also touched on his fitness routine which involves, “A LOT of volleyball…..Just a whole bunch of volleyball.” Beyond his time in the spotlight 33-years ago, Maverick has had his share of ups and downs. There is much about his time in the Navy that has been relatively unknown to the general public. He enjoyed a storied 30-year career that began with fits and starts trying to escape the shadow of his controversial father and some misdeeds of his own. His story took a turn for the better following multiple MiG kills, a spin as a Top Gun instructor and tying the knot with his new sweetheart “Charley”. Success was his new back-seater and for the next 25 years, he lived a charmed life. However, as the twilight of his career approached, things began to unravel. Expecting to be promoted to Rear Admiral, Maverick ran into trouble when a faded polaroid surfaced and began to make its way around social media. The picture clearly showed him extending his middle finger to another country’s fighter pilot at very close range. Once it was learned that this foreign pilot was, in fact, that services first woman fighter pilot, it was just a matter of time before he was facing the first of several sexual harassment law suits. Other women fighter pilots from the United States as well as several European allies came forward with similar “me too” charges of airborne insults. “It…was just awful. I felt so marginalized and ridiculed. That kind of behavior just doesn’t belong in a fighter. We’re up there training to kill people and he just took it to an ugly place. It’s hard to see the HUD, let alone gun someone when you’re having to constantly raise your visor to blot away tears.” said a French Mirage-2000 pilot on condition of anonymity. Feeling pressure from all directions, the Navy began to re-evaluate Mitchell’s pending promotion. The final death blow came from retired Admiral, now California Senator Phillip Benjamin. Benjamin was able to build support in the Senate to disapprove the promotion. It’s unclear what his motivation was, but it apparently involved his daughter Penny and had something to do with Mitchell’s flying as the Senator was overheard saying to himself, “How’s that high-speed pass looking now, Mav?” Forced to retire at the rank of O-6 in 2010, Maverick put the Navy behind him and began to look for new career opportunities. Three unsuccessful major airline interviews were all marred by persistent inquiries by HR about the polaroid and rumors of his use of the women’s bathroom at the Miramar O-club. His attempts to deflect the questions usually involved agreeing to answer on condition of murdering the interviewer afterwards. Needless to say, Mitchell’s transition to airline flying never really left the ground. To make matters worse, it was at this time that it became readily apparent what had really been behind Charley’s overly enthusiastic pursuit of threesomes with Maverick. Unable to remain in denial any longer, their threesomes became twosomes and Pete wasn’t invited. While difficult, this period carried a silver lining simply because even he had come to admit that Charley had pretty much let herself go to the dogs. Childless, thanks to Maverick spending 4000 hours sitting 5 feet behind a 3-Kilowatt radiation source, the marriage dissolved quickly. The last 8 years haven’t passed without some difficulties for Mitchell. There have been several failed business ventures including a Karaoke Bar. Patrons typically left frustrated because there was only one song on the machine and Mitchell usually insisted on singing it with them. He does admit he took a while to adjust to civilian flying, even the mock dogfighting he now teaches at Air Combat USA. “It was tough at first”, Maverick explained. “It got better once I got them to install the locker room for the post-flight showers. A lot of good learning happens in there. I think everyone comes out a better combat pilot than when they put that towel on and walked in”. But now Maverick is ready to put that part of his life behind him and begin the re-launch of phase two of his Naval aviation career. The world is watching and MiG pilots are running scared. Look out.

New LTs at UPT were already saying “this is the coolest job in he world! Too bad the AF sucks and I will be getting out in 10 years” as soon as they showed up. No one was saying that 10 years ago when I went through UPT. LTs are dumb, but they aren’t stupid.

Yeah, I respect said dude that made the post, but’s he’s off the mark there. Telling LTs about the AF screwing up RIFs, VSPs, promotions, squadron manning (I.e MAF crew ratio reduction) isn’t poisoning the well is valuable education albeit mostly negative. However, there’s an easy solution for this, if the Air Force doesn’t like us passing on the screw ups to the younger generations, stop fucking screwing up on a perpetual basis!

With some of the very people responding, I have heard them talk about how the ship is sinking and the efforts to stop it have been pitiful. Put them on a Facebook page full of Sq, Gp and Wg commanders and leadership and they start talking about how “pretty darn good” things are. I am at a point where I don’t blame leadership anymore, I blame the idiot O-3s and O-4s who know how bad things are but would rather gain political capital by jerking off people in positions of perceived power.

