TreeA10

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/hidden-troubles-f35/2019/06/12/when-us-navy-and-marine-f-35-pilots-most-need-performance-the-aircraft-becomes-erratic/ defensenews.com When US Navy and Marine F-35 pilots most need performance, the aircraft becomes erratic David Larter 6-7 minutes WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s and Marine Corps’ F-35s become unpredictable to handle when executing the kind of extreme maneuvers a pilot would use in a dogfight or while avoiding a missile, according to documents exclusively obtained by Defense News. Specifically, the Marine short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant and the Navy’s carrier-launched version become difficult to control when the aircraft is operating above a 20-degree angle of attack, which is the angle created by the oncoming air and the leading edge of the wing. Pilots reported the aircraft experiencing unpredictable changes in pitch, as well as erratic yaw and rolling motions. The documents identify the issue as a category 1 deficiency and define it as something that limits the aircraft’s performance in such a way that it can’t accomplish its “primary or alternate mission(s).” In this scale, category 1 represents the most serious type of deficiency. A Lockheed Martin executive told Defense News in a statement that he expects the issue to be resolved or downgraded soon as a result of software fixes. “We’ve implemented an update to the flight control system that is planned for integration in the third quarter of this year — and we expect this item to be resolved or downgraded,” said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the company’s F-35 program. The Pentagon’s F-35 program office did not respond to written questions from Defense News by press time, despite repeated follow-ups over a period of months. In a deficiency report from the fleet, aviators said the issue "will cause modal confusion, prevent precise lift vector control, and prevent repeatable air-to-air combat techniques, resulting in mid-air collisions during training, controlled flight into terrain, and aircraft loss during combat engagements with adversary aircraft and missiles," according to the documents. Sign up for our Early Bird Brief Get the defense industry's most comprehensive news and information straight to your inbox Enter a valid email address Thanks for signing up! By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief. “Fleet pilots agreed it is very difficult to max perform the aircraft” in those circumstances, the document notes. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps as well as the United Kingdom have noted the deficiency as a leading priority. The fleet will, in the near term, mitigate the issue by enforcing minimum separation rules between aircraft in flight, the documents said. ‘That ain’t working’ A retired Navy fighter pilot who reviewed the documents for Defense News said the ability to maneuver the aircraft above a 20-degree angle of attack is important if the aircraft needs to quickly maneuver to avoid a missile or during aerial combat with another aircraft. “You’re telling me that the latest, greatest, $100 million aircraft can’t perform?” the aviator said. The issue, if left unresolved, would dovetail in the worst way when combined with another issue reported by Defense News: At extremely high altitudes, the Navy and Marine Corps versions of the F-35 can only fly at supersonic speeds for short bursts of time without risking structural damage and loss of its stealth capability, a problem that may make it impossible for the Navy’s F-35C to conduct supersonic intercepts. “It has random oscillations, pitch and yaw issues above [its] 20-[degree angle of attack]," the aviator said. "[So] if I had to perform the aircraft — if I had to maneuver to defeat a missile, maneuver to fight another aircraft, the plane could have issues moving. And if I turn around aggressively and get away from these guys and use the afterburner, [the horizontal tail and tail boom] start to melt or have issues.” The issue with control above 20-degrees AOA gets to one of the main debates about the aircraft: What if it needed to get into a dogfight? The F-35 is supposed to detect and kill its prey at range with missiles — either its own or from another platform in the network. But history has taught naval aviation that ignoring the possibility of close combat with another aircraft can prove deadly. “This was not designed as a [traditional] fighter,” said Jerry Hendrix, a retired naval flight officer and analyst with Telemus Group. “This was meant to fight at distance with missiles. If you got in close, if you had to go to guns, that ain’t working.” In a statement addressing a broad range of issues reported exclusively by Defense News, Ulmer, the Lockheed executive, defended the performance of the jet. “The F-35s today are meeting or exceeding performance specifications and delivering unprecedented capability and safety compared to legacy fighter aircraft. These issues are important to address, and each is well understood, resolved or on a path to resolution," Ulmer said. “We’ve worked collaboratively with our customers and we are fully confident in the F-35’s performance and the solutions in place to address each of the items identified.” An active-duty naval aviator who reviewed the documents for Defense News said the issues are reflective of an aircraft that packed in a lot of new technology, adding that, historically, all new jets have had problems. “That document looks like growing pains for an aircraft that we tried to do a whole lot to all at once,” the aviator said. “You’re going to see that if you dig back at what Super Hornets looked like for the first few years. Go back in the archives and look at Tomcat — think about that with the variable sweep-wing geometry, the AWG-9 Radar. "There was a lot of new technology incorporated into the aircraft, and there are always going to be growing pains.” Valerie Insinna in Washington contributed to this report.

