billy pilgrim

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I can’t believe we are on another iteration of this. My first black leather boots were broken in (in basic training) and worn forever. Super comfortable and awesome. Now after another decade my green boots are getting broken in and we have to change again?! Can someone please cite the last steel toe injury that came from an aircraft egress? They keep good records at AFSC. I would bet $100 there has never been one for the last 20 years. If we get in a shooting war, I am grabbing my black boots.

Known pitch power settings is where you want to start (memorize them for whatever airspeeds you fly around at, for cruise / pattern etc... I don't really remember for the T-6). Look outside at the horizon and freeze the picture of level flight in your head (cross checking the altimeter / VSI). Just like you freeze your aimpoint on final in the canopy, same concept. Then trim it all out. Repeat. Eventually you'll have a flight path marker in your HUD / fancy autopilot help / better avionics to help out... same sitting height every time will help as well. Once you hit instruments you'll freeze the sight picture that gives you level flight on the ADI, which is harder. Chairflying will help reduce brain bytes used on other admin. Good luck!!

I ended up getting a Rogue rack (RML-490) and it's super heavy duty. Maybe a little overpriced but it was basically the only thing available at the time. They do have a cult following and their website is almost always sold out on anything good. I'd recommend it, in-fact if I had it to do over I'd spend an extra $100 and getting the one with numbers on the uprights (490C). Had to lower the upper cross members a bit and the uprights had to go in between rafters in the basement but it worked out pretty well (didn't have to cut anything). Also ended up with urethane bumper plates (vs rubber) as again that's the only thing I could find (they are nice, just spent more than I would have liked). Spud Inc makes a pulley cable attachment that you can attach to the rack for a poor mans cable machine. Rubber stall mats from tractor supply and a second hand mirror (probably should have gone bigger on the mirror, because gains...) I only bought a few pairs of dumbbells (didn't know they were so $$$$) and all the locals are price gouging on marketplace here in the NE. I would bet in a month or two there will probably be a lot of second hand stuff from closed gyms, or if gyms re-open people selling their quarantine home-gym stuff. It was a pretty big upfront cost, but by being a little creative I can do just about everything I was doing in the base gym. It takes a little longer moving stuff around on the rack as opposed to walking over to the different equipment, but then again it's never busy. On the Pelaton stuff, I heard someone at work talking about buying a $2k road bike and a set of rollers and just get the app and subscription. That way you can train indoors and outdoors and it's cheaper than their $2400 bike. I don't really ride bikes without engines anymore though.

Looking at the M1A Springfield SOCOM 16 model. Anyone shoot one of these? Own one?

Thanks to COVID I went ahead and put together a home gym. Our ANG base gym is closed until fall... Took forever to piece together with everything sold out and back-ordered online, but it's pretty sweet being able to lift at home. FYSA Rep Fitness and Vulcan Strength have 5% military discounts, Rogue doesn't unfortunately. Anyone else out there doing this?

You can afford to be lazy when the state runs the media and censors the internet. All those woke protestors should head to HK and see what it's like to protest against an authoritarian government for real.

Working CAS in OEF, if shit got bad you could send some vipers or strike eagles over a TIC quickly and then get some .4 mach A-10s overhead when you could. The A-10’s once on station would finish the fight 10/10 times.

Valid at pickle? Might not have had the tapes on...

The next generation(s) will pay it back. Whether they want to or not. The panic in the media feels orchestrated, over reaching and unnecessary. The social media reaction to all of this is what scares me the most. The acceptance of curfews, ridiculous restrictions and just general “the government knows best” attitude. That’s what is truly scary, and I have immediate family in the high risk category for this.

This.

Tracked down TRANSCOMs POV shipment and storage contract after some help from the local contracting office. This whole thing only occurred because the contractor (IAL) didn’t uphold their end in several areas - like notifying me that my storage was no longer authorized etc... I brought this up when I asked for an 30 day extension today and was told to expect the collection letter tomorrow. There is a DoD IG report from 2016, during this timeframe on the lack of oversight between TRANSCOM and IAL on this exact contract. UFB Trying the IG - thanks for the links. Anyone here do a congressional inquiry or anything before? This is a mess.

Several years ago I stored my POV when I went to Japan, then did a COT to USAFE. I had a POV in storage on my original orders and was briefed by TMO that I could just keep my car in storage if I wanted to. I did so, spent a few years in USAFE and got back to CONUS and picked up my car this past summer. Last month I got an email from an accountant at TRANSCOM giving me a week or so to give my authorization for storing my car. I sent in both sets of orders. TRANSCOM comes back saying that my Japan storage is okay but I will be billed $7k for keeping my car in storage for my USAFE tour. This is the first I've heard that it may not have been authorized. I sent my follow on orders to the storage company several years ago when I PCS'd and they said I was good to go. The verbiage on my two sets of orders is slightly different, one says POV storage authorized and the other says that member has a POV in storage at gov't expense. The latter phrase is the one that TRANSCOM has issue with. Dead ends trying to get my four year old orders amended at my past base, or AFPC and elevating the issue at TRANSCOM (Scott AFB). I feel like I am in the seventh level of bureaucracy / shoe-clerk hell and need some help. Anyone have any experience with this type of stuff? Thanks, I have spent about 95% of my free time the last month or so trying to work this. Any idea on where I can go from here?

