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Kind of reminds me of a story from a family member who flew with SAC (B-47 and B-52) and in Viet Nam (EB-66). On a training flight in a T-33, which gives you an idea how long ago this was, he departed from I believe somewhere in Missouri enroute to Bryan Texas where a miscommunication with the ground crew regarding refueling led to a flameout and ultimately successful dead stick landing. Turns out the ground crew left the fuel cap(s) unsecured, and he missed that on the pre-flight. He did go to an abbreviated FEB common to that era and he was sentenced to hand carry a fuel cap with him everywhere he went for the next 2 weeks. Different times indeed.

I think we should be able to discuss ORM without jumping straight to this is the military so we should be all gas and no brakes. I’m glad we aren’t crashing airplanes like we did in the 50’s, getting yelled at and doing it again the next day…

Nobody is hating on you kid. But if this is how you react to a little ball busting on a forum, trust me you don’t want anything to do with the fighter community. 1. Your dream of flying fighters is like 96.69% of every other kid going to UPT. If everyone could just walk into a guard sq and get a fighter, everyone would do it. 2. Yes, I’d accept the CSO slot then work up. If you couldn’t get to UPT on AD, the guard reserves is much more competitive unless you are “special”. 3. I cannot tell you how many times we see young Gen Z types l, some with golden resumes, internal recs and a lot of experience think they can just show up and get a job to find out that 69 people are competing for 1 spot. Good luck. Again, nobody hating, if you need genuine advice go ahead and DM me, but I sarcastically replied to your post as I would a student fighter pilot. Grow some thicker skin, lose all Sense of entitlement. Reach out for real advice. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Attack and destroy the two parent traditional family and abort millions of babies. Import illegal immigrants to make up for the declining birth rate. I also read somewhere that this administration is pro illegal immigration because of the money. Lots of articles above related to mayors, governors and the feds needing billions and billions of dollars to handle the influx. It’s a way to funnel massive amounts of money into the system. No different than Covid. Makes sense….

Back in the days of overwing refueling we sometimes install the caps but not latch them on a very hot day to account for fuel expansion and put a write up in the 781 to make sure to check them on crew show.

Not a poke in the eye, this statement just got me thinking. When did we start looking at flying in the weather and pushing it hard in training as a bad thing? It's the military. We're supposed to be able to deliver anytime, anywhere, in any conditions. In my last 5 years before retiring last year, I saw anything that even approached that attitude as being reviled. In a different world (think Cold War...which we're in again...) this crew MIGHT (depending on what actually happened) have been commended for bringing the jet all the way back and mostly in tact despite what appears to have been an airborne fire. Instead, the default now is 'who's to blame' and 'why did we take so much risk'. The military culture used to embrace risk takers. Go look up documentaries of how the British SAS/SOE used to train their operatives. Death was normal and expected. Hell dudes in the USAF in the 50's used to routinely crash jets. Not abhorant, just expected and normal risk. Save your life, save the jet if you can. Get yelled at. Go do it again tomorrow. Do difficult and dangerous things specifically because doing those things makes you better. Now...not so much. Observation, not critique.

Where are you at??? At Columbus, the average is 2-3 AD slots plus the Guard, Reserves, and international.

But you don’t ever pay for it, because the nature of AF moves means no one will ever be held accountable for decisions that provide a short-term benefit with worse long-term outcomes. Big decisions on acquisitions and personnel don’t come home to roost until the people who devised and approved them are several assignments in the future. There’s no personal or institutional financial penalty because the budget always goes up and the bad decision makers always get a defense gig afterwards.

I'm at UPT now and honestly from what I've seen the track rates have been more or less normal (approx 5-7 per class). I've even heard of some classes that had more 38 slots than interested studs, so some people got non-vol'd. If I were you, I'd take that AD slot if you end up getting it. Better to end up at UPT for sure and compete for a 38 slot against a handful of classmates rather than compete against 100's for a guard slot. Either way, good luck to you!

We kept our coach... Like I said, zero fucks given. We've crushed the recruiting portal, I thought '25 would be our year. We'll be a contender again in '24, just like we were this year. I think we'll also be in another conference come '25.

Don’t be a hot 2Lt and try to be Miss America? Copy—I’ve lived by this code my entire life and will continue to do so.

Not just a fighter pilot, but a Top Gun fighter pilot!!! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/madison-marsh-miss-colorado-may-become-top-gun/ What was Rainman's #1 rule again? I guess the USAF PAO is pushing this!

Why must you be the screen door on my submarine?

Totally agree. I never WX cancelled for WX at mins. An approach to minimums is something aviators should be comfortable with, and you certainly don’t want your first time to be when it matters versus a training sortie. Now below mins is a different story, I’m not going to divert and buy a new toothbrush…

Anyone who supports shit like this or worse, actually believes in it, are the dumbest motherfuckers to waste oxygen in our earth's history thus far. Its well beyond "everyone's entitled to their opinion," and squarely lies in the realm of "you lack the mental processing power of even a below average adult mind."

When I was on the WIC staff from 17-20, every fighter WPS had a Major DO. Pretty wild stuff that it’s CC’s now. Also, if there’s any A1 flesh peddlers out there, I’ll go fly a fighter and babysit all the young bucks as an O-5. Service Before Self. Preferably Lakenheath or Kadena or Hill or some other nice place. No Korea. And I gotta fly a lot. And I get to delegate everything to the O-4’s for their leadership development. Meet those, and I’m yours. Oh yeah…only TX course and Santa Claus IP’s. That’s it.

I swear I saw an airline pilot thread around here somewhere...

How could someone disapprove of an Eleanor Roosevelt quote!

Thanks again guys. Unfortunately the CR did not go the way I had hoped. This is definitely not how I had envisioned this journey ending when I started it 6 or 7 years ago, and it hurts about as much as you would expect, but I’m gonna try and still be the best officer I can be wherever I end up.

Selection for what? Are you trying to be a pilot? You said Air Force, but you posted your question in the Guard/Reserve section, so are you looking at Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, all of the above? It sounds like you’re pretty new to this whole thing and most people here are going to be happy to help, but your questions are quite broad and vague. However if you spend some time browsing these forums, you’ll find tons of useful information that will help you out a lot.

Timeline update! Applied: Feb 22 Interview/Notified of selection: Nov 22 FC1: Feb 23 Package routed to NGB: June 23 Routed back down due to NGB not seeing my graduation date in transcripts (wtf?): Sept 23 Package approved/received unofficial dates: Oct 23 OTS: 30 Jan - 29 Mar UPT: 13 May (Columbus)

Well you clearly deserve a fighter so if it looks like you gotta compete on active duty, you should just go to your guard unit of choice and tell them you want the first UPT slot available which fits your schedule. Make sure you request Sheppard so you don’t have to be around non fighter types. I’d hate you to be dissuaded by as the big blue does. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app