HuggyU2

I am sure I'm misinterpreting what you meant. But we had two trainers prior to SUPT. Can you clarify?

To those Americans, known and unknown, that died while serving this country.

Yeah, you're not wrong. I fall into the "I don't know shit about investing" category. But... mainly on other airline websites... I read posts where pilots get on their high horse and admonish other pilots for their "need" to have an 85 hour month. Or they bad mouth this and that, and tell us how smart they are for doing X or Y. And if it works for them, I'm happy for them. But lecturing others is poor form. Some pilots are living on the edge of their finances because they are taking care of a parent suffering from dementia... or devoting their efforts to a special needs child... or dealing with a painful and costly divorce. Some have sick spouses that require treatments that exhaust life savings. Life is tough for many people. And before someone starts pontificating on how other pilots should be saving for college and how they should be more careful with their money... then they should stop... give thanks to God that they are not in a bad situation... and simply pray that others can find a way to become financially secure. Frankly, no financial advice given on this forum is going to make a difference. As such... I will shut my fucking piehole before I offer my less-than-sage wisdom on the subject.

I can't speak for the B-2, but yes... we were very disappointed when leadership rolled over and banned formation landings. That said, it's dead now and as time marches on, there are fewer and fewer of us that have done it extensively. It will never return to the Air Force. When I was a T-38 PIT IP at Randolph, we used to do formation touch and go's with the trainees: it gave us a lot more evolutions to get proficient at it in a short time. As mentioned above, the tolerances were such that you couldn't be sloppy on your approach since you knew what was coming. I tried many times to get form T&G's approved at Beale when I returned there. Came close once... but alas those are gone like good times in a UPT squadron bar and pilots that know the rules to Crud. As a side note, it was only in the last 5-6 years that we were forced to limit bank in close trail to 120 deg. It was unlimited for us and barrel rolls were the standard. We do other stuff that isn't done at UPT bases... but I don't want to mention it because some dickhead might take it upon themselves to ruin that too. It took us about 6 years to recover from the effects of Maj Gen Lyon's heavy handedness (he was ACC/DO around 2012).

The PMP engine "upgrade" was a self-inflicted wound by the AF. They spent millions to marginally improve TOLD, only to give y'all an engine that isn't as reliable, and a get that flies an ASD of about .1 shorter than the A-model. Millions... and probably over a billion... of dollars (along with more millions wasted on the new ejection seat) that could have been utilized by an Air Force to accelerate their procurement of an advanced trainer. They've poured good money after bad rather than do what needed to be done by 2010. The Video Data Transfer System (and new speed brake position indicator) was over $50,000,000 just by itself. Are you shitting me? At least they are "celebrating" their accomplishment. https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/1065812/program-office-celebrates-t-38c-mod-completion/ Unforgiving in the T/O and LDG phase? Haha. Have you read the approach/landing accident reports from the CAF over the last few years? You're the CAF. If you don't want the UPT folks teaching it, then as "the customer", your demand to KIO this syllabus event is valid and I'm glad you got your way. However, did formation landings magically become useless to the CAF at the exact same time as the first formation landing fatality? Or was CAF leadership allowing the UPT syllabus to waste millions of dollars and hours that would have been useful elsewhere? This whole evolution points to a continued lack of focus on the real issues by so many that were "in charge". I know this shocks many of you. And while formation landings may be unnecessary for the pointy-nosed types, don't conflate banning them as a safety issue. For those of us outside of the UPT and fighter environment that find formation landings useful, we didn't appreciate ACC / USAF killing them for everyone. Not everything revolves around what is done in the F-35. I love the T-38. It was and is an amazing aircraft. But it should have been replaced by now. There are second-rate air forces flying with a better advanced trainer than we have. And that's embarrassing.

It's close enough for starters. You will continue to get unsolicited financial advice on how you should be saving and what you shouldn't be buying, throughout your airline career as demonstrated on this forum repeatedly. You didn't get this far because you were stupid so just ignore it.

Seen in Beale Finance this week. Congrats to the Blue Angels for their sponsorship of Finance.