Looking for a bank with a good rate / good customer service. Any recommendations? Trying to avoid USAA.

I didn't previously know this, but AGR 11Fs get the $35k/year bonus as well. Some guys are paying it back to get their seniority started at a major.

Let us know what you think. I've only been to one and it was way more fun than I thought it was going to be. Wasn't expecting the constant burnt rubber smell and the 100 db+ noise levels, the 4k TV doesn't do it justice. That excitement you get stepping to the jet when you can smell the JP-8. It's like that for driving. Also, the speed. If there are warm-up races, you'll think those cars are fast - but then the formula cars drive by and it's like an entirely different event. You can't take pictures very well because they are hard to keep in frame. It's awesome. The downside is that you get a snapshot of the race being stuck in one place. While on TV you get to follow everything much easier.

Our current scheduling board is over 69% wingman pucks. A handfull of IP's (mostly attached awaiting retirement) and a few flight leads. Standby for more back to basics SII's as inexperienced pilots do what we all did as inexperienced pilots.. except now there is no more real supervision... Congress needs to hold the senior leadership accountable for this problem, and they are not.

Just took a "Desert Eagle .50" to the range. 'Merica. Pretty heavy and concealed carry may be difficult, but that thing is a beast.

Don’t use community bank on base!! They charge like 3% for the conversion from $ to £. Cost me literally a thousand dollars out of pocket using them for a year. It’s a little bit of a pain to set up but I’d highly recommend a Lloyd’s or Barclays account. Then get a contactless debit card and it makes life easy. (Also set up contactless lay on your iPhone, otherwise you’ll be signing for everything). Transferwise is a website / app that makes it super easy / cheap / fast to move money between my US Bank and Lloyd’s. Recommend this too. Find a credit card that doesn’t have foreign transaction fees. Heads up on the cell phone contracts - there’s no real US military clause etc.. so if you leave early you’ll be held responsible for paying out like half your contract or something ridiculous. Have fun! It’s awesome.

I got mine at Cobra Kai. Recommend.

As an 11F separating from AD all of this doesn't suprise me - but it's still hard to watch from the sidelines. 75% promotion rate for MSG dudes? Create some room at the B Course because we could really use these hard charging leaders in a MWS in CENTCOM. For me, ever since TAMI-21 I stopped listening to anything Big Air Force SAYS and started only paying attention to what Big Air Force DOES. For all those looking at a bonus or extending their ADSC past their UPT commitment I would fence in appropriately and do so only with very high SA. Get your ATP and be ready with options as you get close to your commitment. Best of luck to everyone!

Bump - if anyone else is looking for a good night flashlight. Just used a Surefire Kroma Milspec for the past few months and it is expensive but awesome. Red / Green / Blue / IR / White and good levels for NVG cockpit usage. Highly recommend. Super tough and lightweight as well. Tried to get the Phantom (above) but ran into issues being overseas.

HHG - Japanese movers are awesome. If stuff gets broken it will most likely be when it's getting packed in the States. Most electronics should be fine, (Japan is 100V) and your laptop adapter should say 100-240V (double check). I think TVs may have issues, so heads up on that, but you can get a transformer. Only a factor off base. I would highly recommend living on the sea wall. It's awesome and generally the traffic wasn't bad (10 minute commute or so). You can walk to little bars and sushi restaurants. I was able to pocket about $400 a month out of my utilities that I didn't use. Easy to go for runs along the sea wall and the sunsets after work while you're eating dinner is pretty cool. I would find a card that doesn't have a foreign transaction fee. I don't remember how I paid my rent (I think GI Bill Pay or something?) You can get Yen on base easily and there's no reason to get a Japanese bank. I imagine contactless pay with an iPhone is full up there too.

That's called an ADO double turn! Other double turn options include: Top 3 to Red 1 Red air to SOF OR the elusive AM SOF to closing Top 3!

This is a big point. It makes no sense to me to have the F-22 sitting alert. Also the USAF has been training with the 4th gen 5th gen mix for a while, and the whole "night one of the war" situation I don't think is an insurmountable problem with FI. Plus, the legacy jets give you a lot more options for basically uncontested air environments, like Syria, or Afghanistan etc...