FourFans

Having worked in training and scheduling and getting a good look at how the system is broken, I definitely agree that the system is hard broke. But letting yourself go NMR to prove a point to big blue is not the right answer, just like spilling the hot coffee in your lap isn't the right way to tell the waitress that the coffee is way to hot. Instead of passing the buck to big blue and blaming the system, mission commanders and aircraft commanders can do a LOT to alleviate the short term problem...but they RARELY do. Ever since the flying hour program went away, ACs have been briefing that they'll finish the flight when they've max'd out the training...but how that usually plays out is that they blow off the extra instrument approach or the extra ARA in order to land when they've got their pre-planned training done. If dudes actually tried and knock out EVERY bean that EVERY crewmember needs, you'd see more flights going full length and less waivers at the end of the semi-annual. I went 5 for 5 semi-annual periods (periods that I counted on the books) of zeroed out training at my last base...and it wasn't because of good scheduling or a proactive training shop. Hell, I was even an exec for 2 of those! Sure big blue is broken, but that doesn't have to impact my mission execution. It doesn't in the desert, it shouldn't at home either. B.L. You can pass the buck to whoever you want, but at the end of the day, your training is your responsibility. FF

Wow. Not even dignified enough to have their name on something that is even capable of self propelled motion...like the door of the truck that hauls the trailer...sad.

Sad to say, but there is a fatal flaw with any uniform designed to actually recognize people that have earned recognition in the USAF. The operators (zippersuited sungods, silo sitters, SF, STS, PJs, CCT, convoy drivers etc) would actually stand out because of their accomplishments and sacrifices. The non-operators (services, comm, etc) would simply look like they were in the military...and not "special"...which would inherently hurt someone's feelings. Because Big Blue seems to be all about making the individuals feel good instead of getting the mission done, any special recognition for a difficult job well done would obviously lead to dissension in the ranks. Keep the masses happy, make everyone feel special, don't recognize good work...unless it will look good in the media...that's the AF we live in today. Thankfully there are men like Discus who do this job they hate so much because they love it, and the men and women they work with, so damn much. Amen for the mission hackers who don't care what the blues uniform looks like, because it has zero mission impact on the missions that actually count. FF

More CCs need to say that...and mean it.

I prefer to get in once a day and stay in heaven for 5 hours. So how does my dirt qual play in this game?

Come on people. She goes to do a standard tube job, the gun explodes and she looses her grip while cleaning herself off. It this really a surprising, non-standard occurance? I think not. I'll bet it even happened to Metzger a few times! FF

Yeah! Boxhead where the hell are you when the Saudi's need you!

1. Yes we do all that stuff and more, but it depends on your unit as to the particulars. Quite honestly, what you do with a 4 engine aircraft should be the LAST thing on your mind right now. Doing as well as possible in the 1 engine program should be your #1 concern. 2. You're unit will determine that as best I understand it. First worry about making it possible to have option to go to LR or Dobbins. 3. All C-130s have GPS. It's integrated into the aircraft system, so the info is displayed to you as distances and headings, meaning you have to draw the map in your head. However, don't buy a hand held until you know you're going to want to use it. I bought one...never used it because that's what a Nav is there for. As a 0 AGL, 3 mph pedestrian, your horizontal and vertical situational awareness as you understand it now (i.e. how you would apply GPS info), is considerably different from what it will be by the time you're a winged pilot. By then, if you can't keep SA on your location with basic nav tools on top of SCNS (self contain navigation system) you don't deserve to have a nav do it for you. 4. Again, I'm pretty sure your unit will determine where you go, but if you know you're going to the herk, you WANT to go to corpus (and so does everyone you fly with operationally). A prop strapped to a jet is not something mastered in the course of C-130 co-pilot school. Learn your craft correctly from the ground up...go to corpus (don't worry about the life style there...trust me, you'll like it). Most of the particulars of your UPT training will be handled by your reserve unit. Talk with them to figure out the specific details. B.L. Put the horse before the cart. Make it through UPT Phase I first. Rest assured you will have a BLAST flying H2s IF, and only IF, you make it through UPT and co-pilot school. Don't forget you have to EARN your entitlement, even if the job was freely given to you. PM me if you want more info. FF

I got nothing for ya on that pegleg. You were lied to.