The part of the story that hasn’t been addressed yet is, after landing, and after shutdown, some poor bastard had to unstrap from, AND dismount a seat, that MIGHT still be about to go. “Nope, I’m good, I’m gonna just sit here, head back, elbows in, visor down until sometime next week. At least it will stay cool now that it’s a convertible.”

"Beer for life if you can land this thing." - Some OSO

Oh good. Another data point for the CSAF that “it’s not about the money.” Could we as a union agree to stop shooting our own feet?

I'll see your domesticated animals and raise you a bear. Buffy was a Malaysian Sun Bear that was donated to the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron by Laotian pilots following a rescue. Buffy was hand raised, drank beer, and wrestled with the pilots daily. There was even a duty position in the squadron at NKP called the BCO or Bear Control Officer. Following the ending of the Vietnam War, the aircrew arranged for Buffy to be donated to the St Louis Zoo in 1973.

That is because AMC doesn't value dudes who are good leaders that are excellent, mission focused pilots. Being the #1 IP in an AMC wing will get you a cheap looking trophy. Being the #1 FGO in an AMC wing gets you a fancy medal at the awards ceremony with a pretty good shot at "the path."

Surprised this didn't make it to the forums. This happened on May 1 and initial reports were vague https://www.reporternews.com/story/news/local/2018/05/01/abilene-based-b-1-bomber-makes-emergency-landing-midland/570523002/ Yesterday however Task and Purpose had this pretty interesting article. https://taskandpurpose.com/b-1b-lancer-emergency-landing/ Granted this is hearsay and rumor at this point, but damn, if this is true helluva job by that crew Breaking News: Hero B-1 Instructor Pilot and crew land B-1B after in flight emergency (IFE). On May 1st, 2018 a two ship out of Dyess Air Force Basedealt with a situation that no pilot wants to ever encounter. The incident involved a Rockwell B-1B Lancer 86-0109/DY named "Spectre", which was built back in 1986. During flight they encountered an over wing fairing (OWF) fire indication on fire warning panel climbing out of low level, followed by #3 engine fire indications. Crew then executed checklist for both, including fire bottles, but OWF light did not go out. The aircraft commander then called for manual ejection. Auto means that if anyone in the front station punches everyone goes regardless if seat is safed or pinned. Manual means that an individual physically has to pull their handle. The offensive system officer (OSO) was the first to pull, that’s why the missing hatch seat retracted and the hatch departed. When the seat did not go up the rails the crew were left with two options at that point. Continue manual ejection for the other crew which means the OSO would ride the jet into the dirt or take the jet as far as they could while maintaining aircraft control and try to save the OSO, which is why the crew elected to land at Midland Airport. That type of Emergency Procedure (EP) has never been successfully recovered in the B-1. The IFE occurred towards the end of the sortie coming off Instrument Route 178 which is a level route along the Texas and Mexico border. After the failed ejection, there was approximately 15 or more minutes of flight before landing. It is assumed the crew had helmets with masks attached for oxygen. The hatch that blew off has yet to be recovered. The photo of the B-1 in the hangar shows burn marks in the OWF, which appears to be caused by the fire that that crew observed in flight. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was on scene after the landing due to the seat shielded mild detonation cords (SMDC). There is no guidance for failed ejection in the Technical Orders (TO). The OSO would have died for sure and there was potential to loose the entire crew racing to Midland trying to save the OSO. Instead the crew made the choice to stay with the OSO and luckily the IP stayed calm and acted to save the life of the crew and B-1B. For that, we believe the IP and crew should all be recognized for their heroic actions that day, which brought credit upon themselves and the United States Air Force.

There comes a time in any organization where people start to get salty. When I showed up it was about the time someone was a mid level major. Now, it’s freaking LTs in UPT. That’s a problem guys.

