Homestar

Something like that. Our OGV puts together a FLIP booklet with all local IFR approaches printed from NGA in one file. Keeps the FLIP volume for the home station in usable condition longer and gives you something less cumbersome to throw on the kneeboard.

I agree, and personally think I'd print off a hard-copy local flimsy for round-the-flagpole flying with electronic FLIP for multi-leg and overseas TDYs. I am a fan of electronic T.O.s though.

Is the desert flight suit authorized for official travel? For example, on a civilian flight that connects with the rotator? This release discusses ABUs, BDUs, and DCUs, but doesn't say anything about the flight suit. https://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080506-065.pdf

PM sent

The USAF dumps more fuel in one week to make the cost savings from fuel savings irrelevant. I think the true cost savings will come from reduced paper purchase and consumption. Heck, the base recycling contract could shrink as well if ops doesn't have to recycle FLIP every month or so.

I'm temporarily out of the community, but I'll be sure to pass it on. I'm personally a fan of keeping my radio quiet unless my receiver joins on the wrong tanker. Fair enough.

Probably could have used the opportunity to mentor a KC-135 boom on EMCON then. If you were refueling stateside against a tanker formation, most likely the tanker briefed EMCON 1 for their formation due to training. Not sure what the EMCON problem is with asking for your tail # on boom interphone. I think we've established here that it's a necessary evil for the tanker. I'd say that nearly all the time the boom would prefer interphone and attempts contact on it, but it's either is too weak and unreadable or not turned on (I have no idea how the F-16 switches to boom interphone).

That's good info to know. I think most tanker pilots assume your tail number is placarded on the glareshield somewhere and easily/quickly accessed. Agree with EMCON in the AOR. EMCON 2 should the standard at the very least.

All things being equal, I'd say the mission you fly that brings bullets back in your conveyance is a higher priority to your unit (and the unit of the dudes you pick up from the fight) than a leather jacket. I have a huge amount of respect for the rotor-heads out there, and if a leather jacket is that important to you then I suggest you re-examine your priorities. You won't get any chicks with your jacket anyway.

KC-135 has no boom-flow gauge. The fuel totalizer on the fuel panel up front is no better than a cracker jack toy.

The KC-135 totalizer is completely useless. Non functional essentially. For small offloads the pilot just uses a start and stop fuel in the tank the offload is coming from. For larger offloads the math can get pretty stupid, and rounding error could be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 lbs. What's the going rate of JP-8 these days?

Hmm. 15 year retirement sounds compelling. Sign the bonus at 10 years, stay till 15, get out and do something with your life five years earlier than you would have and have some bonus $ in your pocket. When will the Air Force realize that it won't meet its end strength till it allows 11Xs to be eligible for VSP and early out options?

Maybe you could make getting your gas like filing a voucher on DTS. You front the money on your CSA and hope for the best when you file your voucher with finance?

Most commercial flight bags (Foreflight, for example) have a night mode that turns white to black and black to white, effectively dimming the chart for use at night. It will be interesting to see if Apple and the DoD can agree on an enterprise solution. Not exactly Apple's strong suit. My guess is that we'll eventually see something else. Think Toughbook on your knee--typical AF solution. The internal GPS is only available on 3G equipped iPads, and probably doesn't work well in aviation applications. Sporty's sells a GPS add-on that sets on the glareshield and feeds the GPS signal to the iPad wirelessly via bluetooth. https://www.sportys.c...p/product/16597 It's a pretty great GA solution, and would probably work well in military aviation as well in aircraft not scheduled for modern flight decks with integrated charts and "moving maps" (i.e., most of them). Not sure if it integrates with sectionals, HI-charts, or approach charts.

Sporty's sells a lot of iPad friendly knee boards for GA. I'd prefer to have it attached to the yoke somehow.

That looks pretty cool, except they spelled FLIGHT wrong... /TIC

-----Original Message----- From: JOHNS, RAYMOND E JR Gen USAF AMC AMC/CC Subject: FW: Electronic Flight Bag Update Wing Commanders, During the last two years, the command has been actively pursuing the use of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) for use by our aircrews. The goal of this initiative is threefold: removing paper products from the aircraft to reduce weight, thereby saving fuel and cost for printed materials; provide our aircrews a better tool to study publications and flight material; and ensure a more operationally effective flight deck environment. As we highlighted at Phoenix Rally, we feel that we are very close to execution of this program. Several commercial air carriers have successfully fielded the EFB. If you were at A/TA this year, you might have noticed some commercial vendors demonstrating their technology. We've also conducted our own Small Group Tryout (SGTO) at Travis and learned many beneficial lessons. Although we are close and have promised you this capability, I have to inform you that the timeline is going to be delayed. It is my decision, and I apologize for changing the plan, but I feel this is necessary. Over the next few weeks I need to better define the expected savings, formulate a requirements document and ultimately build a request for proposal (RFP). I was concerned that our RFP as written geared toward one specific platform might not have held up to public and private scrutiny. I still intend to introduce the EFB across the MAF. However the additional analysis required will drive an Apr '12 initial delivery. Lead units will be part of a six month Phase I evaluation to ensure that we develop processes to support the transition to a paperless flight deck. Upon successful completion, a Phase II will be authorized for the remaining MAF units, completing the paperless conversion by Dec '12. Along the way, you can expect a CONEMP to be released and refined in conjunction with the phases. It's important that we build this capability for the future and not leave those that follow us with an unsupportable, unsustainable solution that we chose because it could be quickly implemented. As part of this effort I will also use this delay to better look at Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions that will standardize the EFB over the long term. I don't want place an additional burden on your units. I know there is great excitement among our aircrews for the EFB and understandable so. It will come. This delay is a disappointment to me and many others here in the HQ. I owe it to our aircrews to make sure we do this correctly and we're looking for your help in spreading that message. My POC on the staff is Maj _____________ in A3V. He can address any specific questions. Regards, Ray Johns _______________________ Got this update from our CC a couple weeks ago. Sounds like your typical delay to allow the lowest bidder to undercut the product that would be most useful. I'd love to get a quality EFB on board, especially on those overseas trips during DAFIF and FLIP changeover....so I don't have to haul 200 lbs of FLIP up the ladder.

Global Ready Aircraft Commander Course. Copilots in (or just prior to) upgrade go to Scott to watch the AMC/TACC machine roll along for a day or two. They get briefings on how the machine benefits the greater collective and stuff like that. 6 months post-IQT with no additional duties? The 135V1 also requires that copilots during in-unit upgrade have NO additional duties. No exec duties, no Anti-terrorism/Force Protection stuff. Does that happen? Nope. (edit to change 135V3 to 135V1)

:::cough:::

When you say "handled at the lowest level" do you mean a stern talking to in the DO's office or an FEB? Honest question.

"Acrobatic" is an FAA category of aircraft (governed by FAR part 23). https://www.access.gp...14cfr23_11.html "Acrobatic" stuff is also something acrobats do... Aerobatic is probably a more appropriate adjective, however, so the point is well-taken.

Spot on. If the airplane isn't cert'd for acro then I'd hand it off to a test pilot before flying acro in it. But I'm a 1.0 g man myself. 1.2 at the worst...and only in the break. :)

Joint PME and international PME are options...if you're painted in pure gold.

I've noticed that the downrange CSS I submit AMs through is severely overworked and most of their job is taken up by processing AMs, so part of me thinks that the EOG just comes up with queep to make the submission of AMs so difficult so as to stop officers from submitting them (lots of guys just quit pushing them through as a direct result). Sometimes the enlisted follow suit then act surprised when they miss promotion by a fraction of a point that that last AM would have given them.

well, sonuvabitch.