HuggyU2

Haha, yeah, right. Total pipe dream. You're probably one of those guys that thinks a spaceship can fly itself back to the launchpad and land in a pair of "chopsticks". Ridiculous.

Money for new programs: its why SecAF is trying to kill the U-2.

I'll see if I can contact the Lieutenant and get the details (and will post if I do), but around March we sent a casual LT to one of these flight schools to get some ratings, Enroute to UPT.

I bought MiG Pilot that night.

Definitely bring it back. I was a FAIP during Project Warrior's years, and at Laughlin, we used that to go pick up guest speakers in the T-38 to bring them out to talk to the Wing... usually done so they could go to the monthly Daedalians meeting that night. I flew to Oklahoma Cuty and picked up Bob Anderson, MiG killer and early Thunderbird. "Here's a helmet... unpin the ejection seat when I tell you. Questions?" Also got to fly back from Phoenix with X-15 pilot Pete Knight on my wing. Another FAIP got to pick up Victor Belenko. That was cool. After the Daedalian meeting, he wanted to hang out but most everyone left. So myself and 2 other FAIPs sat in the OClub bar and drank with him. Surreal. Project Warrior was a huge positive. But I seriously doubt our risk-averse culture would allow it to happen again like it did.

Tim Walz? Assuming he can load it.

Touch yourself.

I contemplate what would be different, had we spent $2 trillion on Mexico (and other Central American nations) instead of Afghanistan. That money certainly didn't win us the war. I think back to 2004 and deployments from then. That was a long time ago. If we spent $300,000,000 every DAY since 2004, that sum today would be... ... $2 trillion. That may have done something significant to preserve the dying Monroe Doctrine.

Every day that we inch towards 30 Sep 2025 makes it a little harder to turn back. I have no inside information, but I'm hopefull that something will get extended... which would maybe require a few more pilots.

The first flying squadron in North America. Tasked with chasing Pancho Villa around the US-Mexican border. Currently the FTU for the U-2 and T-38A at Beale. Hail Dragons...

Haha, this. The U-2 and SR-71 had an old but great Astro-tracker. We flew it on missions that went way north, where there was always overcast (which precluded doing a ground fix update), and before GPS was really integrated into military flying ops. I believe it was maintained by Northrop. IIRC, it tracked 300 stars and gave us around 700' of accuracy. I had an engineer tell me a few years ago that 700' is terrible, compared to modern standards. Unfortunately, airline certification for an Astro-tracker will take decades and cost millions of lives. Too bad. Works great, lasts long time.

I hear it is tomorrow, 26 Sept, leaving Travis.

Central Coast AirFest in Santa Maria CA is this weekend, 21-22 Sept. It's right by Vandenburg SFB, and the best warbird airshow in the nation. Two of the only 5 De Havilland Mosquitos will be flying in formation... the first time that has happened since 1987. The F7F Tigercat just cancelled but the flying lineup includes: P-38, F8F, SBD Dauntless, TBM Avenger, P-40, lots of Mustangs, B-25, MiG-15, Yak-3, P-63, Sea Fury, the only P-47 Razorback that files... Also, F-18 Demo Team. And the A-10 Demo Team in their 3rd to last airshow before the team is disbanded (thanks a lot, Frank Kendall). https://www.centralcoastairfest.com/

United plans to hire 1,700 in 2025, as per the Instructor/Evaluator meeting last week.

Summary? I don't use that app.

Durbin. Ugh.

Obviously, I don't know all of the facts, but this appears to fall squarely on the shoulders of the Army pilot who was PIC. We give a ton of orientation flights in the U-2 and T-38, and if we were to allow the guest flyers to exceed our capabilities to keep the aircraft safe, that's on us. What was the O-6's billet in the F-35 world?

There sure are a lot of replies to a rumor started by a 2Lt casual student. Of note, the nephew of a guy I know just showed up to his Navy/Marine F-35 RAG... 5.5 years after starting on active duty. We aren't the only ones Accountability: I've always been impressed that the commander and executive director of AFPC weren't both fired by the CSAF for their inability to manage the rated force. For you airline guys, I heard some really crazy shit recently about another merger. I heard it on the crew bus from a flight attendant and...

We use Fresno and Lemoore for our local diverts and go there often for training sorties. With 9,500 and 8,000 at FAT, and 2 x 13,500 at NLC, most of us would choose NLC if we had a runway length / stopping issue. Nevermind the fact NLC is the Navy: they know cables"; have them on all four runways; and inspect them regularly (not that we can take a cable in the T-38A). I'd like to know what the after action report is on the broken cable at FAT. I've landed a T-38 on the Edwards lake bed once. A decent option this time of year normally. But you don't want to show up there without pre-coordination, only to find out the lake bed is unusable due to rain.

Honestly, people should go to jail. Someone made some deals under the table. https://www.twz.com/39945/the-air-force-spent-134m-to-repair-39-hail-damaged-t-1-jet-trainers-its-about-to-retire BTW, what is AFF at Randolph?

Possible extension of U-2 operations, according to noted British journalist Chris Pocock. Things are getting interesting, assuming he is somewhat accurate. https://dragonladytoday.com/2024/08/17/keep-the-u-2-by-downsizing-the-operation/

I remember this. Only 4 days later, the B-52 airshow practice fatal crash occurred, also at Fairchild. It really was epic combat shooting by the SF Airman.