BFM this

FWIW: In my flight at UPT, all of the relationships like yours survived UPT as of graduation. They were either still going strong or progressing toward the engagement phase. GFs visited occaisionally, and only one finally moved out to Columbus. That was well after the official engagement, she graduated college, and had a job lined up locally.

If you can get a car with no CARFAX history, only 1 - 1.5 years old with plenty of warranty left that you can extend out to 100K, why go to the dealer and pay markup? I bought my wife's car this way off the private market and it worked great. At least 3K off what I would've paid on a dealer's lot. Just don't cut corners: IE CARFAX, a good inspection by a mechanic that you trust, good value vs blue book values, don't be in a rush--shop around for a few months, etc, etc. Shop autotrader and the local classifieds. If you're stuck in some hole like Columbus or Del Rio, scour one of the bigger markets nearby like Memphis or San Antonio. Bottom line: Dealers are going to make a profit. They have to in order to keep their doors open. Some private sellers are only interested in getting rid of their payment.

How was said 2LT commissioned? USAFA, OTS, ROTC, decree from God?

Sheepishly, I have a tough time describing why it is that I wear my AMs with as much pride as I do. I didn't to anything spectacular or heroic. Sure, I felt a little wary going where I was sent. I learned. A LOT. But I came home every night to a hot shower and usually an AC'd tent. It was when I got a glimpse of the real action figures that my outlook changed. Three in particular who began their FINAL trip home in my solemn Battleherc on a moonless night. At that point all the faceless numbers hit home. I wear my AM's as a reminder that maybe my small bit part helped someone else who put a lot more on the line than I. Someday, I may get called to put my money where my mouth is and finish paying them off (my AM's).

1) Attitude 2) Commit the study time (know when it's time to go out partying--not every night/weekend)

I would replace that whole statement with "I fu(&*d up. Period, Dot." From the way you put it in that statement above, it sounds like you are trying to sugar-coat, make excuses, justify, introduce mitigating factors, quible down the significance, etc. If you shorten it to "I f'ed up", it sounds like you've arrived at the mature conclusion that regardless of the circumstances, you are now old and wise enough to avoid those mistakes above in the future. Other than that, have a shiny four years in ROTC, and you'll be good to go. Yes, you will have a couple of extra interview sessions with the investigator, but it's no big deal. An extra two to three hours, max. Mine was done during UPT.

Hey, turtle, Since when do the criminals have internet privileges?

You mean to tell me that I quoted Undercover Brother, and you come back with a quote from Back to the Future? Time to take a break from the computer, Wannabe... [ 17. March 2005, 04:53: Message edited by: flyinjunky ]

I'm thinkin that translates to "SOLID" for all you bruthas out there.

I wasn't a 130 driver, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night... Cobra Gold '96 We were the first line of the day for a 3 ship low level--I was dash last. It was about 0830--the bumps and cumulus that would become the afternoon CBs were just starting to form. Our Combat Entry Point was on the beach about 15 miles east of Utapao AB. From the CEP the low level took us north over land with just enough terrain to get some break turns around the hills and a ridge crossing or two. The flight turned north for the CEP, 500' over the Gulf of Thailand, visual with PtA. Now, when flying in any formation greater than 1 Herc, you're bound to have at least one engineer who's got an ICS jack wired for music. Sure enough, with a good view of two Hercs low, 240kts, and about to hit the beach, from over interplane comes the guitar lead in to Foghat's Slow Ride.

Searching around the web for something totally unrelated and I stumbled on this: Wind Correction Spreadsheet with Formulas Random, Man, totally Random...

5 years...I recently had to produce my original enlistment contract that I signed in High School: dated Feb 1993. After that, all of my orders from MEPS through boot camp to my first duty station. I'm not making this up. If it's an official document, keep it. And, yes, be prepared to defend what AFPC should otherwise have clearly documented.

In the herk the parachutes are there for fun during times of extreme bordom. Situation: you are over the middle of the pond with a planeload of grunts. Everything's quiet (save 4 T56A-16s). The fligt mech (crew chief) hurries up front from his perch on the paratroop door, starts unstrapping the chutes and tossing them up to the cockpit. One of the troops asks if everyting's alright, he says "Oh, yeah, everything's great..."

Not much of a factor with 12 flight hours. If you did want to slog your way through the civilian route, I'd ask what's your plan B? Actually, you could have a healthy career in the civ sector, you just probably won't ever left seat a 7X7 for UPS. But I digress... Liz, if this is what you want to do, then fight for it. Question: have you been crewing for any Birds and/or Stars regularly? If not, let your section chief know so that you can get scheduled with them. (Yes, be that up front and honest with everyone.) That's going to be your magic bullet. Try to get a chance to sit with one of them (pref one in your coc with as many stars as poss) and concisely draw a picture from your DUI to now: namely how the DUI was a gross aberation from an otherwise stellar troop. If you can make these contacts, then decide if you want to reenlist or not. Reenlisting keeps you closer to these references, keeps you in their chain of command, and keeps them directly batting for you. If you get out you could drop off of their radar. Ironicly, staying in might make it tougher for you to get an OTS slot. Me in your shoes: I'd stay close to those contacts (re-up). I'd work my @$$ off trying to get every NCO OT quarter/year/base/command/USAF/universe that I could. You might not show up in those awards competitions since your record next to someone else's has that hairy mole on it, but at least it would show motivation to those writing your EPRs and sending your intentions up the chain.

