brabus

There’s always a chance, but I think most fighter units will shy away from an AD Capt, simply because you’ll already be ~9 years commissioned service before you get back from B-course (considering you’re starting at square one). It’s more desirable to hire someone who will have 2-3 years when they get back. Not to discourage you from making contacts and applying, but setting expectations. Can’t speak to heavies.

Didn’t blow my fingers off! No video yet (the wife rolled her eyes at me when I told her to come out back and take a video), but shoots great. Now I feel the need to build another one...AR-10, why wouldn’t I need one? Can’t wait for the suppressor.

Priority - the airline that has a base where you want to live (within ~2 hrs to enable short call...for when you have to do that. Closer the better just for general drive time to work). Secondary - The first major that gives you a job; seniority is damn near everything. If you don’t get your priority airline out the gate, maybe consider jumping if they call you later, to a certain extent...at some point your seniority at the first airline won’t be worth trading. I don’t know what that line is, maybe 6-12 mo? I know a few guys who jumped at the year point and are happy they did it. Either way, very personal choice and dependent on a lot of personal factors. The rest of the discussion on contracts, etc. is a little bit of an exercise in masturbation. Contracts will rise and fall, airlines will go from worst to best and back to worst, etc. You weather those falls with seniority and living the life you want (location, etc.) Bottom line: Apply to multiple and take what you get...cross the “swap bridge” when you get there (if at all).

I had similar concerns, but here’s what I found to be a lot easier than I initially thought: - Make “real” friends with neighbors...they don’t need to be pilots (or mil) to be more than just the guy you say hi to occasionally. I do a lot of things with a few neighbors, none of whom have any connection to the mil/airlines. - Get involved in local clubs/groups who have a common hobby. I’ve met a lot of guys in the local shooting/hunting and GA flying communities...I think my beer drinking and bullshitting hours after I told my wife I’d be home has only increased! - Find a side job that’s something you enjoy, while also having the bonus of “work friends” / a work culture you like. Basically, you’re not doing it for the money, you’re doing it for the culture/hang out time and the job itself is fun/interesting.

Next weekend after this trip...here’s to keeping all my fingers!

Option 1: Get out ASAP and go Guard/get a line number - be eternally grateful you made that decision Option 2: Take the bonus, get out in 6-9 years and get a line number - be eternally pissed you made a poor choice in 2021 and tell all the young guys not to make the same mistake you did

I was just going off the average time from the NFA tracker (mine is in an NFA Trust). Personally it’s been 3 months so far, but I’m expecting it to be another 6 months. Stamp was cashed about one month after F4 filed. Naturally I’ll get my can right in the middle of winter when it’s too damn cold to want to shoot.

My F4 is a different story. 300+ days...fucking bullshit.

Ah fuck, yeah you have a point there.

SBR Form 1 took about 3 weeks from submission to approval through eForms. I’m shocked the gov could do anything that quick. All that to say the paperwork was a bit of a PITA to get together, but overall not too bad and totally worth it! Now to shoot this thing and hope it doesn’t blow up in my face (first AR I’ve completely built myself).

And CA, NY, MI...there is good news out there!

Yep, just need a lot more Sandmann outcomes...it’d be nice if CNN was paying out $250M every week, because that’s what they should be doing.

I encourage everyone to start looking for more local sources of news in place of the dipshit MSM. The state and lower level isn’t immune from bias, but between this type of news media and a couple international sources, I find it much easier to get legitimate news with a lot less bullshit, “tactical omissions,” etc. Nobody in the U.S. MSM deserves a dime or even an ounce of trust from you. To arg’s post - I’d say there should be legal consequences if stories are proven to be false. Make defamation suits far easier to win and the payouts huge. Hold companies accountable when things happen like the CNN exec being caught detailing the ridiculous political war they fought against Trump. When they start getting financially squeezed out of the game, they’ll reign it in...or go bankrupt. Money and power is all they understand.

That’s a good argument for your PC letter to SAF/PC - “this is why PC is good for the total force...” is what they want to see. Good luck man - this may all work out greatly in your favor, even though I can understand it feels shitty right now. Airlines are going to start hiring in the near future, so get the ball rolling now!