Air Force Surveys Officers on Major Changes to Promotion Process Oriana Pawlyk Should Line of the Air Force promotion categories be split? That's the question the service is asking officers to answer in a new survey. A proposed change would create subgroupings for promotion, putting a greater emphasis on field-specific expertise. Officials say it would allow the Air Force to promote with an eye to a service member's excellence within specific skill sets as well as character and competence. "Over the past eighteen months, we have extensively examined how we develop, evaluate, and promote officers across our total force," officials said in a news release. "We have concluded that our current system, which has served us well in the past, is not optimized to support future joint warfighting in this new era. Based on our research, extensive discussions with Airmen across the Air Force (active, guard, reserve, and civilian), and surveys with joint and inter-agency teammates, we believe it is time to expand the Line of the Air Force promotion categories into more subgroupings." The Air Force has separate promotion categories for its Judge Advocate General, chaplain and medical corps officers, who compete in their own professions for promotion. Related content: Air Force Unveils New Changes to Officer Special Duty Assignments Air Force Squadron Buildup Would Require 40000 Additional Personnel Air Force Scraps, Revises Hundreds of Rules That Bog Down Airmen The plan is to break up the single, large category -- which encompasses about 87 percent of its officers -- into six new categories: air operations and special warfare; space operations; nuclear and missile operations; information warfare; combat support; and force modernization, according to the proposal. The service would sort Air Force Specialty Codes into the categories that best fit. For example, cyber operations (17X), intelligence (14N), operations research analysis (61A), weather (15W), special investigations (71S), information operations (14F) and public affairs (35X) would be grouped under "information warfare." Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have begun distributing the new memorandum to the commanders of wings, numbered Air Force elements and other major commands across the force. It directs commanders to solicit input from officers and submit it up to major commands by July 31, with a final recommendation due to the secretary and chief not later than Aug. 30. "This is building on what [the Air Force] is already doing," Lt. Gen Brian Kelly, the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in a call with reporters Wednesday. "If you look at the [squadron revitalization] efforts that [Goldfein] laid out a couple years ago, we took some time to go to the field to get a lot of good feedback ... from our airmen ... and this continues this same vein of socializing these ideas." Kelly and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Shon Manasco will be deploying briefing teams to various installations across major commands in the next few months. Once the Air Force gathers feedback, it will revise its plan as it best sees fit, Manasco said Wednesday. If the decision is to push forward, officers will likely begin to see the new Line of Air Force categories in spring 2020, Kelly said. The two officials stressed while the current system "is not broken," the one-size-fits-all approach does not allow the service to be as agile as it could be in adapting to new challenges and skill requirements, a growing necessity amid a rising threat of great power competition. "It's about developing people in those specialties in the right way," Kelly said. "When we think about the National Defense Strategy, it's requesting us as an Air Force to have capabilities, not just systems and equipment, but capabilities in our people ... and this ability to integrate across multi-domain warfare, and to be more steeped in your technical [skillset] -- you're looking at a different development path." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Show Full Article © Copyright 2019 Military.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

He said Russians were innocent until proven guilty but he could not prove the President was not guilty. Interesting difference of legal standard that does not exist but the liberals are going to go full retard babbling about it.

I think this idiot might qualify for a Darwin award if he can no longer add to the gene pool.

As a part time Reservist, I was tagged for drug testing several times over a short period of time which would irritate most anybody. Fortunately for me, the medical staff was poorly trained and in a hurry. This meant they were putting samples on common work surfaces used by patients and medical staff. I merely documented those OSHA violations in an email to the WG/CC and cc'd the medical SQ/CC. That was 2003-ish I was never drug tested again and I retired in 2011.

