HercDude

Isn't he supposed to have the interests of the FAA and the American taxpayer at heart? I don't want to fly with a complete ass either, but it would worry me if every FAA examiner went around with the intent to pass everyone because they were looking out for the future careers of the pilots they check vs. the people whose lives will be in their hands.

Yep, I always rely on tower to tell me how to fly my airplane. Obviously ATC is to blame here.

I interviewed with a Reserve outfit last weekend as a O-4 with 13 years on AD getting ready to separate at the end of my commitment. I used this thread to prepare for the interview, but noticed almost everyone who posts questions is doing so as a dude off the street looking for someone to send them to UPT. My experience was different. It was formal (I was in Service Dress) but they tried to make the interview and the whole day seem pretty laid back. Interview panel was composed of 10 guys I think, including at least one person from each crew position. Most of the questions though came from the chief pilot, the STAN/EVAL pilot, and the guy who set up the interview board. They gave me an opportunity to introduce myself, and after that they just threw out questions from around the room. There were zero technical questions, no "tell me about a time" questions, no specific scenarios (e.g. - "what would you do if your copilot....."), and almost no personality questions. Specific questions I got: Why are you leaving Active Duty? Why the Reserves and not the Guard? Are you applying or interviewing to other units in the area? You have a family at home, how are you going to take care of them without an AD paycheck? Are you seeking employment outside the Reserves? What have you heard about this unit? How is an aircraft commander different than the rest of the crew? What does it mean to be an AC? How is a Reserve officer different from an AD officer? How do you handle conflict/dissension in the air or while on a mission? The AF is trying to downsize their C-130 fleet, and that means some units will lose their flying mission. Would you stay here if this unit lost its C-130s? Do you only want to fly, or would you be willing to be put on days or fill an ART position latter on that was for a non-flying related duty? If I called your coworkers and squadron-mates, how would they describe you? Are there any skeletons in your closet? Now is the time to air them out. (looking for Q3s, PT Test failures, referral OPRs, etc) What questions do you have for us? Overall I think it was about a 30 minute interview, and I think their overall intent was to make sure that I was making an informed decision. Basically they made it clear that although there are plenty of opportunities to fly and earn a paycheck, with all of the budget uncertainty in the DoD, I needed to know that there may be times when I'm only guaranteed UTAs and AFTPs, and that I shouldn't count on being a bum to feed and clothe my family. I was encouraged to hang out the rest of the day and meet people and ask questions, which I did. apparently usually the interviews are Saturday and they encourage dudes to hang out at the bar, but this was on a Sunday so most guys headed home as soon as the duty day was over. I got the call about 24 hours later letting me know I was hired.

What a shitty way to start 2014.

Necessary? Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No - but I do it anyway because it's sterile and I like the taste. Is anything Hollywood does these days necessary? Reboot Spiderman 5 years after the previous sequel.....Put Eddie Murphy in a fat suit - again.....make another Fast & the Furious......Make a movie out of a board game....ruin the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.....put a camera in front of Keanu Reeves. I say nay, but just sit back and enjoy the CGI.

Its been done before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO1B5yaoJyU

No I think it's real. Dennis Leary is their spokesperson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-KZ1ySHPpE

What kind of hair?

What kind of contract do these guys put you under? Is each deployment it's own contract, or are you committed to a certain time period when they hire you? Seems like the kind of job that would be great to pay bills when your phone doesn't end up ringing off the hook, but not the kind of thing you'd want to be holding you down for the next 18 months when you do get the call.

What a load of shit. I didn't even make it all the way through the article. Is there one shred of empirical evidence anywhere in there? If GO's are being forced out at an unprecedented rate, surely this could be documented and compared with historical rates. If morale is at an "all time low" this implies that you have quantified and compared today's morale with historical rates. Personally, I think the AF is going to shit, but it has almost nothing to do with the POTUS. There were useless, asinine policies under Bush and there are useless asinine policies under Obama.

Then why in Lord Buddha's name do we still have Asian Heritage month? Who the hell is still prejudiced against Asians? They get better grades, are over-represented in higher education, under-represented in prisons, make more money and own more businesses than any other ethnic group.

Source?

And you're not going to include a picture? WTF is wrong with you?

We (C-130 TFI) are flying a truncated schedule 3 days a week. Probably ends up being about 40% of what we usually fly a week. Generally it's just guys in some sort of upgrade or getting ready to deploy.

The school district thinks an airsoft gun is a firearm? Wow. Just......wow.

So this is where you begin the mature, spirited debate? I grew up outside Washington DC and feigned interest in the Skins growing up. Even though most "fans no dick all about football in general and "their" team in specific, it's the popular thing to do. When I went to college I identified with the team, went to classes with the players, got obliterated tailgating, and watched them win a National Championship. Some of the best memories of my entire life revolve around my 4 & 1/2 years there drinking booze, chasing tail, and watching football. I have no such experiences with any professional team. And by the way, I think you'd really like DC - it's full of self-righteous assholes like you who think being born in proximity to New York or LA increases your worth as a human being.

So "real football" is composed of 50 yard field goals and endzone dances? I'm guessing you went to some fruity liberal arts college in New Hampshire or something. That would explain your douchy, elitist attitude towards the heart of this country, and how you appear know nothing about college football, since there are only 4 teams that currently run the triple option the FBS).

I dunno - ask the guys from the TFI that opened in Alaska in 2011........and is shutting down this year.

I've seen it happen before.........But in any event, the legacy C-130 is dead in active duty. As much as it pains me to say, I strongly advise UPT students DO NOT put this down on your ADP, and if you are already in the community, jump ship to a white jet/ J-model/AFSOC or whatever else you can get your hands on. I'm sure there are a handful of guys out there with a shamrock up their ass who will work sweet gigs between Cheyenne, C-Springs, and Little Rock, but those aren't numbers I'd be willing to bet my 10 year commitment on. Palace Chase is a great option - explore it.

To follow up: I got an email from the base training manager which included correspondence from AFPC/DPSOTES (the staff weenies who manage ADSCs I think). If you fit the criteria of AFI 36-2107 Table 1.1, note 1.b then you DO NOT have to sign an ADSC, and there is no waiver required. I simply made a note of the applicable reg on the training RIP, signed it, and sent it back to the UTM. Feel free to PM me with questions.

Even 12 years in the future Russians drive shitty cars.

I have seen this done several times, and am in the process right now (less than 18 mo. ADSC left, and I refuse to sign a 2 yr. ADSC). It was held up for a few days, but I have informed the UTM, CC, and Base Training Manager of the reg, and all have concurred that I do not have to sign. I don't have orders yet though.......

I was sitting 8 feet from Gen Welsh last month and he talked at length about how stupid practice bleeding was and how it made no sense at all to suggest an AAD should have anything to do with getting promoted to O-4 or O-5. His words were something along the line of "this is one of the dumbest things we do as a service." He then acknowledged that masking AAD for the O-4 & O-5 board won't fix the problem because senior raters will probably still use it as a discriminator. And that was it - din't really offer a solution, which I found odd seeing as he's the Chief and all.