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"

don't tell anyone there are 150+ 12R panel navigators that are about to have no job and are stuck in ACC

this is going to summon Toro

hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and this is flood Ukraine with heavy weapons for the next fifty years

11R Tanker?

woke up thinking about this incredible post the other day, had to RT for old times sake

a bit off topic and not disagreeing at all with your main premise but 1. wouldn't characterize the current capes that way, future is vague to say the least 2. beats constant E-3 IFEs

it's not always rosy at the little guard bases, sometime leadership thinks they can get away with shit because big air force can't see

alas i was not

"Air Mobility Command is discussing the option as part of how it may handle war in the Indo-Pacific, where it believes large, slow jets including tankers would be more vulnerable to attack from Chinese anti-aircraft missiles. Shrinking the number of airmen onboard a tanker could help minimize potential troop casualties while still getting combat jets the fuel they need." PACAF attrited half the F-105 fleet in three years and in the middle when they ran out of fighter dudes to fly them started non-voling 135 guys to fly them...

i am not a 46 guy (yet) but i just had dinner with a 46 friend and he answered some of this so, fwiw: 1. still in testing so no traditional deployments right now, not sure how long this will last. on the road one week a month is the standard, more available as desired. 2. not quite as typical as it will probably end up being, but people are still able to take in community assignments. vectors outside are probably a few years away. 3. people seem to like flying the plane quite a bit, especially coming from older aircraft. can't speak to the pulse of the whole community. 4. hearing a year or so ac to ip but it depends. 5. Pease, McGuire and Shady J all coming online, Travis and i hear March to follow. McConnell and Altus are what they are.