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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/01/2024 in all areas

  1. Today is 1 August... On this date in 1955, Tony LeVier went for a taxi test on Groom Lake in a new Lockheed aircraft that had yet to be flown. However, the aircraft had different plans, and before he knew it, Tony was airborne in what was the unplanned 1st flight of the U-2. So today, the pressure-breathing, pressure-suited prima donnas celebrate 69 years above 69,000 feet. And tomorrow, over 25% of all living U-2 pilots on the planet will gather for an exceptional Homecoming to celebrate the solo flights of what could be the last class of U-2 trainees. Hail Dragons
    3 points
  2. If I sent word out through informal channels to Sq CCs, DOs and Weapons shops that too many pilots are pressing weapons abort criteria, buffoning instrument procedures or failing to comply with published regs regarding wearing rings and then I show up on an announced check ride only to find pilots are pressing weapons abort criteria, buffoning instrument procedures, and failing to comply with published regs regarding wearing rings, I'd have no problem complying with checkride grade criteria and grading appropriately.
    3 points
  3. focusing on gloves, baseball hats, rings, sock color, zipper length, sleeves rolled up too high, patches, etc etc etc is nauseating. i'm sure you had good intentions, but Q2ing a patch for a ring seems excessive. maybe he just forgot to take the ring off before engine start? if he told you to pound sand after you asked him to remove it then point taken. evaluators should have the "big picture"...i can't imagine a smaller one than focusing on a guys wedding ring. "has made Stan/Eval inspections friendly instead of feared." as a former evaluator in 2x MWS i vehemently disagree with you that stan/eval inspections and/or check rides should be "feared". respected certainly. but when you talk about wanting someone to "fear" your inspections i think you need to check your motivations and ego. you should be explaining to the crew that this is a normal ride and you are only there to make sure they are executing per the vol 3 like they do every single day. mistakes will be made, documented, and debriefed. Q3/Q2 should be the rare exception for heinous/dangerous mistakes or BLATANT/WILFUL disregard of flight rules. wearing a ring doesn't rise to that occasion. if anything you owed the patch the professional courtesy of not embarrassing him, pulling him aside privately, and voicing your views on the matter. you assumed that since YOU debriefed his sq/cc and other crews that HE heard it. maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but Q2ing someone for that makes me roll my eyes. what kind of remedial training did your Q2 accomplish? besides piss off a whole squadron of crew dogs? much, much more effective and mature/professional ways to solve that issue than throw paperwork at the guy. now cue the "if you can't do the little things right HOW CAN WE TRUST YOU to do the big things". i have no time for that foolishness. reattack: the best evaluators i saw were the ones everyone went to with questions. approachable. imagine that. the worst evaluators were the ones everyone "feared".
    3 points
  4. Maybe the solution lies in a Hollywood movie. Each aspiring USAF pilot gets matched to an old crusty vet that teaches them with stolen sim time til their dad is captured by the evil side, then they make a plan and steal a few planes and save the day. A leg-strapped cassette player is required in order to intimidate the evil side with Twister Sister.
    3 points
  5. “The preliminary investigation revealed two groups were shooting at each other.” While this is horrible for the family, especially losing two children, this incident appears to be gang related, though of course I don’t know all the facts. If so, when a 16 years old is involved with groups shooting at each other, my initial question comes down to parenting—who is allowing their 16 year old to be involved in such activity? Unfortunately this is happens elsewhere in the country and it has to be fixed with better parenting.
    2 points
  6. Understand your main point fully. Re: inference of context: I’m not inferring any, but if you have some additional data I might understand better. If homeslice was being openly hostile to the rules and pressing to test: he deserves to walk away with a Q2. If your prior efforts never broke squelch at the unit and it’s normal to wear rings (like not wearing gloves is accepted in some communities)… his FEF isn’t a useful tool, and an evaluator giving the patch a Q2 for a ring under those circumstances is teaching the wrong lesson at the wrong level. I don’t know what the examinee’s intent and context was, so I don’t know if the evaluator in your story was being a turbodouche. If turbodouchey: I hope ops sups are checking his safe to fly boots and not-tumble-dried flight suits at step on every flight. I don’t understand the gen Z speak. Tension? I think I understand. I would say A3V fulfills a role within the MAJCOM’s OT&E responsibility: quality control. For many, the only MAJCOM staffer they’ll see in daily life is a HHQ FE. When those dudes show up worried/mark up FEFs at the unit for things that don’t break squelch at the lower echelons, the ability of the MAJCOM (not it’s 3V) to support the unit is degraded due to a lack of mutual trust.
