Mad Dog

It’s a balancing act, for sure. I have found that the more comfortable you are in the airplane (either guard/res or airline) the easier it is to juggle another one. I have witnessed many newly-winged pilots complete their unit indoc only to go immediately back to requal for their airline. The result is that they always seem to be playing catch-up, bouncing between checkrides and always feeling behind. It’s even more difficult if your MDS has lots of training requirements. Part of the business I suppose. I’ll shoot you straight, it can be a challenge to juggle family, airline and guard…especially if/when you’re junior at either organization. It’s totally doable, but it is going to require sacrifices. (Commuting, working weekends, missing holidays, going straight from an airline trip to the guard squadron, etc.) It largely depends on how much you want to work. Some pilots I know prefer to work a full airline schedule and complete their ANG duty on days off (more pay). Others will preserve their days off and use Military Leave to drop a trip(s) (more days with the fam). The only right answer is the one that works for you, your family and your finances. I have found in my experience that if you make a reasonable attempt to stay current/qualified, stay off the “lists” (physical, PT test, annual sim, etc.), and contribute to the needs of the flying schedule when able, no one will sweat ya if you need to lay low to handle family/airline stuff. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We recently fought a battle in my unit surrounding the rental of an AirBnB-style lodging outfit. To further complicate matters, the owner of said property is a squadron bro, renting to another squadron bro on 45 days of orders. Due to the length of TDY being greater than 30 days, the 75% flat rate per diem was in effect. The arrangement raised three challenges from Financial Management. First, FM cited the "stayed with a friend or relative" clause of the JTR which denies lodging reimbursement to a member if he/she stays with someone who does not charge them a fee. It is designed, in theory, to prevent someone from staying at Mom and Dad's house rent free, and pocketing the resulting per diem reimbursement. Understandable. However, Finance has expounded on this clause to assume that anyone in your squadron is OBVIOUSLY your friend and is required to house you free of charge. Despite the fact that an official rental contract was provided, and the dude renting the house out regularly rents the property in question, Finance was quick to resist. Second, under the Flat Rate Per Diem rule it specifically states that as long as a lodging cost is incurred, the member is entitled to all of the flat rate per diem. In other words, if the flat rate per diem is $50/night, and your rental agreement is $20/night, you get to keep the leftover $30. It's spelled out clear as day in the examples listed in the JTR, but Finance is dragging their heels and treating this like the traditional "use or lose" per diem. The entire purpose of flat rate per diem is that it is a win/win for the Government and the member. Uncle Sam saves 25% on per diem, and -- if the member is able to find a cheaper lodging solution -- they get to pocket some extra money. Third, the JTR specifically states that members claiming reimbursement for lodging under flat rate per diem rules are NOT required to provide receipts, but may be asked to prove that a cost was incurred. This leaves a very large gray area, but leave it to our Finance to dive headfirst into it in. In one instance, they demanded that the person renting the property provide his/her financial ledger. All of this because the two individuals engaged in the (legal) business contract were members of the same squadron. Could you imagine asking the owner of an AirBnB to provide a copy of their ledger so that you could get your DTS voucher paid?!? Ascenine... Anyone else having this issue in their unit? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Try the "invert colors" feature on your iPad. You can go into Settings, and set the iPad to invert colors when you click the Home button 3 times. This is a quick way to toggle between normal and "NVIS" modes.

XL 13-03 T-1 Drop C-130E/H, Little Rock C-130H, Maxwell (Reserve) C-130H, Savannah (Guard) C-130J, Little Rock C-17, Charleston (x2) C-17, McChord (x2) C-5, Martinsburg (Guard) E-3, Tinker KC-10, McGuire KC-135, Eielson (Guard) KC-135, MacDill KC-135, Kadina PC-12, Cannon T-1, Laughlin

Just received my IAS (clear and tinted) today. They might as well stamp "P**** MAGNET" on the box. Good to hear that other dudes are in the same boat. I have never worn glasses in my life, but have to fly with them. I am correct in my understanding that the only approved corrective lenses for flying while in the training pipeline are the Air Force Flight Frames (IAS)?

Dudes, How often do you get paid while at IFS? I have only done one TDY thus far, and that was for my FC-1 up at Wright-Patt. To get paid for that I had to submit a signed copy of my orders after I got back. I didn't actually receive money in my account until about a week after I returned, and that's not including my travel pay. Is this the same process for IFS? Am I going to have to wait until the end of IFS to turn in my orders and get my military pay? I hope that is not the case. My cash reserves are on E, and I'm nursing a loan payment each month. I was under the (hopefully not false) impression that once I started pilot training, Uncle Sam would be throwing me a bone on the 1st and 15th of the month. I'm sure this question has been asked and answered somewhere in the pay threads, but since it is specific to IFS, I figured some other clueless jackass might have the same one. -MD

Thanks for sharing. What's the deal with the Ops Limits as far as memorization is concerned? The sheet says that the items in red need to be committed to memory. What about all the other stuff??

