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The trailer says they "shoot journalists on sight". I guess it can't be that bad.

Recently started collecting UPT class patches from students we support here at Vance. Would love to see how creative they get. Here is 24-05. Feel free to post an image of your class patch.

What a fucking idiot. Hopefully, his line number disappears and he can go cry into retirement. https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/02/he-sees-all-white-people-as-racist-military-assessment-critiques-air-force-colonels-leadership/

What's the saying? You're always 3 flights away from washing out? Hook a check ride, 88 ride, 89 ride, and you're done? Some opinions, all worth what you pay for them. The anxiety and stress is real, and it's something you have to overcome. Pilot training is an interesting animal, and people arrive there from different paths. One one extreme, you have people who arrive at UPT somewhat ambivalent about being a pilot. They're fresh out of ROTC from Random State School, and flying sounded like "something cool to do." Others have made pilot training a lifelong goal, and fought tooth and nail at every step of the way just to get there. Waivers for whatever, many failed applications via various avenues (active duty, guard, etc). People fall somewhere in between these extremes, but it sounds like you're much closer to the latter bucket. All that work and pain to get to UPT is a double-edged sword though. Clearly you want it and are ambitious, but it also means that you're putting all of that weight on you every time you go fly. It's a lot of pressure, pressure that the student fresh out of school may not have to deal with. I know the solution is to "brush aside all of the anxiety," etc, but that's obviously much easier said than done. I don't know the solution here, but the first step is to recognize the source of the anxiety. You also kind of have to come to terms with the fact you gave it your best shot, and let the chips fall where they may. Some things are meant to be, others aren't. Maybe you pass this hurdle, graduate UPT, and get hit by a bus. Or some random medical thing pops up. Some might say "God's plan" and all that, but I think it's more accurate to say "it's just life." Some times things work out the way you want, sometimes they don't. If a commander recommends reinstatement, I believe they can also provide some limited additional rides as well. As in, you're back in, and you get 2-3 additional rides to get to where you need to be. Not sure how the holidays work, I believe there is some history of all students getting an additional ride after coming back from break, or something to that effect? Either way, give the CR your best shot. Don't know how your wing does it, but in the past I've seen the CC ask that you write a memo or something that outlines your case. Lay your cards out there, and see where it goes. Hopefully your IPs give you some guidance in that regard. Hope for the best, and see where it goes. If you don't get the outcome you want, go out and do something else with your life with the knowledge you took the shot and it didn't work out. Let that part of your life be something to grow off of, not something to hang onto in bitterness. Related, this thread got me thinking about all the folks I've known who didn't complete pilot training. I'm not very well traveled or well connected by any means, but this is just after bouncing around the Air Force and civilian service for a couple decades. I reflect on this list, and think about the people who held onto their bitterness for a long time, and others who just kinda moved on. You get to choose how you let it effect you (like many things in life). A Lt who was doing well through IFF, had to punch out of a T-38 and got bad back injuries. Can't remember if he was going to be permanently DQ'd from flying, or medically retired from the service. It was bad. Fought tooth and nail to be allowed back in, and was allowed to proceed as a non-ejection seat pilot. One ROTC instructor (Maj) who was washed out of pilot training and had a sob story about it. Was on a T-37 solo flight, and did intentional stalls on his own. Didn't think it was a problem to do stalls solo, his IPs disagreed. Was reclassed into a non-rated field. Went through some long process to "get his record changed," or something to that effect, with no success. Probably all for the good, because the guy was kind of an idiot. Another ROTC instructor (Maj) who washed out and was told he had three choices on his next career field: Nav, Nav, and Nav. Seemed to go on to do good things, but was a bit cringe-y in how he seemed to still have not come to terms with it. One co-worker who washed out, but still had a T-37 hanging from his office ceiling. He seemed to look back on his time fondly. Another co-worker who SIE'd early on after putting "pilot" on his ROTC dream sheet as a lark, more or less. One O-6 Air Base Wing CC who was respected, well liked, and seemed to be good at his job. At his retirement ceremony when he talked about his career, he briefly mentioned that he "Started his career with six months in pilot training. Unfortunately, pilot training is a 12 month course." He smiled and moved on with his speech. Along with all the guys I knew who fought for the chance to go, got close, but never got there for one reason or another: One guy who came in to the Air Force non-rated, and applied for board after board, and didn't get anywhere. He was crushed at not being able to fly, and even more crushed at being stuck in a support role. One old timer who was all lined up to go to pilot training with a waiver for being slightly over the age limit. Vietnam drawdown happens, waiver rescinded, and he was out of luck. Anyway, good luck OP. Thanks for providing the opportunity for an old man to neglect his day job and reflect a bit.