I simply do not understand this statement. Constantly trying to kill me? While the T-38 is long overdue on being replaced, I will jump in one every chance I get. Formation, LL,... whatever. A wing hasn't "fallen off" since 1983 or 1984 (at Columbus). Yes, we've lost wing tips where the Jo-bolts connect them to the wing... but everyone I know of landed fine. The jet's getting long in the tooth, and that needs to be taken into account. But calling it a "death trap"? Really? As for formation landings, we will agree to disagree. In 60 years of operating the T-38, that was the only formation landing fatality. Hardly a trend worthy of knee jerk. What next? Get rid of 3G/90 deg wingwork? Or 4G/120 deg close trail? How about formation approaches? We showed THAT could end up as a fatality too. Let's just make everything a single-ship straight-in.

The T-38A I fly still has 1 TACAN, 1 ILS, and that's it. Pencil-method, Rule of 5s... bring it on!!

We have a number of them that ended up in the U-2.

If you're a Cheetah or an IFF instructor at Randolph, will you drop me a DM please? Thanks. Huggy

You'll also find excellent jalapeño corn ready to go by 0745 at one particular location at Beale AFB.

https://www.cannon.af.mil/About/Biographies/Display/Article/3089640/terence-g-taylor/ Where is this BG-select going to next?

Just a comment... and maybe not directly related. But something to consider anyways. I got to know a whole bunch of pilots from all Services over the years, many of them at the Reno Air Races. We formed group that chats online. The bulk are Navy pilots; there's a lot of Marines too; and only a few of us from the AF. Last week, the discussion centered around some health issues. Nearly every one of the single-seat pilots that had served 20 years said that they are in varying levels of constant pain, due mainly to spinal or neck issues. Some of the stories are eye-opening. This matches my experience. I've got about 7,000 hours in ejection seats, and 4,000 of that is in the T-38A with a 35 lbs parachute on my back. My neck issues will be with me for life and they suck. I'm back to the spinal surgeon in 2 months for another procedure. I'm sure there are plenty of folks here on BO.net with similar experiences. Flying ejection seat aircraft is great. But realize the toll it will likely take on your body if you elect to stay with it for a long time. And for crying out loud, don't do stupid shit in flight training that will get you injured. It was never something I considered, especially when I was younger.

It may not be the entire Air Force, but I'll tell you something that's wrong with ACC: ePEX. We've had it now for what... 20 years? And it's getting worse. Holy shit, PEX is literally killing those that use it daily. Our entire Information Technology enterprise is a mess. The AF puts the "IT" in "shit".

Looks like the 47 OG/CC referenced in the letter (Col Bingham) was brand new in the job, and is now the 6th ARW/CC at MacDill. What's the feeling on him from those that know him?

What I see in that article is hardly "journalism". "Wobbly", "bulbous" and "gliding at the edge of space" are terms better suited to a freshman Creative Writing course. Ms Cohen doesn't have her facts even close... appears to know nothing about the U-2... hasn't provided much in the way of sources other than Sen Budd "noting the service's plan". Could it happen? I guess so. I'm no insider to the workings of the staff world. Far from it. It's no secret that SeCAF is in favor of retiring it. But with the continued successes we've had lately (don't ask), a 2026 retirement is something I'll gladly throw down a large stack of 2 dollar bills and bet against. edit: writing this reminded me of something. In late 2010, Ben Iannotta of C4ISR Journal wrote an opinion piece about the U-2 that I took exception too. I was an active duty Lt Col flying the U-2, and wrote a rebuttal... and it got published. I recall people I knew calling me and warning me about stirring the pot, since the U-2 was not in-vogue with some of AF and DoD leadership, especially VCJCS (Gen Cartwright... the guy later pardoned by Obama). Two months later, I was non-vol'd to the MC-12. Coincidence?

That's putting it lightly.

Not ideal... but certainly a better plan than the Navy's idea of a great recruiting theme.

Free beer for life for anyone that is able to smuggle some of those artifacts out of Mother Russia.

Sixty-three years ago today... the first of seven U-2's was shotdown. It's the most well-known of the 7. https://coldwar.org/default.asp?pid=15587&d=y&subid=6191 (Today is Monday... so wait 4 days if you are offended by my post).

Coming soon to an Air Force squadron near you.

Are you commissioned in the AF yet?

Nope. Enter Gavin Newsom...