Wait for it. It's only a matter of time.... Post-defecation Rectal Hygiene (Wiping). Upon completion of bowel movement duties, Airmen will thoroughly clean the rectum and surrounding areas. Cleaning materials are limited to the Standardized Air Force Rectal Sanitation Paper (SAFRSP). The Joint Service Post-Defecation Cleaning Tissue (JSPDCT) may be used in lieu of the SAFRSP until 31 October 2011. Compliant SAFRSP or JSPDCT rolls must be white, single-ply, unscented, non-absorbent, and of sandpaper texture. Ultra-soft, multi-ply, and papers with Aloe Vera are not authorized. Moistened cloths, such as baby wipes, are strictly forbidden. Within the continental United States, authorized paper rolls will be stored on the centerline of the stall, slightly to the toilet’s right. When inside a combat theater, paper rolls may be stored in appropriate locations as determined by the installation commander. When utilizing the above outlined paper, Airmen will conduct a front to back “sweeping” motion to remove any associated debris. Airmen are limited to two (2) feet of paper (approximately 6 squares) per cycle.

My entire experience was a huge Charlie Fox. I'm a guard guy, so things may be different for the ROTC dudes. When I went, it was all ANG/AFRES. We didn't have any sort of van, and the shuttle on base is intended for use by the students at the medical schoolhouse there. The times and drop-off locations are entirely inconvenient with where you need to be and when. I stayed at the WP Inn, and when I asked the guy at the front desk about a welcome letter, he looked at me like I had two heads.

And FINALLY have some dates here, with a completed medical. August 2010 - Hired February 2011 - Transferred from USNR to ANG May 2011 - FC-1 @ WPAFB September 2011 - IFS November 2011 - UPT

Rental car is an absolute must! My unit did not authorize one for me, and if it weren't for the charity of some of the other dudes there who did have cars, I'd have been SOL. The truth is, it is almost impossible to get where you need to be for all of your medical stuff if you don't have transportation. WPAFB is a huge base comprised of three different areas (A, B, C). Lodging is located in Area A, but the medical clinic is located on Area B. They are about 3 miles apart via interstate. If you have some down time, check out the National AF Museum. It's free, and it's badass.

It seems like answers to the "moral dilemma" questions are always the biggest concern. The "would you drop ordinance on a city in which your mother lived, if ordered to do so?" type questions seem like the trickiest ones to answer. To most of these questions, I think it is fair to say that there is no 100% right or wrong answer. The primary thing that the person(s) asking the question is(are) looking for is evidence of good judgment, and an analytical, decision-making thought process. They understand that it is a difficult question with a complex answer, that's why they asked it. As the pilot of a multi-million dollar piece of machinery, they want to make sure that you are going size up the situation and consider all of the circumstances before acting. On the contrary, they want to make sure that you will obediently follow an order, and do what you are paid to do. It's a fine line, but for the most part, if you exercise a little tact in your answer, you should be fine. My answer to the question "Would you be able to shoot and kill an enemy?" was somewhere in between "Hell yes! Kill all them bastards!" and "No, I'm not a murderer." Basically, I explained that I took an oath to defend the Constitution of this country, and that while it would be an ultimate last resort, if shooting someone was necessary to protect my crew or myself, I would act without hesitation.

BF, I also had some confusion about near visual acuity standards for the FC-1. 20/20 uncorrected seemed to be the consensus for near vision standards. However, the most recent version of AFI48-123 (dated 24 Sep 2009) indicates that limit for near vision is 20/30 uncorrected, as long as it is correctable to 20/20. I hope this helps. MD

I hope so. I can't rest easy until I see that stamp from AETC, aka the blessing from the aviation Gods!

Just got back from my FC-1 at WPAFB. My vision was not quite 20/20, but it was well within 20/70. The eye doc calculated my prescription and restested me with glasses, which checked out 20/20. I'm not sure if it was my near or distant vision (or both) that failed the uncorrected test. After I retested, the eye doc said "looks like we were to able to correct everything with the glasses." She said that I would have to fly with glasses, but I would not need a waiver. I just want to make sure: they would have told me if I had any DQs or needed any waivers, right? Thanks

Damn...looking at these timelines gets me more and more depressed. I got hired in August 2010, and my package is just now headed to state HQ before getting sent off to Mother Guard. I'm already commissioned, so AMS is no factor. Should save a little bit of time. Sometimes I think that my paperwork is lost under a half-eaten box of Krispy Kremes and a coffee-stained Sports Illustrated...