contraildash

Here's a new one, hot of the press: OCONUS - CONUS PCS with x2 TDY en-route. 1st TDY, 142 days. 2nd TDY is 122 days. RNLT is after 2nd TDY. Each TDY is short enough that they are un-accompanied, but they are back to back. Thinking I can have the wife and HHG sent to HOR while I'm in training, kinda like what happens to guys going to the RoK for a year remote. Ideas?

Not sure where they base these things, but woulda been interesting if the pilot got picked up by one.

That's a long way out in the north Pacific.

9 News in Denver is reporting 14 confirmed dead, 40+ wounded, suspected gunman in custody. Witnesses stated that he kicked in the emergency exit to a theater, threw a flash-bang/something explosive, and then opened fire. Live news streaming here

Looking on Trulia, the majority of the homes listed have dropped in price significanly and been on the market a while. Wonder if developers/owners/ect expected more of a influx of folks to the 'western' AFSOC base. Just read an article about liberals/tree huggers/off the grid types bitching about low level routes through NM and southern CO, sounded like a pain in the ass for the AF to deal with. (not that F-111s, F-16s, B-1s, B-52s were and have been flying said routes for decades). I'll look at it next year until then, good luck!

What's the issue with the housing market out there? Same as everywhere else these days? I have some friends there that refuse to buy, will only rent in Clovis.

Heading out there in a year or so, and from what I've seen online so far the market looks pretty crappy. Where are most folks living around town (or trying to live). Married, no kids but planning on it.

I recently finished "Stuka Pilot" by Hans Ulrich Rudel. It was the version with the preface by Douglas Bader. Safe to say that while I don't agree with his ideology, his story is pretty epic. Stats alone: 2,530 combat missions claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed; including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery pieces, a destroyer, two cruisers, one Soviet battleship, 70 landing craft, 4 armored trains, several bridges and nine aircraft which he shot down. What suprised me was how often Stuka crews landed and picked up their downed squadron mates, how he got stuck in the mud on one attempt and the ensuing escape from the Russians. He also flew FW-190s a lot towards the end of the war. Anyways, very interesting read. My list of books read recently: We Die Alone - story about a failed mission by Norwegian agents in WW2 and the sole survivor's escape. Lions of Kandahar - Battle for Sperwan Ghar Outlaw Platoon - great account of action in eastern Afghanistan Vulcan Test Pilot - very dry read (British test pilot) but neat insight on production/test flying back in the early years of jets Hauling Checks - life of a frieght dog Squawk 7700 - nothing like working your ass off to become a regional airline pilot then realizing it sucks. good book Fighting the Flying Circus - Rickenbacker's WW1 story. Low Level Hell - Loaches at treetop level + huge f'n balls The Rogue Aviator: In the Back Alleys of Aviation - dude leaves the AF and works for some sketchy airline operations American Sniper - seems everyone has read this one recently Sniper on the Easter Front - About an Austrian kid becoming a sniper by accident, I found the Axis' perspective on the retreat from the Russians intreguing. To Kingdom Come - B-17 raid on Stuttgart goes waaaaaay bad. If You Survive - 1Lt in the infantry's story. Starts soon after D-Day, up through Hurtgen forrest. O Face mentioned "By Any Means Necessary" I suggest anyone that's read that also check out two books by Col. Wolfgang Samuel "German Boy" and "Coming to Colorado". Both are about his story of fleeing the Russians in 1945, surviving and escaping eastern Germany, moving to Colorado, and eventually becoming one of the first Ravens to fly in the RB-47s. He has written several other books that I haven't read yet.

Next year for me, never been, always wanted to go. Missed out on my chance to hit up Flying Legends at Duxford a week ago. Anyone ever been to that?

aspec, I've been experiencing some lower back issues recently that sound like yours. About once a year, and it's bad enough to hit the emergency room. Mine are directly related to dehydration and tight hamstrings (happens when you run/bike alot). I've had to get into a very regular stretching regime including some yoga. It's helped wonders. My flight doc explained the anatomy of the lower back muscles, but it was beyond me. In short, everything is connected, needs to be stretched. Have a strong core (abs, ect). If you slack off and the lower back pain occurs more often, then you can end up with slipped dics, ect. That's just my experience.

I had a few close calls with USAF RPAs in the AOR....but far more close calls with Navy F-18s in a stack/transiting/ect.

Talk louder. Use your man voice.

Anyone around here recently been through CV-22 training? TDY enroute? PCS to Kirtland? Or PCS to Cannon/Hurby w/ TDY to training. Just curious. PM me.

I always thought "Rainbow Six" would have made a great movie. Maybe someday. Heck there's a whole slew of books I've read recently that would be great flicks....if done properly. And that's the usual problem with movies. Take a great story and put some gay hollywood twist on it and thus ruin it.

Drinking beer, ordering dinner at a Stübe near the German/Austrian border....our drindl clad waitress comes up and wishes us a Happy 4th of July. "huete is your independence day, no?" F-yeah! And on that note 'noch ein weizen bitte!'

My brother and his wife watched their friend's house burn on the news. My aunt's house was in the heart of that flare up yesterday....doesn't look good. Tough times back home.

The French out there don't forget.

I have family and friends up in the Flying-W ranch area. They punched out a few days back, looks like that area is on fire now. My email has been inundated with pictures from everyone back home, crazy shit.

My wife had asthma as a kid and occasionally had attacks up a couple years back. Had to get a medical clearance to move to Germany. Not a big deal. But since that clearance is in her records, we have to get another clearance to move back to the states for the same condition. Go figure.

I've recently seen two guys go from 'heavy/AMC' aircraft to the B-2. I've also seen guys with the same background as those two dudes get into AFSOC. This in the past few months. Word of advice though, if you want to do it, make an educated choice. Get out there and make some contacts within whatever AFSOC community you want. Don't just throw AFSOC on your ADP and hope for the best. Make your own luck. And from my understanding, just because you flew '38s in UPT doesn't make you fighter qual'd. Maybe someone currently working AETC '38s can confirm that.

I just got back from there, was out the 4th through 7th, amazing. If you are going to visit Normandy, go on D-Day. The French really put on a good show for everyone out there. I'll post some pics in a bit.

General Shelton brought some common sense into Space Command: Story Here highlights:

I second this. This thread has become asinine.

So rolling the MC-12W loaded with a metric shit ton of mission equipment and a bunch of other shit in the back of the plane that may or may not be secured in a fashion as to ensure that when a crew tries to roll a MC-12W and doesn't do it just right and now your 1G maneuver becomes a negative G maneuver...just for a second...and now you have multiple projectiles inside the aircraft + 4 not all that hard nuggets just sitting there....how is that unsafe? Really?

From the B300/300C POH Page 2-16: "The Model B300 and B300C are Commuter Category Airplanes. Acrobatic (yes that's what it says) maneuvers, including spins, are prohibited." If you are of the opinion that rolling the MC-12 is not unsafe and this whole thing is being blown out of proportion, I will never get in an aircraft with you.