RP, I've seen guys all but drop off the face of the earth going to back to back PME schools, staff tours, FAC(ALO) tours, etc. If they were good sticks when they left, they were good sticks when they got back. You wouldn't be the first guy to take a break from flying. I hadn't logged more than a half dozen hours in the two years prior to starting UPT. For my own satisfaction, I got my BFR and instrument currency up to date, and got back in the game without missing a beat. Bottom line: you're getting wrapped around the axle about stuff that has been time-proven to not be a factor. For example, American fighter pilots (chime in and correct me if I'm wrong) don't log a lot of time--sometimes less than 300 hours in a year. Given the current staffing system, most of the leadership of said fighter carreer field have spent some amount of time out of the jet. Yet American fighter crews are simply the best in the world. Once again, what is it that you want to do?

That appears to be AirWinger's job. :rolleyes:

I'm sorry, RP, or no , who gives a %^#@! how many hours a "typical" -10 driver flies? Rereading my reply, I feel that I might have mislead you, so let me reemphasize main point: Pick one or the other. It sounds to me like you are trying to count the hours that you'll have in your logbook the day that you bail on the military: ten years after you get your wings. If you aren't looking forward to a week straight of maybe 4 hours sleep per night when you add the 12 hour days to the 8 hours of studying; If you aren't sure that you'd enjoy 3 years out of the jet on a staff tour, or a year wearing a kevlar vest, then go back to Mesa and don't look back. I don't want to crush your enthusiasm, or steer you away from this forum in your search for answers. But I only ask that you try and find a calling, not a material end. I'm sorry if I sound a little disgusted, but I came back to the military after I left a college flight program where my buds with 300 hours of Piper time debated whether they wanted to drive a Lexus or BMW when they made it to the Majors. I'll leave you with a letter by someone who's seen both worlds. Its the 5th post from the top. It's more for the stud who's chosen the military path, but I think it will have some healthy nuggets for you to chew on.

If you drive to OTS, you have your car with you. After OTS, you will PCS to your duty station/school and 1) you may or may not be given time to go get your car and 2) you won't be reimbursed for the expense of going to get your car If you drive to OTS, you'll get reimbursed mileage and days of perdiem for the drive: literally the govt will pay you to bring your car now, but not after the fact.

I don't know of anywhere that ruddering around a turn or slipping in a turn is taught. In fact, coordinated pattern turns are emphasized in civil primary (mil also) to avoid the base-final stall/spin. Beyond that, it is something I have used in a no-flap plane like a Citabria or Champ if I can see a high glidepath develop while still on base leg. In essense, I keep the wings level while using the rudder to turn the plane. At that point it's nothing more than a forward slip with the lift vector pushed off center, giving a horizontal component to turn the plane. I'm lobster-eyeing the airspeed pretty close (as I would in any slip) and it's definately not something I'd teach to a primary stud for the aforementioned reasons. Back to the original question: NOPE, wouldn't do it in a mil jet--that's what we practice go arounds for. [ 21. February 2005, 13:20: Message edited by: flyinjunky ]

OK, I didn't complete that thought very well. In the tweet, yes, you would cross control for x-wind landings to line up the wheels/flight path/runway all same way-same day. You don't, however, roll out on a 5.5 degree final and say to your instructor "hey, watch me fix this" while you stomp a boot full of rudder against opp aileron. In the -38, the slip indicator stays in the center even if you are looking across the rwy in our limiting 25 kt xwind.

The tweet would slip ok, but like everyone said, it's considered poor form. Slips in the T-38 are actually a good way to kill yourself, especially in the pattern. Has to do with the swept wing. I spent my first dozen rides or so reminding myself repeatedly NOT to do cross-controlled landings.

Pilot, Nav, Uh, Standby, standby... Yeah, ok, I think I'm getting a reading on my sarcasm warning meter. Be ready on the countermeasures.

Go AD, maybe you'll get to fly E model Hercs and get to loose an engine every 30-45 hours! :D RP, in fairness to your question, I don't think anyone can look in their crystal ball and tell you which is the winning route right now. If it was a year or more ago, I'd say civilian--that's when you would have hit the bottom of the market, poised to ride the next wave. Get in on active duty right now, and timing may or may not be with you on the tail end. Or, better yet, the officer thing will grow on you and you'll never look back. A whole paragraph and I didn't tell you jack! Go with what you want to do. If you want to be an airline pilot, go for it. If you want to wear a bag and a leather jacket and live some stories to tell the grandkids, go find an officer accessions recruiter. Three years ago I was at your crossroads with about 1500 hours in my logbook. I just wasn't ready to settle down and drive the bus. Nothing wrong with the airlines, I just wanted something different. [ 20. February 2005, 02:02: Message edited by: flyinjunky ]

Not to mention, being a reservist keeps your pay date clock going. $$$$

Mike, I've been labled the tech junkie in my T-38 flight. I bought a laptop that served me well in OTS, but it's only left my desktop twice since I got to UPT (once was when we went home for Christmas). You have some nice to know info passed around in e-format, word docs, ppt, pdfs, etc, but nothing too in depth. Bottom line: it's your preference. There's no requirement that you'd have to meet at UPT with a computer.