Archa3opt3ryx

I assume there would be no changes to your ADSC? If you are a permanently DQ'd 11F and still have 6 years left on your ADSC but can't fly, will they just find something else for you to do for 6 years or is there a possibility of getting out early?

I'm PCSing stateside from Korea in the spring and was hoping to get PRK/LASIK done shortly after showing up. I looked into it before going to Korea, but they denied me because I was "awaiting a PCS", which you apparently cannot be to apply for getting PRK/LASIK done. Incredibly stupid, since I had about a 3 month break where I wasn't flying where I easily could've been DNIF and it wouldn't have affect my job. I'd like to press harder (sts) this time...anyone know where that is written and who the waiver authority for that would be? I figure a perfect time to go DNIF for a month (or three) is immediately after showing up at your new assignment while you're still settling in and looking for a house and waiting for your HHG and all that.

What do most folks do when they're stationed OCONUS? Just get a US visa card tied to a US bank account that has no foreign transaction fees? Or do you get a card in the local currency and a local bank account? I've heard that can do bad things for your security clearance though?

Awesome, thank you!

Yep, that ~400 hour number includes UPT/IFF. Thanks for the info. Any chance there's a memo floating around with that OCONUS policy in writing? I just inevitably see myself in 3-4 years with an expired ATP test trying to convince a FSDO that I can still take the practical...

Does anyone know anything about this reg: FAR 61.39 (c ) (2): " An applicant for an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating other than those ratings set forth in paragraph (b) of this section may take the practical test for that certificate or rating with an expired knowledge test report, provided that the applicant is employed: (2) By the U.S. Armed Forces as a flight crewmember in U.S. military air transport operations at the time of the practical test and has completed the pilot in command aircraft qualification training program that is appropriate to the pilot certificate and rating sought." I ask because I have about 400 hours total time (Commercial, Instrument, Restricted Multiengine). I'm starting F-16 B-Course this fall, but I don't think military flying alone will get me another 350 hours in 24 months. I'm guessing the F-16 won't qualify under "military air transport operations", but it's worth a shot...if so, it seems like a no-brainer to take the written ASAP, since then I'll have as long as I want to build enough time to take the practical and get a Restricted ATP at 750 hours. If not...might still be worth it, and try to make up the difference renting a Cessna or something? For reference, the applicable part of Paragraph (b) referenced above states: "An applicant for an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category multiengine class rating or an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane type rating may take the practical test with an expired knowledge test only if the applicant passed the knowledge test after July 31, 2014, and is employed: (3) By the U.S. Armed Forces as a flight crewmember in U.S. military air transport operations at the time of the practical test and has completed the pilot in command aircraft qualification training program that is appropriate to the pilot certificate and rating sought."

ENJJPT 14-02 (Active Duty): F-16 x 5 (2 to HMN, 3 to LUF) F-15C T-38A ADAIR (LFI) A-10 MC-130H C-130J (DYS) C-17 (TCM) E-8 U-28 T-38C FAIP

I currently have the Blue Cash Preferred card...any reason I should switch to the Platinum card? Honestly, the Blue Cash Preferred card seems like a better deal, considering I'm getting 6% on groceries and 3% on gas (by far my two biggest expenses). There's a few travel-related benefits that come with the Platinum card, but other than that I can't find any reason to switch... Anyone know if there's a bank that will waive fees for a Visa card? I always carry a Visa card with my AmEx, since there's always a few places that don't take AmEx.

FWIW, the casual dudes here (EN) are still planning on going to IFS, unless they have their PPL.

Haven't been to any of the other bases, but I have buddies at all of them. Between what I hear from them and the IP's here (Sheppard), it definitely sounds like Wichita Falls is the best city to be in. It's not that small of a town (wikipedia says 100,000 people, though I have a hard time believing it), and DFW is about 2 hours...perfectly doable on the weekends. Enid is pretty tiny, but OKC is only and hour and a half away; my friends at Vance drive down there all the time. Several of my IP's did UPT or a previous IP gig at XL, and they say that just totally blows....absolutely middle of nowhere. Don't really know much about CB.

af.mil article: https://www.af.mil/ne...sp?id=123335370 To answer the previous question: "As per usual, life is good," - Maj. Lucas "Gaza" Gruenther.

