JeremiahWeed

. Good point, Herk. I've got a 3 day layover there in 2 weeks. It's gonna be AWESOME!!

UFB - I'll bet this guy appreciates the kudos.

I'm not sure what you mean by "complete automation". In the video, the Captain is the pilot flying and is actually manually flying the aircraft. He has the auto-throttles on for a while, eventually turns them off and the landing is not "automated". What is a little strange is the F/O appears to be holding the stick too during the approach. Maybe to use the radio button on it (although not necessary as there are others he could be using). I've never seen both pilots holding the yoke or stick on any aircraft while it's being hand-flown. The Airbus aircraft take both inputs from both sticks and sort-of averages them unless a cut-out switch (take control) switch is held on one stick or the other - so definitely not a good practice to have two sets of hands on the controls (kind of common sense in any aircraft).

So, as a former USAF pilot and someone still flying professionally, do I have the option to contact a local AFB safety office, sign an NDA and get access?

As an old retired guy now, I obviously don't see these. What's the official criteria for release of an SIB (never really paid attention when I could see them) i.e. who is allowed to read them according to the applicable AFI?

The BA crash was due to a fuel/oil heat exchanger problem unique to the Rolls Royce engines on the 777. These Asiana birds have Pratts. Tails probably tend to do that when you slap them on a rock breakwater short of the runway. I'm not a safety guy but what's more likely: An error flying a visual approach after a ~12+ hour flight when you probably use an ILS on 95% of your landings or something catastrophic in the last 200' of the same12+ hour flight that causes the tail to fall off?

Glideslopes for both 28L & 28R have been OTS in the NOTAMS since 1 Jun. Possible poorly flown visual approach?

This was awesome! Made me laugh out loud.

Have a child by 35 - not a problem (assuming you find someone to make it happen with). Keeping them in one place? Highly doubtful unless you end up in the Guard/Reserves. "Normal family life" is very subjective. Does that mean home every night for dinner and weekends off for family activities? A full 20 year active duty career as a pilot usually has highs and lows of "normalcy". You may spend a 3 year tour teaching at a UPT base or your aircraft's "schoolhouse" and have opportunities to be home for dinner most nights and off every weekend (if that's normal you). Other times you may be deployed or TDY (on temporary duty away from home base) more months than you are home. There are 1 year remote tours (unaccompanied - i.e. no family with you) that could drive things far from "normal". If you serve your UPT commitment, get out (probably around age 35 for most who start UPT after college) and go full time Guard/Reserves, you might be able to swing more “normalcy” out of life in general. That is, unless your Guard unit changes aircraft or closes. Don’t go to the airlines – no normal life there. Generally speaking, the military lifestyle is full of sacrifices. Starting things out with a line in the sand over certain sacrifices you’re unwilling to make probably isn’t realistic. Plenty of families make it work but it’s not completely painless. Trying to predict what choices you may have ~15 years from now is impossible for most people – never mind a future military pilot hopeful who has no idea: if he’ll finish ROTC, get a pilot slot, get wings, what aircraft he’ll fly, etc.

I never flew with Gork but I overlapped with him at PSAB back in '97 while he was commanding the Mountain Home C-model squadron. Seemed like a good commander then and appeared to have the genuine respect of his pilots. Hopefully he avoided the flag officer lobotomy.

Possibly configured on the left side of cranium for a user who is a "righty", thus allowing a clear view and unrestrained right arm movement during the money shot?

I know I've always heard it in the last part of "Dear Mom"... Dear Mom, your son is dead. He bought the farm today. He crashed his OV-10 on Ho Chi Min's highway. It was a rocket pass and then he busted his ass. Him, Him, F--k Him How did he go?----Straight In What was he doing?----169 Indicated? It’s also the last line to the Skydiver's Hymn - Here's to him, to him, to him Here's to him, the best of him all. He eats it, he beats it, he often mistreats it, Here's to him, the best of them all. Him, him, ###### him! Fighter Pilots TDY somewhere: Pilot #1: "I'm missing church today." Pilot #2: "Aw. Let's all sing him a hymn." All: "Him, him. F--k him"

"Oldness" has officially set in. Graff was one of my students in the Eagle at Tyndall.

I'll be the fourth. It definitely happened. One of the shooters was in my Guard squadron and I've heard him tell the story at least twice. At the time, he was flying with the 58th Gorillas out of Eglin. When you hear the story, the actual strafing comes across as very impromptu and unplanned. They saw the targets of opportunity and gave it a try. I'm pretty sure he said they coordinated with someone in the command structure prior to rolling in. Although, I doubt anyone was spring loaded to say no to much at that point in the war. There are some comic moments when he bottoms out of his pass below a ridge and can see some guys with AK type weapons shooting down at him as he blasts between a couple of building on the airfield bouncing flares off the ground behind him. I got the impression that the feedback they got on the whole risk/reward aspect of the effort was not real positive. Maybe something like the Coach in "Major League"....... "Nice catch, Hayes, don't ever ######in' do it again".

Unless something has changed in the last few years, all we have is a depressible "iron" sight. No HUD symbology for A/G gun. Hacker, Does the E-model have the same 2-degree up-cant on the gun as the C-model? If so, doesn't that make strafe quite a bit harder?

