Leaderboard

Remember, the house of cards is almost entirely predicated on every officer self-enforcing 100% productivity in the hopes of getting promoted. There is no external mechanism for getting you to work more than the minimum. Here's a little pick-me-up for the next time you don't want to do some pointless project gathering data for a commander who will just take the CYA option anyways: Put all the numbers into Excel, but don't use borders, colors, or formulas. Add/subtract/multiply/divide things by hand and type them into the cells if necessary. Don't resize columns or rows to make the numbers fit, just leave the scientific notation. When you get the email back asking for conditional formatting, notes, categories, borders, etc, simply point out that you have no idea how to use Excel, since the Air Force offers no course on it at PME. There is no way to "teach" it reliably. Every formula they tell you to Google is one bad keystroke away from taking longer to fix than just do themselves. Mediocrity is a liability for a commander or DO that intends to make general. You have been freed from more than just your dreams of being a LtCol.

Never been a UPT instructor but I always hated UPTs system and felt anything could be better. The more and more I recollect on my experience there, the AF never taught me to fly. They handed me a book, a disk full of CDs and a syllabus and I taught myself how to fly, after which my progress was graded by an "instructor." (This is not a knock on IPs, they are great Men and Women who do the best with the tools they are allowed.) My understanding is UPT NEXT uses new technology in the VR and sim spaces to increase repetitions before students get in the plane. Working off my perception of how UPT was, it makes sense that if you give the students better tools to teach themselves you will get a better product.

The Air Force doesn't define who you are. Great day when I realized that.

Can we baseline against UPT from 6-9 years ago before the fix-to-fix was taken out of the syllabus?

https://download.aopa.org/epilot/2007/sa03.pdf A lot of pilots I talk to seem to think that we are still required to complete a biannual flight review. AOPA breaks down some common questions and clearly explains that we do not need one within 24 months of a USAF checkride. Also, I think there is a pretty good sized group of us on here that own airplanes. More specifically Vans RV airplanes, it is the most fun for your buck if you want to buy something.

Go get your AMEL Commercial Instrument FAA certificate, for starters.

Read the FARs, specifically 61 and 91. Mil medical = 3rd class. No need for biannual if you're getting annual mil eval. It's all there.

Please note I do a lot of non-VA business in the Seattle area if your son would like to interview more than one lender. Purchase prices are rather impressive there, and every dollar counts! I can be reached 913-253-0190 apaterson@nbkc.com Amy Stuhr Paterson NBKC Bank - We are the lender that started this mortgage thread.

I feel for you man, but the system is designed to push/filter the promotion-eligible candidates with the best chances through a small window, so the O-6s have to make some very tough decisions. Take some time off, regroup, return to work, remain professional, keep working hard, and look for assignments or projects that will build your credibility for the outside world (cyber, acquisitions, leadership...). Mentor the junior officers (if they are willing to listen) so they are informed about their own careers. Don't be one of the grumpy, ROAD dudes, because we have enough of them already. Plus, you'll never know who you might impress in the future. Remember, the rank doesn't define who you are as a person.

Hey RASH, Have him give Jon a call or email. He’s our loan officer licensed in WA. We’re typically .25-.375 lower than the national average on conventional loans, but Jon can work up some specific rates for him. We’ll make sure to give him the best deal we can. Try to make it as painless as possible. Marty Jon: 850-377-1114, jk@mythl.com Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Right! - Does anyone in Ivory tower even listen to the commoners/step foot outside of their tower? - I'll give them credit for nixing the one big bonus per career. - I could work as little as 9 days/month at DAL (13 days/month counting Guard duty) and I would still be taking a 15-30k paycut to take the bonus. This even accounts for the tax benefit of mil pay vs civ pay. - Most of our Perm AGRs are filled by dudes still under a UPT contract, thus not eligible. - We utilize temp AGR and ADOS to bring guys back on orders...here's hoping they'll waive the Perm AGR requirement. - We don't need a 1:1 pay exchange. But if you want us to come back to computer systems that barely run, epic battles with DTS, a system that seems to always be fighting you and fly the same as a part timer...it's going to have to be much better than 35k to sign on for 2-years (I understand 35k is the federal limit...by why not 1 year). - Unless they waive the Perm AGR thing, this bonus will likely do very little to help my squadron. - I would have jumped at a 35k/1-year bonus. - My 2018 DAL W2 was 22k more than what I'd make if I took the bonus right now...and I only worked at DAL 9 months that year...

I can't do a decent job explaining it but i'll try. First let me say I have an inclination toward cynicism. Be it innate or just bitterness over organizational failures I've seen in the AF. My bullshit detector for insincere platitudes and pep-talks is always on high gain. I also know that the SWA culture is often derided as a "cultish" by outsiders. It kinda is, but I'm buying it. It all goes back to Herb. He knew most everyone's names, he hugged and even kissed all his employees, dudes included. Yeah I know, sounds gay. He drank, smoked, and threw wild parties. He was serious about cutting through the B.S. and making airplanes fly. His philosophy was "Take care of the employees first, and the customers will come." Herb is gone and SWA is a big airline now with big airline problems. Many aspects of the old SWA culture has dwindled, but a lot of it still exists. I won't go into everything, but there's books written on it and it's Fortune magazine's 11th most admired company in the world, behind #10 FedEx, and I can see why. Here's just a few things. When I walk in the pilot lounge to check in for my trip, I get a hug from the ladies in the base coordinator office. If the Chief or Asst. is walking thru, he'll stop, handshake, crack a joke and visit. I often get hats, pins, cards, and other things in the mail for no good reason. All the company communications emphasize real positives. FAs often bring snacks, we often buy ops agents and gate agents coffee, new Captain upgrades typically serve hot dog lunches in the lounge one day. SWA throws big parties several times a year. The header of every paycheck says "Deposits made possible by your Southwest Customers." Maybe all this exists at other airlines too, I don't know. I just know I like where I'm at and I'm over 10 years in. I could just show up and get a paycheck for flying airplanes, and there are many pilots who do, but it's a heck of a lot more fun if there's an over-arching atmosphere of fun and positivity. And it doesn't feel fake when the company has the numbers to prove it's success. I know that all sounds touchy-feely and it probably doesn't count for much when most people just want to get paid big bucks as quick as possible for working as little as possible. But once you've experienced it, it counts for something.

I ever walk into a bar and these fire fighters & flyers are on site.....I'm rigging the bell and slapping the credit card down. Quote me. Very nice work. ATIS