I think they are trying to dig out from under the rubble after the House of Collusion collapsed on their tinfoil wrapped skulls. I'm guessing the survivors from that debacle are going to take that debris and start building the Obstruction Palace because....Orange man bad.

Getting just 10 degrees nose low in a big old airliner feels excessive. I'm not sure what the pitch change rate might be but getting 50 degrees nose low doesn't happen that quick and how you get there without somebody noticing and correcting the situation escapes me. I've seen guys in the sim get behind in roll control with engine failures but I've never seen anything close to losing control in pitch with any type of failure.

Yes, they are. I must have picked that up at the schoolhouse training for the 72/73/75/76/77/78 or the POS MD-80. That phrase "leading edge devices" must be embedded in there somewhere. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Yes, they are. I've made far too many trips through the schoolhouse (72/73/75/76/77/78 and the POS 80) and somewhere in the process, the phrase "Leading edge devices" has been embedded in my brain. That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.

Depending on gross weight, you might need to go FLAPS 1 (just extends the leading edge devices) to slow to @210-220 KIAS. Extending flaps out of up puts the airplane into approach mode and makes the TOGA switch active. I've flown several Boeings and it is not uncommon to select flaps 1 10-11K feet depending on the arrival.

During an unpleasant time in my life, I was an ALO attached to an armor battalion. We were doing a night live fire exercise so 105mm main guns, .50 caliber, 25mm chain guns, TOW missiles, and, the winner for spectacular effects and crowd pleaser, APC mounted 20mm vulcan shot at ground targets. As a Hawg driver, we talked a lot about big sky, little bullet theory but, to quote the military historian Ho Lee Fuk, "That's a whole lot of metal going a long way uphill via richochets." The big, fast stuff like 105mm and TOWs had to be topping out better than 1000 feet on occasion. Seeing that stuff bounce at night really changed my thoughts on pressing hard target slant range cease fire distance.

I've flown most Boeing jets and have done a real go around the 727, 737, 757, and 767. Never say never but I can't envision hitting TOGA well outside causing anything dramatic resulting in such an excessive reaction.

What LJDRVR said.

Those FADECS systems can burn anything!

I'll add to that seniority concept. At AA, we've absorbed Reno Air, TWA, and the US Air East/West pilots. Each of these integration's cost seniority numbers. Had my seniority date been 5 days sooner, 270 Reno guys would be behind me and not in front of me, lost another 700+ with TWA, and @2500 with US Air. The guy right behind in my new hire class and therefore the next on the seniority list is now 5 numbers behind me.

I was walking across the parking lot at NAS Fort Worth JRB and "got pulled over" by what passes for security and informed of the new rule saying no walking and talking on my phone. If there ever was a clue that there were too many people making rules without real jobs that enhanced our mission to kill people and break their stuff, this was it.

I did interview with the NTSB when I left active duty but had no desire to move to the LA area but it was an option if a Hawg gig didn't show up. While the NTSB does accident investigation for causal factors and makes recommendations to improve safety, the FAA has the hammer on regulations or mandatory equipment. Just like the AF, politics and money are involved (although those two are redundant) so you really have to have something spectacular happen and kill a bunch of people before changes are made.

Reading Jerimiah Weeds description of a trip reminded me of a comment made during contract negotiations by a former (before my time) American Airline's CEO, Robert Crandall, "There's no money in cargo."