Not as long as they come in and vote democrat.

Yup - she was OTR.

On most of these forums, a "troll" is someone posting to create controversy or stir the pot. Not my intent. I profess a non-mainstream point of view and throw in a little sarcasm for fun and the easy route is to throw a label at me. You want differing opinions and frank discussion here or do we need to tow the line? My delivery could have used some improvement, I'll admit. I was having a pretty shitty day. Enough excuses. I apologize for my "trollness".

Yes, Austrian....... as in from Austria. East of Switzerland, South of Germany, got some big mountains, Sound of Music, anything ringing a bell here...Mate?

I didn't have much to say about Chuck back then, since my father was only 6 when Chuck hit Mach 1. I'm pretty sure even I would have been able to recognize the amazing feats he accomplished. Great - and we all know nothing "unpussifies" America like an Austrian base jumper risking it all while being sponsored by an Austrian energy drink company. All joking aside, I'll take a look at the link you posted. Maybe I'll change my mind.

Yeah, I know - pretty heartless. I've got zero sympathy for these thrill seeking idiots who produce nothing other than some self promotion. Joseph Kittinger was a true pioneer 52+ years ago. Since his jumps astronauts have been to the moon, space walked multiple times and pretty much done anything else you might need to do in a full pressure suit. It's all been done and the state of the art equipment Felix is using has been proven over a half-century. This guy deserves about as much recognition as the airline pilots who flew the same route as Lindbergh yesterday from NY to France. Just having a little fun, lighten up. I'm just using the information Felix and his bunch posted on his website. By all means, enlighten us with your "inferences".

Yawn........ If they finally do it, I hope the video is better than the ones from their test jumps. As I peruse the website, I laughed when I noticed they say he will "attempt to break the sound barrier" in free fall. It's not like he's got much influence on that. What's he going to do, kick his legs really hard just to be sure? I'd be more impressed if he could avoid going super, actually. They're claiming that this is helping to develop the next generation of space suits. I'm a little fuzzy on why you need to parachute from 120 grand to do that. Just another guy with too much time on his hands. If his chute doesn't open, maybe he'll land somewhere close to where Steve Fossett crashed.

Back on the new book subject for a sec........ Just wondering if anyone who has read the book could tell me if the author remembered to mention his inadvertant AIM-9 launch that went through the middle of a 4-ship of Torrejon F-16s. The post mission interaction between those involved was "spirited" to say the least.

Thanks for the perspective Rainman. I can’t say that I disagree with anything you posted. I was holding off on jumping on the “dog-pile” (sts) but I can’t any longer. I will not buy the book but I did skim the stuff available on line. I flew an F-15C on the same 19 Jan Desert Storm mission out of Incirlik AB that 2-dogs describes as he opens his “Elephant” chapter. There was only one daylight strike that day and I remember seeing him in the brief. I may try to find the book in a bookstore someday just to see if his description jives with mine. I was just another 1Lt wingman and we had no interaction that day or on the multiple missions that followed. I doubt if he would even know me. The reason I remembered him that day is because I went to field training at Eglin with him and his act there was difficult to forget. I remember him as the A&M guy who wore his hat weird. It was down so far on his brow I thought he might walk into a tree if he wasn’t careful. It also had the back in a fighter pilot “crunch” but just a little. It wasn’t enough to warrant correction but looking back it was obvious what was going on. Not a pilot candidate at the time, I had no clue that it was intentional or what if meant. The most notable event was during some kind of classroom meeting with a current F-15 1Lt wingman. I’m sure it was designed to get a recently commissioned, new guy perspective on life in the AF as a pilot. 2-dogs asked the guy, “What’s the best thing about being an F-15 pilot”. The Lt gave a pretty lengthy answer about the jet, its mission/capabilities and throws in a goofy line about getting all the girls in the bar. 2-dogs responds with a simple “Good”, as in “Good, that's what I thought and I’ll be joining you soon – I just need to get through the formalities like ROTC, UPT and RTU.” The Lt just shook his head as a few of us rolled our eyes in disbelief. I guess he got his second choice out of UPT. I’m sure we all have moments during our college years and even early in our AF career that show a lack of maturity or perspective. I was going to put these events into that category but it certainly sounds like he hasn’t changed much. It’s too bad, really. Like you said, Rainman, there’s probably a good story here but the overall delivery is truly lacking. Those of us who’ve “been there” during the last 21 years and seen the same war zones aren’t as easily dazzled as the general public. I guess I’ve always subscribed to the quiet confidence theory. The more you try to tell everyone how great you are, the more you sound like you’re trying to convince yourself, IMO. Being a fighter pilot isn’t a blank check to act like an arrogant prick (although there are plenty who choose that option). Let your actions and results speak for you. It sounds like 2-dogs has some of both, too bad he chose this method to put them out there.

I have no dog in this fight. I'm truly curious about your opinion, Rainman. Is it the man, the conflicts/wars (i.e. clubbing baby seals, etc), the book, or all/some of the above? Plenty of Vietnam era pilots who aren't on par with Robin Olds wrote what I consider very good books as their careers wound down. Thud Ridge, Pak Six, My Secret War to name just a few. Was writing those books "douchemanlike" too or do you see this situation differently? Thanks.