ISP will be peanuts compared to what those extra years of seniority, 401k, bonus, and massive boost in QOL will be worth. I bet the majority of ARC units will give zero fucks about being passed over; they’ll care if you’re a good dude and pilot. Remember, the ARC is full of dudes who got out of AD because of all the jackassery - they’re not going to side with AD on your non-promotion.

Start rushing guard/reserve units and get a job lined up/get your apps in. Don’t wait until you receive a no on the 2nd board. Can you decline an APZ promotion and separate when you still have ADSCs?

Ha, oh I’ve been doing some buying. My reloading equipment/supplies has skyrocketed over the past year. Ironically my wife who says buy planes and land, then gives me the look when another package arrives in the mail for me...”let me guess, gun stuff” - “you bet your ass it is!”

Unfortunately this smells like lacking training combined with a stressful environment, with likely an increased perception of threat to herself or others (whether accurate or not). She fucked up and her resignation (firing if she hadn’t) followed by likely at least civil suit is understandable. But that said, no I’m not going to demonize her as a person because 1. I wasn’t there and don’t know the situation first hand 2. I can’t count how many times highly trained individuals in the military employed the wrong weapon, employed on the wrong target, got confused where the bad guys and the friendlies were, etc. Shit happens in chaotic, stressful situations...training and reps is key to minimize risk of fuck ups. My perception is police at large do not get the amount of reps they should have given the situations they are likely to find themselves in. 3. Huge CF on the victim’s part. He’s not the RC, but he’d also be alive right now had he not done some things that I hope all of us would have been smart enough to avoid.

Not related to the tax discussion, but my wife also distrust the long term financial future (I do all of our long term investing). she wants me to pull it all out and buy airplanes and property...her words. So tempting - I hate being a responsible adult.

I’m aware of how OPM pay works...it’s still not great. I don’t know the OP’s location, but 11 step 1, “rest of US” locality = 80k/yr, all taxable. Compare that to let’s say 3 year O-2 (assuming based on training timeline), you’re only 60k taxable + another $24k non-taxable (assuming $1.5k BAH...I picked a random value). Not saying you can’t do ok on it, but it’s not a phenomenal deal. Also, I thought TDART was a contract, as in it’s not easy to just walk away? Maybe it changed. Now that said, I’d say regionals is the only reality for the OP in 1.69 years, but like you said, he’ll accumulate hours rapidly, hopefully upgrade to CA (and AC on the mil side) in a reasonable amount of time, then log a bunch of turbine PIC - snatched up by a major fairly quickly at that point.

Personally I think less than GS-13 is bullshit pay for a pilot. While the ART system has received a decent overhaul in pay a couple years ago, it’s still grossly underpaid for pilots less than -13 (my opinion). You also have to ask yourself if you want to be doing this until your 55 (the general point of permanent ARTs, which I think TDART logically dovetails into). It sounds good in your 20s, not so good for 99% of dudes in their late 30s/early 40s. That said, how many turbine PIC hours do you currently have? Reason I ask is seeing how competitive you’d be for airline hiring. While I understand that’s not your desire 1.69 years from now, it’s good to know what your odds are in case more orders don’t come right away. Bottom line, I don’t think it’s a great deal, and rolling the bones on future orders seems to work out much of the time...may require some flexibility on your part, but generally there’s always a way to stay fed...until you say fuck this and go get your line number.

That’s great news. What’s also interesting is while suicides fell 6%, gun sales increased 85%. Anti-gun crowd trying to explain how people only killed themselves because guns exist...

I stopped watching all sports a few years ago; maybe a game a year. Turns out there’s tons of stuff to do with my time that is infinitely better than sitting on the couch supporting these bullshit organizations. Life without football and baseball is phenomenal...never would have said that a few years ago.

That’s true, they did get an interview. But point is being home unit doesn't give them any amount of leg up in the interview/job offer itself. That’s why age is very important when considering enlistment for the ultimate purpose of getting a UPT slot. Enlist at 18-20, sure...20s post college maybe not. But that’s just an opinion based off how we specifically run our hiring. I know some other units are like us, and I know some are not. I also don’t know even remotely every unit’s stance on this subject. Play accordingly.