2. totallyamazing...2 questions: First: If the bottom of the barrel is sucking so bad, why are they graduating and not getting washed out? Worthless pilots are worthless where ever they end up. The UPT IPs that graduate them are the best line of defense in saving lives that bad pilots will endanger. Stop letting leakers through. Second: If you think deploying forward to support your country and more importantly the oath you swore to uphold is stupid, why are you in the military? Douche bags like you are why the AF is going down the crapper. "Life should only be hard for the Army and Marines and Navy...I joined the AF for good family life" Kill Yourself. Fair weather officers belong in France, not the USAF. Adjust your sight picture, or get the hell out. FF

Who do you think you are? Sarah Palin?! How that really reads: "I may have never slept with a woman, but I can tell you why I like them!" But look on the bright side, at least your airplane makes you FEEL good...and in today\'s air force, that\'s what REALLY matters. Like mission accomplishment? That's good to know. Please stay out of the command track. FF

Awwww come on! I get tired of flinging poo! Especially when I have to pry it out of the treads on my herk! (Seriously. It's a place called Manda Bay, and the there's monkey poo all over the runway. Which makes me wonder what effect monkey doodoo has on RCR...and whether it changes with the diet of the particular monkeys involved...ya know...there's gotta be a banana peal joke in there somewhere...but I digress.) Let's sit back and watch an argument that might actually lead to a confrontation at FL220 overhead Ali Base some day. FF

Are you trying to tell me that he was actually trying to communicate? With aircrew?

Sad that people forget we're all on the same team. They'll boo their buds at a christmas party but god forbid you should talk poorly about TCN intel collectors that cook our food. In the spirit of poking ourselves in the eye, the last I checked C-130's never blew up and fragged aircraft on their home ramp. That explains a bit...

Point of interest: The avionics are not the only thing that rock about the J. Just performed a couple yoke-in-the-lap takeoffs in the sim and got airborne at 40 kts and roughly 400-500 feet. We had to adjust the rotation speed up to 50 knots in order to not drag the tail. I thought that trick was reserved for super cubs. Thank you mister Lockheed. I love the new toy. FF

Concur with most of the above. Alright. No one ever says it but they should. If you have doubts about your stick and rudder skills, PLEASE stay out of the herk. I know that ain't the PC thing to say, but I don't care. I'm sick of having 'those' ACs and IPs in the squadron. You know, the ones the schedulers have unwritten rules about flying with seasoned CPs. Seriously. That AF won't wash out the ones that need to be washed out. If there is one airplane in the that is unforgiving to bad rudder riders, it's the herk. If you don't think you've got it, sack up and admit it. As for the rest of the decision, pick the mission not the airframe. You'll love whatever airplane you end up in. Lots of good info above as well as in the prior ops IPs, in your squadron. From my point of view, it seems like you can go everywhere from the herk but it difficult to get into the herk from somewhere else. If you want a lot of options after your first assignment (NSA, AFSOC, crossflow, etc) go for the herk. The Air Force is always in need of good prop and rudder pilots, even if it's not always advertised that way. FF

Great book.

Does anyone have any experience with Stag Arms Model 2? I've got a dealer offering me $850 for a lefty model (damn you left eye dominance!). No hits for any Stag Arms weapons with the search function. I'm looking for any reviews or input I can find. Thanks. FF

LEEEEROOOOOY! JEEEEEENNKINNS!

Recovery? Simple: Bring back the fulton recovery system.

Playing "what if" with history asside. I think this is an awesome idea, even if we only get a technology demonstrator. Imagine the possiblilities of world wide power projection within 4 hours. The REST of the world won't like us being able to do that, but since when has politics actually been about doing what other people want you to do? On the flip side, they'll have to make tac airlifters a LOT faster if they expect the resupply chain to keep up with troopers like that. I hope they go for it. FF

Starship Troopers anyone? (the book, not the movie) Sign me up! FF

The Air Force is officially no longer at war. Welcome to Northern/Southern Watch Part II. Sad, seeing every other service is still in the fight. Unsat. FF

Thanks for setting me straight. Sorry if I threw anyone off. FF

I thought HD would have shut this down, but he probably passed out a mile ago.