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Everything posted by HuggyU2
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As the guy who was the U-2 recruiter for a number of years, it was commander specific. I had pilots call me and we would run the application wickets quietly until the very last minute when they had to come clean with their boss. Then, there were CC's on the opposite end of the spectrum that were very supportive of their pilot applying to the U-2. In a few cases, they sought me out. It just depends.
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Somewhat true when considering moving to other AF platforms, at least in the last few years. We have had the occasional pilot go to a "special" flying assignment but that was a good career move. I can't think of too many in the past few years that have gone to other flying assignments without intending to return. One thing to consider about the U-2: if you decide to do it and get accepted, you better be sure you want to be there. No one forced you to go... and you won't get much sympathy if you get there and decide you don't like it. It's a self-inflicted wound. We offer you a lot of chances to take a hard look at the good, the bad, and the ugly about U-2 Life. So get leave, buy an airline ticket, and go spend a couple of days at Beale to check it out before you apply. p.s. Keep in mind, the U-2 Program is overmanned. Obviously. As evidenced by the fact that some genius at AFPC decided they didn't qualify for a pilot bonus. So don't come to the U-2 "for the money". And don't come there because we have the T-38A. Come there because you want to be a high-altitude Recce Pilot in the cockpit of a U-2. In a pressure suit. By yourself. If that isn't your primary reason for going, then save everyone a lot of hassle and look elsewhere.
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AF enlisted "pilots" - rank doesn't matter, only ability
HuggyU2 replied to gearhog's topic in General Discussion
Would you tell us more about what is happening? Many of us have no clue about this subject. -
How long is that HC-J course?
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A good article by the late Robert Dorr on "light attack" in the early turbine-powered years. https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-a-37-dragonfly-in-vietnam/ Although based on the Tweet, it is quite a bit different despite what many believe. One of the guys in my UPT class did his 2nd assignment in the Dragonfly at Howard AFB, and was there when Operation Just Cause went down. Pretty cool that he got about 20 combat sorties shooting Willy Pete rockets at the Panamanian Guard. There is currently only one A-37B flying in North America.
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I would say that I'm of the opinion that your comment is misplaced, not well thought out, unprofessional and poorly timed. But we can discuss it in the future when we actually have some facts about what happened, rather than hashing out opinions and speculation before we even know the names of those involved... people we share the uniform with... in this tragic and unfortunate mishap.
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It was just before Stone, IIRC. I recall it was a fighter guy who was the T-1 SQ/CC... but it's been a while. I've seen different AETC leaders push back at various times. Anecdotally, Vance seemed to do it the most. Ironically, we got a lot of good U-2 pilots from Vance. Side note: next time I run in to you, remind me to tell you the story of Stone being a German spy who infiltrated DoD and became the first foreign spy to fly the U-2.
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He believed it was a dead-end career move. I asked him if he knew any U-2 pilots personally. Surprisingly, the answer was no. I also asked him if he'd ever seen a U-2 in person (not that it really mattered). Again, no. I'm guessing he believed in his strong gut feeling. Maybe because the last jet would be parked in the boneyard in 2011. Hold that thought...
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Is there any truth to the rumors that Vance leadership is strongly discouraging their IP's to apply to the U-2? Feel free to drop me a pm, which will remain in total confidentiality. A few years ago, when I ran the U-2 Recruiting shop, I met with a Vance SQ/CC who did not want his IP's coming to the U-2. Interesting conversation and perspective.
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Play by the rules of the USERRA law and tell Delta Airlines to kiss your ass. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/VETS/legacy/files/USERRA_Private.pdf In other news... I'll have 28+ years at United when I retire, and I will not be able to hold a widebody leftseat based on current projections. When I was hired, we had 5 year Captains on narrowbody. But after bankruptcies, mergers, 9/11, 2008 economy down-turn, china-virus, and a plethora of other events... I've learned that the question of "when can I upgrade..." is an unanswerable question. Who knows? The variables are entirely unpredictable. A bud of mine was in the first UAL class after things shut down for a year (May 2021). Pilots hired a year later will be 2000 numbers junior to him. To put that in perspective, those pilots currently 2000 numbers junior to me were hired 15 years after I was. And I'm not even going to discuss the ramifications of those who were Continental pilots during the merger. If you do not understand the significance of my statistic, then you need to talk to someone who does. The whole "where will I be?" is a stupid question. If you want to dress up and play airline pilot, then get ready for a fucked up career.
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Hog Poppin' at Randolph Oct 25th, Vance Oct 26th (UPT Roadshow)
HuggyU2 replied to Zero's topic in General Discussion
Any chance the A-10 community is interested in hiring a slightly overweight guy in his 50s, with a receding hairline and bad breath? My "friend" would be interested. -
I had always wanted to try my hand in something where I was organizing/running a group or organization. After a lot of networking, I accepted an offer to run an aviation non-profit (basically, a club of jet owners) as their Executive Director. I could write a small book on the experience, but I resigned after 18 months and went back to the airlines... from which I had been absent for 15 years. Glad I worked in the ED job, otherwise I'd have always wondered if I should have done it. With the experience behind me, I know now that I have a much better quality of life where I am.
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https://www.rtag.org/events/annual-2021-rtag-convention
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Odd request... When you go into a classified briefing room, there's usually a storage bin into which many people put their cell phones before they enter the room. Most of the ones I've seen are poorly designed. If you have a picture of a wall-mounted unit that is exceptionally well designed, would you send me a link to where you got it, or at least a photo of it with the dimensions of the storage slots.
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Oklahoma State? Oh, you're in luck. PM sent.
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Jacksonville Center is where the rumor about the vax is coming from. A majority of controllers called in sick Friday in protest of the Biden mandate.
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^^ Pretty much what this guy said ^^. Very hard to argue with him.
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So true. And thank you for stating it.
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It's been said already, but the AF and the FAA are apples and oranges. There are pilots in the airlines with one eye. I haven't seen that in the military. AF buddy of mine was grounded for multiple sclerosis. But, he is asymptomatic... got his FAA Class I... and is flying for a major airline. He's doing fine.
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di1630, Do you also lose Disability pay for the days you're working for the military?
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It's been about 6 years since Miley Gate. What ever happened to the three guys that were wrongly accused?
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I remember that too. He was at his buddy's WIC graduation, from Kadena... IIRC.
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That's crazy talk.
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Haha! I separated at the 15 year point of my AD career. Came back to the U-2 two years later and on AD. A few years later, I retired from AD while flying the U-2. Returned to AD again to fly the U-2. We have another pilot here that did the same thing as me, albeit a few years after I did it. The U-2 is The Land of Misfit Toys. We are an odd lot.
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Reason #6 why Big Blue doesn't always win. Because Big Blue is made of up of a myriad of sub-organizations that don't communicate with each other. Excellent work, SkiBum.