HuggyU2

While the T-38 is older than you want, don't try to make this an issue. AETC pushed the C-model. Lots of "new shit" on the jet. The got what they asked for. The millions of $$$ spent on the PMP and the MB seat (how many millions???) would have been useful elsewhere. A-models with 21,000 hours are doing pretty well from a safety viewpoint. Yes, the fleet needs to be replaced. No argument there. No: Paul's jet having dual airframe-mounted gearbox failures is more a function of shitty maintenance than anything else. As a retiree, I'm not "in the know" as much as I'd like to be on his death. Yet. But I'd gladly jump in ANY Beale T-38 and go fly it. Because Beale has some quality guys working those jets. And I'll continue to fly the civilian T-38 without any qualms. It's well maintained, and the seat is solid, in the unlikely event I need it. T-38 crashes should have no bearing on T-X timeline. It should be based on the fact we need an upgraded trainer for our future F-22 and F-35 pilots.

No, it's totally valid. Yes, you need to get back in the books. What you shouldn't do is push. You're welcome.

Is the pin pulled in the chocks? Or just prior to pulling on to the runway?

I thought it might be. I'll send you a pm. I wish you the best. The Navy's loss is the AF's gain.

Questions: - Has Adriana at AFPC told you "yes, you qualify for an IST?" - Have you been passed over for O-5? - If you haven't been passed over yet, when would you meet the O-5 board in the AF?

C’mon Hacker, cut me some slack! It’s all I got! BTW, if the white jet is painted black, what does that count as??

BTW, who is replacing Toth as the ACC/A3?

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/08/15/kareem-abdul-jabbar-compares-national-anthem-to-songs-slavery.html

I know a number of people that have quit fantasy football over their disgust with the NFL. They have echoed this very thing. For the record, I have no idea how fantasy football works or really even what it is.

Buddy Spike, It's a very subtle inside joke which I don't believe you're in on.

Kenny, I sure hope you are right. And I hope they explain as much as they can about how they determined that.

Yes, it certainly would have. However, sitting back and stating that the situation turned out about as well it could is nothing more than Monday morning quarterbacking. We got lucky. We had a guy steal an aircraft, and fly around a major metropolitan area stating the end result would have him dead. Suicide... along with how many others? I'm not sure it gets more "mental health crazy" than that. And no one knew how this would turn out until he was a smoking hole at 2047L. Was anyone confident at 2015L that he wasn't going to bury this airliner into the city? I don't know who gives the order to shoot down, or if the ROE allows the pilots to make that call. And I'm not arguing it's a painful call to make. But have we not determined the triggers that will result in an engagement/shootdown 17 years after 9/11? Has this not been rehearsed time and time again? If this DID meet the triggers, then I'd like to know why a shootdown was not executed. And if this hijacking DIDN'T meet the criteria, then I'd like to hear that along with an explanation as to why. Instead, we seemed paralyzed by our fear of Jim Acosta and the news media asking questions post-shootdown. Had this guy ended his life by plowing into Seattle's Columbia Center with a pair armed Eagles watching with their hands tied, this would be a very different day in America. Again. One more thing to ponder: had this guy had an Arabic accent, and had he been transmitting "Allah akbar!" on the radio, would that have changed the outcome? Or would that simply bring more allegations of racial profiling in America by MSNBC? There is a lot that is going to have to be discussed and acted on within the Air Defense leadership corps and the gov't officials that make these decisions.

I cannot even imagine what sort of "security protocols" are going to be discussed... and some implemented... as a result of this. Stand by for knee-jerking...

I'll second what Hoss stated. Sheppard Air are very helpful. The mil comp CFI written is a piece of cake with Sheppard Air's study software.

Reference "Star Wars": it is set in the future. And that future has flightsuits. This shouldn't be too hard of a concept to grasp. The flightsuit will never go away. Much like the U-2. They can try all they want to kill it... but it just won't happen. Plus... chicks dig a 40 inch zipper. p.s. Don't get me started on the demise of deep v-neck T-shirts under the flight suit. Crew neck T-shirts are for guys that eat too much soy and can't grow hair on their chest.

For you U-2 guys that didn't know, Sooch did his first shot in the Virgin Galactic space ship last week. At 170,000', it was still a low altitude test and he doesn't get astronaut wings yet... but it's great to see him finally get into the saddle after 5 years of training. I guess this makes him the highest flyer within our community. Sooch was an '85 commission; came to the U-2 in late '89; U-2 Solo #544; then did the TPS thing and Palmdale U-2 Flight Test, before coming back as the 1 RS commander. Somewhere in the 90's, I recall him making it into a later round for Space Shuttle selection. The guy has mad pilot skills, and is brilliant. The AF in its infinite wisdom couldn't find a reason to promote him to O-6. Seems to me that it has worked out better for Sooch, and the AF lost another quality leader before they needed to. Congratulations to Sooch!! https://www.space.com/41295-virgin-galactic-reaches-mesosphere-epic-test.html

LOL.... wut??

Silly rabbit. You can’t just break titanium. Didn’t you watch RoboCop? Now go grab me an Ensure, and go back to eating your FudgeSickle, junior.

More proof that P.T. Barnum was spot on with his quote.

"So all you speculators.....just STFU!" Hard to put it better. Too bad some of the pilots over at COPA (for Cirrus pilots) and other aviation websites can't understand this concept. Thank for that post, Hacker.

Pawnman, your point is well taken, and I appreciate the perspective that I hadn't taken in to account... mainly because I had simply forgotten it in my advanced age. Same with Skitzo's post.

I'm probably missing the gist of what you're trying to say... But barring an injury, if Airmen show up to the PT test and find it high threat and stressful, then they are the problem. The AF standards are about as minimal as it gets. Watching 20-somethings weezing on lap 4 of the 1.5 mile run is pathetic.

That was a long article that stated absolutely zero. It did, however, make me look up "irascible". So I got that going for me. Which is nice.