    2 points
  7. You’re absolutely within your rights to do this. You’re flat out right… but (IMO) informal isn’t the best answer when the result is a formal process that takes things away from subordinate commanders. (Humans, time, resources for retraining.) There’s a formal process already, and that formal process exists so that commanders at all levels (the ones buying risk for their formations) are informed and have input/recourse. The formal answer is an SII plus HHQ N/N and/or SPOTs (usually ICW a planned inspection/visit.) A good HHQ Stan-eval program will also send informal coord that might sound something like “Bros, we have a problem. This is a command priority. Expect spot objectivity checks with an emphasis on SIIs. Don’t make your dudes force a choice between your Q3 or theirs.” The folks running those HHQ 3Vs are just schmucks (div/branch chief) working for a dork (director) working for the commander, who actually buys risk. They’re not the MAJCOM speaking unless they’re explicitly and formally speaking for the MAJCOM. (Doesn’t need to be queepy; “I trust you, do what you think is right” is just as good as a 100-page eSSS.) It’s all about risk. Abort criteria & instrument proficiency? Guarantee a 3V staffer and commander are of the same mind for corrective actions that are going to take somebody out of the fight for retraining. Send it. Rings and boots? Dude, depending on how maintenance is doing, it might be faster to medically return to fly after an unplanned 4th finger amputation than a Q-3 (tongue in cheek… except for the B-1.) I wouldn’t want to table drop the 3/4-star his new “no rings” SII, but would bust the door down with actions I took on his behalf if folks are nearly morting as a trend. Everything has a cost, even following the rules, but following them harder. Commanders are the ones who decide how to pay the bill; that’s why the formal process exists.
    1 point
  8. Perhaps the same type of people who would make this “deal”? https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/americas/viktor-bout-profile-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html Or this one: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/americas/viktor-bout-profile-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html
    1 point
  9. Maybe, that depends on the prison. Russian prison, fuck yeah…US coddled prison with 1st world amenities, hell no.
    1 point
  10. IDGAF about him spending the rest of his life in jail versus executed. If he offered something up to get that deal, even better. Besides, getting killed is the easy way out. Enduring the rest of your life in prison as you slowly waste away is a better punishment, IMO.
    1 point
  11. When all you had was a senile old bubbling man, and you swap him for someone that can complete a sentence, it's like winning the world series bowl. But still no guts. She should invoke the 25th, but won't because no spine.
    1 point
  12. MSM machine in full effect for Harris. Feels like the tide is turning fast against Trump. It didn’t help he put his foot in his mouth about Kamala’s race today. Just an idiotic statement. I don’t know if it was accidental genius, or all part of the plan, but throwing Harris in at the last minute with just a short run up to the election may prove to be the wining move. Democrats have figured out that hiding your candidate as much as possible, especially when Trump is the opponent, is the play. They couldn’t hide Biden after he got inaugurated, but they could hide Harris. A Harris admin will be such a cluster, not that the last 4 years hasn’t been already. The assassination attempt feels like it was years ago now.
    1 point
  13. They prefer to call it an innovative approach to student centric learning using a competency-based training method.....
    1 point
  14. There’s a tension within squadrons against A3V because (to quote you) they should be “feared”. It’s like having a dad that beats you if you tell him you need help with your homework.
    1 point
  15. Ok… regarding rings in the cockpit and a particular evaluator, sure. I suspect Joe average also learned something about a forest, trees, and to not trust the humans on staffs that supposedly support the mission. Wasn’t there; context of the examinee’s intent matters. I’m sure you did the right thing. This just strikes me as perpetuating the “you’re incapable of understanding the divine calculus that resulted in an AFI” attitude that’s resulted in a generation of officers who choose compliance over problem solving and reading assignments over leadership.
    1 point
  16. I don’t know. Don’t ignore the Vol3 blatantly in front of a MAJCOM evaluator? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  17. If they were wearing a ring while TDY-Q3 for judgement
    1 point
  18. 1 point
  19. They had an experienced IP onboard who didn’t uphold standards or do the other things expected of someone in that role. There were a shit ton of complacency problems in this crew that are a unit problem. The commander and DO set the tone. There are things within flying that are independent of flying skill that are easy to set the tone on. These people weren’t doing any of those. You can blame big AF for a lot of things, but lackadaisical complacency isn’t it. Instructors and squadron leadership should be setting the tone on the admin and tactical discipline. These people ed up, and their squadron mates displayed a lot of the same deficiencies, whether the AF has screwed flying training and hours over the last 20 years or not. Quit trying to provide a cop out. Edit: as much as can be believed from the nav AIB pres, anyway.
    1 point
  20. Joe Dirt Nap, if you will.
    1 point
  21. 1 point
  22. As I have been saying for years, the mainstream media continues to violate the most basic journalistic standards and ethics. If you think CNN's Donna Brazile giving Hillary the debate questions in advance was a one off, think again. The Biden campaign drafted questions for the president’s interviews on a pair of Black radio shows Now that they have been caught the station fired the reporter but it is the tip of the iceberg. These clowns are complicit in hiding just had bad that demented meatbag really has become.
    1 point
  23. Didn’t Nsplayr talk about how much he thought Biden was doing an awesome job?
    1 point
  24. 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.
    1 point
  25. You can’t make shit this up. Fortson’s younger brother was just shot and killed. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/16-year-old-dies-dekalb-county-apartment-shooting
    0 points
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