Wow...amazing stuff. Would liked to have met him, he seems like an awesome guy. Here's a toast...

Just saw this on the shelf at the bookstore today and I can't recall seeing it before. Flipped through it for a minute or two and it seemed like it could be decent. Anyone read a copy? Here's the link on Amazon, if you want to check it out. I'll probably wait for a paperback. https://www.amazon.co...t/dp/0062130358

Yep, same is about to happen at SPS. Current classes with "offensive" patches are going to have to remove them and design new ones. Which comprises, oh, about every single class here. One class's patch is basically the MLB logo, except with a white silhouette of a woman from the side. Apparently, the fact that women have breasts is offensive. Even worse, my buddy who's the historian for the 9th Bomb Squadron at Dyess told me last night that he's had to literally cut pages and pictures out of history books. This is the oldest active squadron in the AF, and he's cutting pages out of their history books. F***ing unbelievable.

Any place to find online this prior to starting UPT and getting your books issued? I've checked t6driver.com and the rest.

Here's the suitcam video again: https://iloveskydiving.org/view/videos/red-bull-stratos-raw-headcam-footage-of-supersonic-skydive/#.UHw3Mml25ZT

Yep, same here. Just had to do an extra test where I stuck my head in a bowl-shaped device and clicked the clicker whenever I saw a point of light somewhere around the periphery of the bowl (I think that's the "visual field testing" deaddebate quoted?). Nonissue.

There was a dude in my FC1 group at Wright Patt who took the hearing test like 5 times before he passed. He said something along the lines of "you just have to pass, there's no limit to the number of times you can attempt the test"...seems fishy to me, but the docs at WP seem to agree with that sentiment.

Just watched the show...it was pretty well done if you can look past the hyper-dramatization (a test flight "went from routine to life-threatening emergency" when the skydivers were lost in the desert for 30 min) and the ex-Navy pilots competing to see who could have their flight suit unzipped the lowest. Some pretty sweet/scary footage from the internal cameras, for sure. Definitely worth watching if you get the chance. The biggest gripe I have is the fact that the 727 doesn't have under-wing engines like practically every modern airliner. I imagine if those dug into the ground, you'd see a very different effect on the wings and center fuselage.

I believe they were freshman when they flew the DA40 and seniors when they flew the SR20. No idea about number of hours, but at least one guy was an IP in the SR20, so I'm hoping more than 20. I guess they have seniors instructing freshman? I'm a ROTC guy so I have zero personal experience with what's going on over there, but considering I heard the same story from multiple people on multiple occasions, either they're all collectively bullshitting, I keep misunderstanding something, or there's a grain of truth somewhere in there.

Talking to some Academy dudes in my IFS and UPT classes who have flown both the DA-40 and the SR-20 while they were at the zoo, the universal consensus is that the 40 is a much better airplane for the DA they get there. The Cirrus just doesn't have the power they need in the summer at that altitude.

I suppose I should caveat that statement with the fact that I know next to nothing about the EOD community. And that I watched it on a 3" screen in the back of a 767 somewhere over the atlantic. But at the time it seemed like it was pretty well done.

Slightly off topic, but this looks pretty badass: Zero Dark Thirty, looks to be the same story but unrelated to No Easy Day. Made by the same dude who made The Hurt Locker, so I have pretty high expectations.

Do they have them locked down somehow so users can't install additional apps or muck around with anything on there? Wasn't aware there was a way to lock iOS down like that beyond parental controls. Are they all running the regular iOS or some special AF version?

Will do, thanks. Plenty of time to kill on casual...