Guys keep saying ARC can't fill slots...how can Draken et al fill their slots? If ARC/USAF needs to add more bonuses or work rules to the specific job to compete, then so be it. Or if that's too much trouble, make the pilot portion a contractor job. I just can't believe that we have to contract out so much of our military, especially the flying piece. We don't have the budget, manning, and equipment to train and fight, but from a different pot of money we can overpay companies to do what we can't. Think about that. We don't have the the strategic lift capability to fight the wars we've been entrenched in for 15+ years. When I was in the army, we paid a ton of money to a government-owned russian company to fly our helicopters in an antonov, alongside C17s and C5s, to training centers and to Iraq and Afghanistan. We didn't have the C17/C5 ability to fly our own strat air missions. And red air seems, of all things to contract out, like something that can easily be kept in house. Instead, we are sending billions of dollars to for-profit contractors, who own the old outdated metal being used to train us. Is our inflexibility and incompetence in our acquisition process to blame? Is it the way those GS13 jobs are designed and the strings that are attached that make them unappealing? Why would someone choose to fly for Draken when they could have the same pay/QOL as a GSXX, if appropriate rules/bonuses existed, in newer ADAIR purpose built planes, or at least more modern fighters owned by the US. I assume the LM T-50A TX competitor could easily get a radar/mission equipment put in it. The FA50 version has it. I assume the boeing TX could as well. Regardless of what metal is used for adair/red air, I just can't see why it needs to be a contractor getting almost a billion a year, when a lot of that money could be used to buy our own equipment and pay for GS/contractor jobs in house.

There is a fairly easy solution to this all. Go 10 years or so without Captain's PRFs, RIFs, VSP, TERA, and non continuing Majors. All of us who remember those days will be out of the service, and you'll not have us imparting that kind of wisdom to the new Lt's.

His entire post is par for his anal spelunking career. The entire thing is right out of AF PME.... Step 1. Relate to your audience: “while I consider myself a pretty salty major”. Bullshit...salty majors don’t cry when they’re not a first look school select. Nor do they tell me to zip my flight suit pocket the day I get back from recon after a 6 month deployment. Step 2. Tow the party line: “I would challenge all of us to do some introspection and stop poisoning the well when we talk to the up and coming pilots.” GFY, you didn’t come to this conclusion, the brass at the top dropped that down your gullet like free shots at the Blue Oyster. Also, only GOs use the word “introspection”...not heroes like us with masters from Trident/Toro/TUIU/whatever they are now to keep them in business. (We all know the best schools change their name to maintain accreditation.) Step 3. Boast to the world how awesome you are. “Hey Pilot Network, I just sat down with the CSAF. Everyone look at me and how I just sucked my way to Sq/CC!” I would love to read that OPR bullet.

Unbelievable. What's the point of going to roll call if you spend it in a safe space?

I have the aircraft, Co you have the radios....

Probably because it takes an investigation to determine if the failure is bad mx on that jet, part failure, widespread defect, etc.

Be gentle and be sure to provide a safe space for after the debrief.

Cancel IFR

I don’t know why it’s so hard to just say “we had an idea to try and make things better and we fvcked it all up. Sorry guys, we will do better next time” and then fix it and move on.

No argument here that the current system could use an overhaul. My comment was specific to Commander's doing what was right for their Airmen. Again, if Howard was a the prototypical "good dude" his SOS records would be a text-book case of a Commander doing the right thing. Let's not make it more difficult for them to take action when needed. I've read the article a few times. Ned makes some valid points that are in line with my own. IMO, the system needs a formalized peer-review. The bad apple's paper doesn't match reality when the peer opinions come into play; i.e. the self-serving nature is obvious to the bros. Are they truly as self sacrificing and inspirational as the push line states? The bro network will generally be closer to the truth of their motivation...do they truly care about making the force better or are shining their own ass to look good?

A big part of why people don't want to go RPA is because they don't want to go to Holloman, Creech, or Cannon. If you're going ANG, you've already solved that particular problem.

You're welcome

Fwiw I had an AF 3 star try to help me with an AD to AD transfer several years ago when I was about to get out of the army. He emailed his buddy who commanded AETC, as well as some of his other 4 star buddies searching for an age/commissioned service waiver for UPT, and it ended up being a dead end, even with high ranking people trying to help me. The shortage wasn’t a thing though, so maybe it’s different now. But you’re probably a lot better off trying to go ANG/reserve regardless, and I’m glad that’s how it ended up working out for me. I’ll be 35 starting UPT with over 5 years time in grade as an O3.

This is good news for us w/ tons of Amn: TL;DR - Enlisted Performance Reports are no longer required for regular Air Force Airmen in the grade of airman first class and below with less than 36 months’ Time-In-Service or Air Reserve Component Airmen below the grade of senior airman. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1407800/air-force-saves-airmen-time-no-longer-requires-first-year-evaluations/