StoleIt

Don't knock down a cone with a red ball...duh!

I think the big issue was there never was a slide/scram call. We got briefed exercise trip numbers but not like we can TCAS tag the red air and have any SA, we are completely dependent on the AWACS giving us the threat call...which they never did. I don't remember the exact RF but it was the one with the Columbians, after day 2 our tanker detco got so tired of catching shit for us getting shot down he pushed for us to not be able to pass gas if we started taking losses. Needless to say that idea never got off the ground, since then the entire exercise would be wasted if the fighter guys couldn't get their gas (understandable but maybe they should start tasking some DCA to cover the HVAA guys). Anywho, at least in Alaska there is a chance of us landing before the vol ends. Vegas they usually make us sit and orbit and recover last...annoying. I need to win my money back!

Every time I've been in an exercise where the red air went after a tanker they were successful. And the tanker usually didn't even know until after they had landed that they were shot down or even targeted.

Disappointing.

Not including Lockheed would be a good start...

What interesting statistics you present...I have found some that seem equally relevant:

That is a damn sexy airplane.

Considering an E/F model Super Bug is $60.9M each (source: Wikipedia) while the C/D model is listed at $29M in 2006 dollars, I don't think just taking the 1998 cost and correcting for inflation is a realistic metric of what a Block 60 should cost.

I'm still not sold on TSLA. They only turn a profit by selling carbon credits to other major car companies since they have zero emissions as a company. TWTR right now has taken a beating after they missed some quarterly goals...I'll probably drop a couple K into them and see if I can make 20%.

So if the only reason not stuffing a guy back there is due to poor Boeing engineering/planning then why doesn't the A330 MRTT have a boom pod?

It's a lot easier to engineer a couple small cameras into the airframe than it is to put a boom pod in the ass of a jet these days. I recall reading that the cameras were basically a cost saving measure for both the KC-30 and KC-46 vs putting a boom operator physically back there.

I think at this point SLEP-ing the A-10 is a bandaid solution. There are no more A-10 wings left in the boneyard last I heard so next time an airframe issue crops up there is no "easy" fix. It is refreshing to hear the CSAF talk about an A-10 replacement (that isn't the F-35). Granted, those are just words and there is nothing he can do to make the program happen...that's up to our elected leadership. And am I the only person that thinks the Scorpion is a hideous looking jet? Not X-32 ugly...but still pretty bad.

And here I am at the Deid just wanting a crew van with working air conditioning...

Not sure how realistic making a HVAA LO is. Pretty hard to make a 707 or 767 stealthy. I guess you can slap a special coat of paint on it and move a couple miles closer to the FEBA. But is that really worth it? It would probably be easier to make fighters more fuel efficient/carry more gas than it would to camouflage a city bus. Has anyone seriously tried reducing the radar/IR signature on a large aircraft?

No the Manas style dorms aren't open yet. Last I heard was that the TCN's swept the concrete dust down the sewage/water pipes and then when they added water...CONCRETE!

Have any proof of prejudice against these minorities?

Well, there is an A-10 UAV being gen'd up as a thunderstorm bird...so I guess a CAP A-10 is just the next logical step. Proof: https://www.cirpas.org/a10spa.html

Chinese Moon Rover display with an interesting choice of file photo of the Earth.

That sounds nice. And I don't think I'll ever experience that in my career.

nbd:

So why is there talk about waiving DAV 81 at my base? But I guess there was a 2 month period after they closed Manas but before ISIS cropped up that was nice...