WheelsOff

I’ve been out of the AETC IP game a few years now. Sad to read it’s only gotten worse. But for those who are new around here and don’t know the history…it began when Kwast and Wills forcefully gang-banged the UPT enterprise into a training program that has set us on a course to become a 3rd-rate Air Force for decades to come. Don’t know what Kwast is doing in his retirement, but Wills was just appointed senior VP at HTX Labs, which—you guessed it—oversees VR training/tech for military training applications.

TLDR: you can thank (ret) Gen Wills for all this…💩

Ah, and this was precisely the same problem going on in 2018-19 at FTUs when Wills arrogantly pitched his UPT 2.5 plan that was designed (in part) to combat this issue going forward. So what you’re telling us is it didn’t work out?!?!?!

As someone hired in the last year at a legacy, I sure hope everyone here is correct! At least the theories here are much more articulate and well thought out than the crap you read over on APC. There will always be ups/downs in the industry, but hopefully this wave of retirements/age 67 getting killed will help keep those near the bottom of the seniority list out of trouble for the time being. I too agree that I’d rather see hiring slow/stop temporarily and let the reductions come from the top of the seniority list (they’re the highest paid/work the least) rather than see airlines continue to hire until the day they furlough. The only airline I can recall who (recently) did something to this effect is UPS. Though I’m spring-loaded to be pessimistic as someone near the bottom of my list; I’m hoping the pax guys took note and are trying to follow suit…

If all else fails, UPT IP is a great assignment. I actually went voluntarily but many who didn’t ended up loving it too after they got there and spent some time doing it.

Wills! …..SSSSSSSIKE!!!!

Huh. Apologize for my ignorance, but why the F was she ever allowed to fly an AF plane during airshow demos? Or did this particular tail not belong to us at the time?

It’s truly a part time job making that much as a captain, yes, especially with the amount of OCV those old farts have available to burn every year at their tenure. Unfortunately this “low-ball” offer is probably as good a deal as UPS is gonna offer these select few. Down side is they have like 2 weeks to decide. Yes, they offer a retirement medical plan, and it’s actually not terrible, especially for those who won’t have tricare as an option.

I mean, yeah dawg, welcome to BaseOps…spend some time reading the different topics on here and you’ll see it’s basically summed up in this video.

Many crusty old Capts there would agree with this statement, but I along with many in the younger crowd say F these guys. They’re a bunch of greedy MFers that don’t seem to remember how good they have it making $400-500K per year to literally work part time, and will have an industry leading retirement afterwards to boot. If an extra $350K in their pocket won’t make them happy, I don’t know what could.

Said individual finally retired (good riddance btw). Is his replacement carrying on his tradition of butt-hurtness now too? These “leaders” in that NAF make horrible decisions and have such thin skin about it…grow a pair and own it! So glad I’m out!

Nah, but you can have the pick of the litter from the nonners! Most have a boner for that kinda stuff anyways and frankly are better at it.

A few years back at CBM we had a wingtip just outboard of the aileron snap off during a 2-ship G-warmup turn…jet rolled uncontrollably for a moment until the IP recovered it. (Not a wing falling off completely, I know). Also had a FAIP and his student hit a vulture going up initial that caused an engine fire, completely scorched the bottom of the jet. Had they not immediately put it down they would have had to punch out at the rate that fire was consuming the back end of the aircraft (much like the IP who punched out after the birdstrike/ensuing fire that burned thru the hydraulics/flight controls on that 2-ship LL at Vance a few years ago). A lot more happened within the couple years I was there, to include some fatalities/very-near fatalities. I loved every minute of flying that airplane, but yeah, it’s time to see that thing gracefully retire. Sad that the AF procurement system can’t stop F’ing the football like a group of monkeys…

…sooo, back to the 19AF/cc? Anyone know??

I get what you’re saying, but this is why we’ll never have nice things.