Toro

In addition to the liner option baseops mentioned (I have that, it's outstanding), Pops Leather can add a thin inner liner to the jacket - on mine, both the inner liner and zip-out liner have maps of the US. On the inner liner I had them attach a pen/pencil pocket and zippered pocket. They also modded the outer pockets with side pokets (for your hands) and put extensions on the armpits so your jacket doesn't ride up when you lift your arms. My jacket is 6-9 years old, and I think the newer versions may already have the armpit mods, but it's good option if you don't.

Dajta, I'm not sure why you're getting the error messages, but I got both PMs you sent me. I sent you the file, let me know if you got it okay (hotmail sometimes has a problem sending large files). If not, I can try it from work.

I don't know where you can find it, but I have it as an audio file. If you PM me with your e-mail I can send it to you (it's 1.6MB).

I don't know that there's a standard, but the most common ones I saw were Arabic and all-encompassing. The Arabic version had a bunch of different Arabic dialects and the all-encompassing (the one I got) had Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Italian, Finnish, Serbia-Crotian, French, Swedish, German, Greek, Polish, English, and Russian. The text reads, "I am an American. I do not speak your language. Misfortune forces me to seek your assistance in obtaining food, shelter and protection. Please take me to someone who will provide for my safety and see that I am returned to my people. I will do my best to see that no harm comes to you. My government will reward you."

I got my jacket modified in person at the Pops Leather outside Incirlik AB. Absolutely outstanding work done.

Reminds me of a funny thing I saw in the Al Udeid O'Club. A bunch of us fighter guys were hanging out -- probably talking BFM with our hands -- around a couple 130 dudes. One of the 130 guys grabs a couple colored vis a vis pens and starts mocking us by drawing up a BFM engagement on the bar (not on a piece of paper, on the bar). He's got like four different colors and lines are going everywhere. The funniest part was as he started his animated commentary with things like, "Dude, I overrotated into a split S, and my air medals went flying everywhere through the cockpit. Then, I started pulling so many G's, I went into the Hs!"

Waste of money if you ask me, especially if they're issuing it on the Tweet side (where you don't even use a G-suit -- does the T-6 have one?). The trainer aircraft can't hold the sustained Gs for which Combat Edge was intended. The only fighters that really benefit from CE are Vipers and C models. In fact, Strike Eagles have just (finally) done away with the CE vest (the other 50% of your CE equipment). The vest was pretty much a joke for us since our fat pig of a jet can't sustain 9Gs for any appreciable amount of time and most Mudhen guys don't feel it was of any benefit.

Any legit volunteer work is something you can put on your Officer/Enlisted Performance Report. Habitat for Humanity has a good relationship with Seymour Johnson AFB and draws a lot of volunteers from there - occasionally on down days we'll get squadron Habitat work groups.

With regards to going to a UPT base - I wouldn't so much be concerned about having to do one to a full-stop as I would be staying the weekend in a place that sucked. The non-written rule is "don't stop somewhere that you don't want to break." Granted, if you had a bunch of buds there, it might be cool, but unless your IP does also, you're kind of hosed. From Columbus we'd usually go to places like Tyndall, Eglin, Oceana, Charleston, MacDill, or New Orleans. T-38s only do one cross country. Sometimes you luck out and don't have to fly Saturday (if they're ahead on the timeline), which means you can push it up on the town Friday night. Ditto what JS said about visiting the family. I had numerous students who planned XCs to bases near their family, and I flew into MacDill 6-9 times to see my mom (lives in Tampa). [ 17. November 2004, 04:27: Message edited by: Toro ]

No, that's what they call themselves, he used the term all the time.

I don't know the details of how it works, but while I was at Columbus as an instructor, there was an F-15 guy from the New Orleans Coonass Militia, and a F-16 guy from the SC Swamp Fox.

Sort of. As described, the intakes vary to optimize the airflow. As the aircraft approaches Mach, there is a diffuser ramp inside the intakes that programs down to prevent a shock wave from forming in the intake.

