Hacker

While we're at it, bring back the Phantom and Skyraider.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2011/04/01/02.xml&headline=null&next=10

USAFE Safety down day in 3....2.....1....

Naah, it was in England. It was more like this: Note: Not a model or fakery -- Ray Hanna actually flying a Spit under the bridge for the BBC series "Piece of Cake" back in the late 80s.

This is still standard UK low fly. Still standard, 'Fighting Edge' rules. Squawk 11 and check six. Also standard UK act....Radar Information Service..... That's the point I was getting at in my post further up the page. We're not all THAT far separated from the days you're talking about, but we're at least 3/4 to one complete career-span from it. It's far enough back that O-4s and O-5s who are considered 'old craniums' in their ops units weren't flying when stuff like you're talking about happened, which leads guys younger than that to think it was ANCIENT history when that shit was occurring. I'm not old enough to have done any of that firsthand, but certainly guys who were O-4s and O-5s when I was a Lieutenant, and even up into my first fighter squadron did it, and those kinds of stories got dragged out at the bar.

I have to wonder just how long some of you have been flying for the AF, and what community you are from. I haven't been around the AF that long, but hearing about this kind of stuff doesn't seem to knock me off my feet as much as it seems to for some of you. This was probably more prevalent in the 80s, but I certainly heard about this kind of stuff when I was a Lieutenant in the mid 90s. Seems to have started to decline a little in the Fogleman era and be nearly completely gone by the mid 00s. We're to the point where we are now a whole "career" of pilots away from when these sort of shenanigans happened, and some seem to be astounded that it ever happened. There's an entirely new standard of what's acceptable and what's totally outrageous. Not that flying under a bridge was ever "acceptable", but it certainly didn't warrant the stoning at sunset that it would probably get today. As Rainman has indicated, it was more of an extended-ass-chewing-in-the-Boss'-office sort of thing. Grounding. Take a crappy deal or three. We have had a serious cultural shift in the AF over the course of my short career, and it's a matter of perspective as to if that's a good thing or not.

Man style.

Greater skill at what?

"Conservative" is the mantra of so many USAF leaders these days. IMHO that desire to be the most conservative leader, so as to not in any way possible even tempt making a decision your boss disagrees with, is one of the cancers killing USAF leadership. If a boss can pin the toughest possible punishment on his subordinate, then he's never putting himself into question from his own chain of command. It's like the SEFE who is getting the NAF STAN/EVAL over-the-shoulder treatment, and decides he needs to be Mr Hardass so as to not appear weak.

The AF was going for both a Court Martial and FEB.

There were 4 guys in the airplanes.

Awww, now, I've seen it posted twice...

He all ready regularly posts his AF Times cover shot here (which has his name on it)...I don't think he's all that concerned about it.

I'll simply reply this way: - If you know Maj Kopacek and believe this, then call him and get his side of what occurred. - If you don't know him, then you are seriously mis-assessing him as an individual based on a very small sliver of info you've been given. - NJP cases rarely tell the "true" story...especially for a guy who was days away from separating from the AF (and the AF knew they didn't have a career to wreck, yet still had a message to send to the rank-and-file) BL: There's a lot about this story that you don't know, and your "assessment" of the situation reflects this. It's not any of my business to discuss those details, but it's important to know that this punishment was more for the benefit of the "Rest of the AF" than it was punishing Kopacek's actions.

I love how anything turns into an excuse to tear things up.

How'd you figure that math?

When turbine wheels let go big enough to blow big holes in the top of the engine compartment, I'm thinking the chances are pretty good.

It did not count as O-1 time, no.

You talking about the slutty Arab and Persian women, or do you mean "locales"? Fact: I have scored a month of tax free for flying a training sortie in a specific MOA. I think that MOA's inclusion in CTZE has since been removed, but pilots at a certain USAFE base (used to) make about $10K more per year than the rest of us because they ensure they make monthly sorties to tag that MOA, ensuring the maximum amount of annual CTZE.

At least someone took up my idea of going back to the white jet paint scheme in the name of "heritage", heh heh. Next: smurf paint on IFF jets!

How can you guys even chase those unimportant rabbit trails when the evil spectre of aircrew failure to comply with reflective belt wear is out there?

He's welcome to feel however he wants with respect to earning his pay. If he wants to make decisions as to if others deserve their combat zone tax exclusion and hostile fire pay, his opinions are woefully out of line without walking a mile in their shoes.

Initials JW, circa 2006?

Is the 711 SOS an FTU? If not, how is he a "trainee"? Do they mean that he is not CMR, or hasn't completed MQT?

Not close to the first I've heard. In fact, a good number of long-time USAA clients have departed for other companies over the erosion of support and benefits over the last 6-9 years. Used to be that USAA had the best overall package (sts) in pretty much every area of finance/banking/insurance for an active duty military officer. USAA definitely isn't the same bastion today that it was in the 90s.