Standby

The single seat mentality coupled with tactical formation experience gives them a leg up on people who have lived in the crew world. We all know the gunship is fvcking beast and does great work, but the employment dynamic is polar opposite from the one or two person interaction in a small aircraft. Nothing will ever replace experience and the AFSOC flyers with CAS stink have an infinite advantage but there is also something to be said for young, moldable minds with a whole lot of commitment ahead as well. I think the best of both worlds would be a mid-level AFSOC AC/IP who knows CAS and has a T-38 background. All of the 11Fs I know in AFSOC have either separated completely or gone to reserve units in extremely small numbers. I’m not sure what it is like at other UPT bases, but the FAIPs here don’t seem jazzed about anything unless it has afterburners or a 30mm poking out the front. I am being selfish, but I would prefer the SOF LA program to be in a shitty geographic location. I think it would separate the people who think it’s a fun gig with a great NW FL view from those who love the CAS mission and are willing to homebase anywhere for it. I know the turboprop track is going to be a thing in the future, but I think you need a few of the LA planes or high-fidelity sims at the UPT base for screening and selection. I don’t believe a year in the T-6 will be sufficient to ID appropriate traits.

UPT builds the foundation for all military flying...so I’m going to say all of them except sim single engine work.

How many 11Fs are still in AFSOC?

The “Afghanistan Security Forces Funds” is really just our taxpayer dollars which means it is a DoD acquisition program...so probably like 20 airplanes.

It’s SOF airlift...not much of a secret. If you’re wanting to know more, find someone in the squadron and talk offline.

Quick thread revival, get em while they are hot... https://www.tee-amazing.com/toyotee-2

...or the SOF CAS mission.

20 is better than 0. You know damn well that small fleet doesn’t mean small global impact.

T-38 drop was same as previous — substitute 38 FAIP for T-6 FAIP.

So the FAA is removing centerline thrust restrictions for mil pilots (every AF pilot in recent history save for UPT-H) while the Air Force has imposed ADSC sanctions for things like in-unit requals? How much clearer can the writing on the wall get... Thanks for posting!

Link is broken for me on mobile. Also, the google machine didn’t return any 2018 results with title similarity.

Wouldn’t be an aviation forum without people going full rage mode with notional or incomplete data.

SOS = bqzip’s mom?

For fvcks sake, quit with the melodramatic bullshit. You act like the end of modern aviation is at hand because an experiment in training modernization is ongoing. Have some faith in the FTU IPs to keep these dudes safe and provide them the instruction they need.

Unnecessary, extraneous interplane chatter as far as I’m concerned. I’d rather spend that dead-air time talking about something meaningful like what kind of hot pockets the crew is whipping up.

Memes. Not that anybody gives a shit about my opinion, but I think a space force is appropriate. The future will be interesting, better to get our force structured now than to be reactive after the fact.

Memes.

We will just ignore the entire AC-130/KC-130 mission as well as the MQ-1 and MQ-9.

AAT mainly, but I revert to other “inside the jet” crutches like heading bug when it’s inop.

Teaching T-38 students tactical formation even though I’m not an 11F. It is either that or airborne quarterbacking closehold missions in places that Americans don’t belong at.

Copy, 11F not required to instruct T-38s.

Who gives a shit what you flew before? T-38 tac form has probably been the same for two decades. It doesn’t take an 11F to teach what LAB, 4-6k and stack level looks like. I think some 11F representation in the SUPT T-38 squadron is valuable, but why not drop those guys into IFF instructor seats or B course billets?

Let’s not get carried away now. The AF controls your destiny, you only think you do.

Can’t disagree with you there either, cheers.

...but who in their right mind would throw away the opportunity to fly the T-38 when the drop pool increases? I am not the type of dude to bag on the T-1, but I’m SURE it’s not nearly as fun or rewarding to fly. Don’t listen to people who tell you to track T-1 regardless of intent...you will most likely regret it in the future and spend every waking moment telling your friends/family how you could have gone T-38 if you wanted but chose not to even though you are a young Bob Hoover.