di1630

I'm all for the F-35...but admit it's limitations, and stop preying on ignorance to get it funded at the expense of other needed capes....it's a viper replacement, and we need it. I just hate the shady politics, leadership lies and the program progress in general. As for brrrrrt ability......after getting to fly jets with 20mm/pgm ability and recently getting to do CAS Alla B-1 style, I can't even begin to tell you the difference but it'd be something like going from an iPhone 6 to a 2005 Nokia and wondering why you can't text or check the weather as fast but arguing "well, I can still do it". Not a hit on other airframes but the hog was built for CAS...and does it well. And I can't begin to describe the proficiency level and mission understanding that comes from a community that focuses 90% on the single mission vs multirole. For payload, loiter time, cost, firepower, the hog is a bargain. And it's survivable...there double digit sams that suddenly have become the "survivability" selling point for the F-35 have been around for 30yrs...why do you think we designed B-2s? And apparantly everything can survive a peer threat except an A-10....Nobody will talk about the lethal manpads and unjammable optical AAA though.

How about academy style flying squadrons at some bases with cirrus SR-20s or diamonds.....Cheap, fun and easy. Hell even an aero club for RPA dudes.

This is the first I've heard of any mention of A-10s doing deep interdiction. Nobody is that stupid..well except maybe current USAF leadership. But if I had to bet $ on whether in 20 years we'll be doing semi-low intensity A/G in places like Iraq strafing jihadis or going deep into Russia for AI...I think most would put a bet on the 3rd world shltholes scenarios....except maybe USAF leadership...they are still hanging onto their youth dreams of killing Migs and conquering communism.

From what I saw/heard the T-1 program was a months worth of education extended out to 6 months so the class could all graduate together with -38 peers. Lots of talk about why they couldn't just learn that stuff at the FTU and as a copilot.

I'll take anyone who actually can fathom that America is not still in a Cold War, Migs are not our biggest threat, the PT uniform/service dress are ok, we aren't going to war with China next year but will probably still be fighting ISIS and has a basic grip on current reality. I'll take any change at this point. Sadly I'd rather have an ABM than a lot of these pilots who are stuck 30 years in the past. Sorry Welsh, I had high hopes. But you were an above avg turd as far as execution. Maybe if you can't unfuck the USAF, nobody can...but I'm willing to give it a chance.

Lots of stats available at https://access.afpc.af.mil follow links to static reports...scroll all the way down for ARP

AFPC static reports

Back on topic. Updated take rates 31 Aug 51.5% overall Bomber -48.6 C2isr - 53.8 Fighter - 45 -- a-10: 60 -- f15c: 23.5 --15e: 40 --16: 42 --22: 44 --35: 50 --test 78 Mob- 52.5 Rescue - 77.1 Sof -53 Unmanned - 53.7

You don't have to be a superb pilot to be a great leader. How many people bitch on here about leadership because they aren't great pilots? I haven't seen it yet. You just need to be competent in the jet. One of my observances in *some* fighter communities is that you pretty much have to be a WIC grad to be on the cc track these days...and you get put on the WIC track as a wingman or young flight lead (not always but a late trend I've seen) = we are choosing our future leaders when they are young captains with 300 hours and then grooming them big blue style with school and other BS. Most of the great leaders I wanted to follow were awesome pilots. They were looked down upon by the "official" sq leadership but they were truly informal leaders. Most of them are out now, never made CC. Rarely were they WIC grads (some were), school selects or any other USAF metric measured superstar. Just proficient guys in the jet who hated BS, didn't play the USAF game and therefore didn't get ahead. (I do not want this to sound like WIC bashing, lots of great dudes sorely needed are WIC grads. I'm knocking the current trend I see with WIC being a new container to fill in the way to CC)

Political moves paid for by airmen and their families see why RPAs are at such great places like Cannon. You could put RPAs anywhere, hell, maybe Hawaii, Florida and Italy to actually have people working daytime shifts to cover vuls vs the current shitshow. RPAs are in the suck because in reality, nobody except the dudes who fly them and the people who get their feed care 2 sh-ts about them. A few smart people could solve this problem ASAP for a few resources diverted from new F-35 facilities and a cancelled TSP or two. Unfortunately our leadership is still fighting the Cold War Mig err Sukoi hoard and prepping for Cold War 2 with China rather than caring about these lowly issues.

I remember visiting a full bird Colonel in Laughlin base housing and thinking what sh!t it was vs what my Capt BAH got me in the market. I thought the base housing sucked price vs quality.

Geeeesus, I wish this were false...but I ran the summer program for 3 sets of 15 USAFA cadets, it was like pulling teeth to get (most of) them to fly fighter sims and go for c-130 flights. I remember thinking what a bunch of retarded pusses were being produced these days at that factory. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting RPAs though. It is the future at many levels.

Maybe the U.S. Could take some hints from the Italians: They get yanked from fighters or assigned RPAs out of UPT but while flying RPAS they bring trainers in once per qtr to stay current in an actual plane. Huge for morale. Also, they return their RPA guys to the cockpit so guys going there from fighters don't feel like it's a death sentence. Likewise, guys who go from UPT are motivated to perform well. If they do well they can go to a Eurofighter if qualified. I know their AF is small vs ours but we could learn a lot about how to treat people.

I just think it has a lot of cool things not of much use. Back in '08 I went to the factory to meet with engineers as I was doing a paper on some of the systems. While flying the sim I heard a lot of "this plane wasn't designed to do that" ie fly low, do bfm, strafe, etc.

So it's designed to be stealth, but it may need to carry aim 9x in a non-stealthy config.....again, I'd like to know when this would be used? And you don't need a 400k even a 250k helmet to do that. Last I heard the lightweight scorpion nvg compatible, color Hmcs was going for 50k per kit.

I'm really curious if the F-35 was designed never to bfm, get close to a threat, strafe etc....why do you need a helmet that can look through the floorboards? Can someone give me a reason for this thing other than cool factor?

Everyone who knew anything knew it would get smaller. Besides, by the time that last F-35 rolls off the line in 2035, 96.69% of what made it a great fighter on paper in 1997 will be irrelevant. We are already seeing that.

I bet a song book made him do this. https://usat.ly/1IQkP8E

Just remember that the F-35 needs/concepts/design criteria etc. were developed 22 years ago in 1993. The world, technology and our needs are quite different now.

It's not the fact it can't outmaneuver an F-16...it's the sum of the problems: not as maneuverable as a legacy, small payload when stealth, lack of a/g gun capes, costs more than an F-22, single engine, uses now 15 yr old technology, did I mention costs a shit ton. It's all fine until it's sensors are jammed to the merge...or it needs to do close in CAS. But I have it on good advice from the USAF that from 1959 on we didn't need a gun on an aircraft and a supersonic jet would be a good FAC-A so I'm not worried. I asked someone in test who has flown everything in the inventory and he said the F-35 is a big disappointment for many reasons.

I don't think so but for a similiar quality/price, check out M.E.C...they are Italian and I have seen some pretty nice ones.

Included I think. In fact 69%+ of the takers did so early from how I read it.

Can someone hit 20+ years AD and then palace chase to guard reserve? My ADSC is past 20 but I think I'd like to stay in the military if able, just not on AD.

June #s: overall eeked up to 46.4% Fighters at lowest at 38.1%....even lower than RPA at 46.3%. Bomber- 42.9 C2-53.8 Mob-47.8 Rescue-71.4 Sof-50

Anyone know if you get sent on a 1-year remote from an overseas...can family stay overseas or do they have to move conus?