So first thing I’ll say is great on you for being honest with yourself that alot of your problems seem to stem from poor preparation and/or study habits. More on that later… For the near rocks of getting through this ride, it should be the relatively simple pre-solo stuff that requires very little improvisation and athleticism to fly well. Everything you do should be under the “control and performance” concept where you set a known pitch and power setting and get a known result. If you’re not getting exactly what you’d expect from that setting, then make small corrections from that instead of just guessing the correction. This definitely applies in the pattern and will help control any wild deviations. Whenever you pull closed, pull the same amount nose up, the same bank angle, the same pull to displace you appropriately every time. When you get to that known spot, you make adjustments based on wind for when/where to perch etc. Also, by doing that very rote maneuvering, it will gain you a few seconds of SA to actually assess and get you caught back up to the airplane. A trick I learned back in the day from the F-15 community was “left hand, right hand, sight picture, feel”. It applies to everything and I personally like it because it breaks things down very cleanly and will set you up for success. Try drawing out the pattern or wherever you feel jammed up and apply that mnemonic. Even your GPS thing, look back at that scenario and think what you could’ve done with left hand (power setting), right hand (probably bank back towards the center of the MOA), sight picture (level turn away from a border now eyes go to GPS to push buttons in a sequence), fee (1G unacclerated turn). Once you’re done setting up, what’s next on your lineup card? Same deal to set up for TP stalls or whatever. Lots of words there but the last thing I’ll tell you is that worrying about all your sacrifice and hard work won’t do shit to help you on this ride. “Fighting in the air is not a sport. It is scientific murder” said Eddie Rickenbacker. The airplane couldn’t care less about your personal life. Compartmentalization is massive in this business and learn to leave all that behind you and focus on your left hand, right hand, sight picture, feel. Good luck!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0g4NfOLu0t/?igshid=NzBmMjdhZWRiYQ==

It's just SWA being envious of UAL, DAL and AA: now, SWA can say they are "an airline with Wide Bodies".

Schedule was about done when it was revealed the ADO was non-current.

DEI and intersectionality should be returned to hell where they originated. When you seek to divide, it’s usually successful, to your detriment and to your organizations.

Scuttlebutt only at this point but I've heard ACC, AMC and GSC all go away and a new MAJCOM called "Combat Forces will be formed encompassing everything from Fighters, Bombers, Tankers, and Air Mobility in one giant dysfunctional command. Sounds like a giant flashback to the Composite Wings under good ole Merrill.

As Rainman once (or multiple times) said, “never talk to the media”

No, just one...it was this guy. Do you even read the shit you post?

California and Texas alliance? That’s one hell of a fantastical leap! Probably a smart plot device actually to not make it an easy red vs blue thing.

F-22's doing CAS? Ron Swanson as President?! What's next? Cats and dogs living together?

Every time a movie has a political foundation, it sucks. This one will be no different.

It's a Rorschach test cloud sticker. What you see is a projection of your psyche. So if rolled up by some chief/etc, and they claim it's stripper, counter with "its a white dragon kissing the earth and I got it at a Game of Thrones convention. I like dragons, don't you? And where do you get off saying my dragon is a stripper? And why do you hate strippers?" And walk away...

They give those out for free at Area 51 if you buy the chicken wings.

If the driver is anything but a caucasian straight man, it'll stay

and you believe that leak? leaked on the day zelensky was in DC asking for more money? after watching our government lie during COVID i don't take anything they leak out at face value. "a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN"

The seatbelt extender should be the go/no-go for having to pay for an extra seat to be empty. And if that will cause someone to get bumped, it should be the person that is too fat to fit their backside in a normal seat. Our society has become a parody of itself. In the 80s and 90s quest to give kids self esteem, we forgot that what people need more than self esteem is shame. Shame has kept societies functioning far better than self esteem ever could.

Since the TSP revamped the website not too long ago, there is only one way. Any reference to paper forms is old gouge. On the website home page: click "more" on the menu ribbon, then click "withdrawals and rollovers out" then go from there as it's fairly self-explanatory. There is no agent who will do (or can do) anything for you except step you thru the website. Your receiving agent can do nothing. TSP needs you to supply the account number and the address of where to send the check. Example of Fidelity IRA (found on Fidelity website): Fidelity ATTN Direct Rollovers PO BOX 770001 Cincinnati OH 45277-0037

I taught Luke at Rucker when he was a stud. I remember one particular NVG flight with him where it was like CT with your bro. He was a tremendous dude with a phenomenal attitude. He worked hard and was super willing to learn. He finished the program really strong. Luke, we will miss you dude.

I recommend Air Traffic Control. You get to work in the control tower, talk to pilots on the radio, and watch them takeoff and land. I would also guess ATC would be better for eventually applying to UPT because you get good at talking on the radio and already understand a lot of local flying operations. Anecdotally I know several enlisted ATC guys that were picked up for pilot but don't know any AFE guys.

Says who? One of the primary reasons I support Ukraine is because they are willing to die for their country. Western Europe is no where in my calculus.

An oldie but a goodie. (Babylon Bee) CNN Forced To Cut To Commercial As New Political Commentator Adam Kinzinger Crying Again