Tim, Thanks for the skulls up, but most of us were already aware that they weren't legit. I'm doing my best to keep them off this forum.

F-15s aren't equipped.

Is this supposed to be a re-hash of Justin Dithmur from the Student Pilot Network? It was mildly amusing when it started there, then it just got downright annoying. A**holes like you are the reason people left SPN. This thread is locked.

I seriously doubt that. For one, you can't hear and can barely feel the intakes move -- definitely not enough to make you 'jump'. For another, the 'jumping' action would have to consist of him throwing his arm forward and grabbing the (very brightly colored yellow and black) ejection handle, pushing in the unlock button, then pulling the handle back. Sounds like an Eagle urban legend. No way. F*****ing up an altimeter could get you killed - and he's definite proof. Whether it be dialing in the wrong altimeter on a VFR day for an airshow, or forgetting to reset to QNH when transitioning out of FL180 for an approach to an IMC field - that's a huge deal. From what I've heard about the accidental Eagle crash, his hose unplugged and he didn't notice it. I've had it happen to me, and I know guys to whom it has happened. You won't know it has happened until you realize you can't breath. During a BFM engagment, that could be a good 3-4 seconds....and a lot of things can happen in that time.

I've heard the same, and the C models guys from the Lakenheath seemed to think it was more than just a rumor. It had them scared enough to corner a couple of us E model guys and start asking about JDAM employment.

AFI 11-209 1.2.5. Airspeed Limitations. The minimum airspeed for the operation of any fixed-wing AF aircraft participating in any military or civilian event is stall speed plus 30 percent for the aircraft configuration. Airlift aircraft used in demonstrating standard, approved actical procedures such as assault takeoffs or assault landings, may be flown at lower airspeeds, but not at airspeeds lower than specified in technical order publications. Maximum airspeed airspeed is limited to .90 MACH for all aerial demonstrations except for approved record flights.

It's an AFPAM - I think there's a 31 in there, but I don't remember the exact number. I had a copy of it up until I moved back to the states about four months ago, but I still remember most of the terminology. If there's any terms in particular you're looking for, PM me and I can probably help you out.

The fighters tear it off because you've got that pouch on your g-suit (which the heavy guys don't wear).

If they had zero tolerance it probably wouldn't be tough - I've even seen some self-proclaimed bada$$es lose their lunch on incentive rides. In fact, I know of several WSOs (and even pilots when they sit in the back seat) that have gotten sick. A lot of it has to do with not being in control of the aircraft while it's maneuvering. That's another reason to let the incentive flyer take the controls - it helps them not feel so queasy. After filling a bag, most people feel better and are ready for more yanking and banking.

Yes, it's called an incentive ride. It's not up to us who gets to fly, it's generally offered as a reward to those who work hard and/or win awards (hence the name 'incentive'). The ones I've seen and given are primarily personnel directly supporting our mission (maintenance, life support, fab shop, CMS, etc.). When I take people up I tell them that I'll take off and land and they're free to fly anything else in between.

I'm in the Strike Eagle, not Vipers. :eek: While the F-15Es computer can record details from flight, it's primarily engine information and the only time it would be reviewed would be in the case of a safety investigation. What could be reviewed would be your 8mm tape from the VTR system, but the fix to that is simply don't turn it on if you want to go hot dogging. That being said, if your intent is to go out and do something in direct violation of AF Instruction/Regulation (min altitude of 500' and max airspeed as applicable for MDS) you'd be lucky nowadays to not have somebody call your squadron or the local newspaper directly (saw it happen all the time at Lakenheath). And if you're out to be particularly stupid, you could end up dead and famous like the two IPs in the deadly T-6 crash last April.

Wow, awesome video. For the most part, every flight is a training mission with a clear tactical purpose - that doesn't mean that they can't still be fun, though. Occassionally we get a chance to just go out and fly with no real training objectives other than to relax and have fun. A lot of the time these these are on what we call 'fini' flights - a guy's last flight in the aircraft before he leaves a squadron.

The answer I heard was "God doesn't think he's a fighter pilot"