12xu2a3x3

take some time to reflect throughout. you'll be amazed at what you variously do and don't know at different times. try not to become cynical early, there's plenty of time for that. upt is a dick kick, but it can be really fucking fun as well, try not to loose sight of that.

my body was broken from fixing fighters, now i'm flying heavies and i'm 100% healed, even my breath is better

Air Force prepares to retire U-2 spy planes in 2026 please say syke…

have been trying to finish a paper about this for the longest time

also

lol I think an argument can be made that, while there were obviously multi-role tactical aircraft before Desert Storm, the draw down following it (and the Cold War) also created the brain drain from the de-specialization that went along with multi-role's ascendance. The Wild Weasel community for example, lost their EWOs and the AN/APR-47 in the F-4G for single seat vipers with HTS. Allied Force is a pretty good example of how this was not really optimal. The Tac Recce community didn't fair any better, their mission was more or less obliterated. The only vestige of this capability was the TARS pod, also for the F-16. This was and i think technically still is a mission that was more or less dumped on the guard since they had basically sun-downed the RF-4C mission and the block 25/30s that carry it were making their way to the ANG. The TARS system as you might recall was deployed in OIF but it's inadequacy was I feel pretty confidant stating, a major driver for the rapid acquisition of the MC-12Ws. Of note as well is the TR-1A/U-2Rs (pretty sure they weren't the S yet) and RF-4Cs turned out to be WILDLY insufficient for theater requirements was back in ODS, so much so that we begged the Australians to send their RF-111Cs which did not happen. So, we didn't really have the juice to cover major combat ops then. Does the RQ-170 make up the difference since then? Not gonna speculate on here but i guess that's a lot of what it comes down to. However, the idea of have those sensors, but like updated in the cockpit, real time and in the link with dudes in the jet...seems like an idea worth revisiting.

it's criminal what was done to the tac recce mission

that has to be texas raiders

we used to have jets for this that weren't biz jets

there's one community that already does most of that alone...

Thee Bitter Lake

...seems like now might be when they would want to do that. i have never worked fifth gen, i will take your word for it. you think this jet is just like coming out of cat status or something?

putting my coveralls back on for a second and observing those screws look kinda fried and that leading edge looks beat to shit, i wonder if it's just cause they have so few and are flying them a lot or if maybe they're broke all the time

no lol

they took who they could but most aren't gate one complete and are experiencing what i would describe as "life in age of diminishing rated expectations"