This month was 2 Hong Kong, 1 Madrid, and 1 London which flew into next month. Hong Kong is 44 hours on the ground while most other layovers are 25-27 hours-ish. My second Hong Kong trip cratered while we were in Hong Kong so I got an extra day and a half in Hong Kong, flew back to LAX instead of DFW and had to deadhead home. While that sucked, the extra hours took me over our max and I got paid to NOT fly to Madrid. Last month was 4 3-day London trips (Flight Standards bought one for training) and I picked up a HNL and took the wife. I bid reserve next month because I have vacation and pay/trip strategery favors reserve. You can put these trips back to back, i.e. get in from LHR on Monday and fly to Narita on Tuesday. Time zone changes and weird hours make for challenges getting rest. Some guys can do that but I'd rather have a day or two to relax. Most brutal is to get in from a deep south trip at 6 am and then fly deep south again departing at 9pm that night. Uh....hell no but, again, some guys do it. Most international flights are 3 day trips. Our deep south flights to Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Rio, etc. boarder on 4 day trips because you depart late, 8-10pm, and fly 10 hours to arrive just after sunrise. Layover is long since you depart late in the evening on the 2nd day to fly home arriving 5-6am. I fly out of DFW and there are many more options depending on which HUB you fly the trip from. For instance, LHR (London Heathrow) is a 20 hour, 3 man crew out of DFW but is flown as a 15-16 hour, 2 man crew out of JFK. 4 man crews flying Asia out of mean you get two breaks inflight. 3 man crews mean you get one break. How long? Take the time remaining between 15 minutes after takeoff and 35-45 minutes prior to landing and divide that time by 3 or 4 and that is the length of the break.

AA started building domestic trips for the 787 and I ended up with one sitting reserve. I forgot how much I hated domestic flying. Jet isn't ready to go, waiting on a ride to the hotel, swapping jets going through a hub while doing the bag drag and enjoying quality airport sit time, and hotels in crappy locations with limited food options. International flying is really a different airline than domestic.

Sitting wide body reserve, I went for 105 days without flying at 76 hours paid per month although I normally averaged 1 trip per month. This month, I'm working 12 days (4 trips) for 91 hours. Just depends on what you want to do.

Whatever tax structure is used such flat tax, progressive tax, or VAT combined with ever rate the idiots in Congress decide upon with up to and including a 70% rate recently mentioned, that tax method and rate is completely irrelevant if the idiots in Congress keep spending more money that the country takes in.

https://townhall.com/columnists/wayneallynroot/2019/01/20/harry-reid-exposes-greatest-liberal-scam-of-alltime-n2539256 Harry Reid Exposes Greatest Liberal Scam of All-Time Wayne Allyn Root 5-6 minutes What's in the news day and night? The wall. It's all anyone talks about or thinks about or debates. Have you heard? The U.S. government is partially shut down over the wall. But it's all a massive liberal scam. A Ponzi scheme. Pure fraud. Bernie Madoff couldn't come up with a better scam. Because the same liberal politicians and donors who scream about the "racism" and "immorality" and "ineffectiveness" of a wall all live behind walls. President Trump needs to buy TV infomercial time and run a 30-minute TV show in a Ross Perot fashion -- featuring aerial views of the mansions and estates of liberals, protected by walls, gates, and armed guards. You know, the exact same protections they don't want you and me or our children to have. Exhibit A is Harry Reid, the Democratic former Senate Majority Leader from my home state of Nevada. Please ignore the advertising slogan "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas." It's not true. Las Vegas is the crossroads of America. What happens here is happening everywhere. And I've uncovered the biggest liberal scam in America -- going on right here in Las Vegas. It revolves around my home community in Henderson. I live in the exclusive Anthem Country Club. There are about 1,500 beautiful homes behind the gates of Anthem. Together, these homes are worth around $1 billion -- in just one country club in one Las Vegas suburb. What's the amazing appeal of Anthem Country Club? It's got a big beautiful wall around it. And thick iron gates in front are protected by armed guards. The result? There is virtually no crime inside walled, gated, armed Anthem. Life is good behind the gates of Anthem. In the rest of Las Vegas ... not so much. In the rest of Vegas ... lots of crime, gang bangers, drugs, car-jackings, and home invasion robberies. Proving walls and gates and lots of armed guards are a good thing if you want your family to be safe. But wait. My Anthem community recently added yet another feature to keep our residents safe. Every vehicle entering our gates must show a government-issued photo ID or they will be denied entry. Guess who's my neighbor, just steps away from my home? Former Sen. Harry Reid. The one and only. He could have chosen anywhere in Nevada or America to retire. But he didn't. He chose the protection of fortress Anthem for his family. There are many lessons we can learn from studying Anthem Country Club. Lesson No. 1: If you want your family and children to be safe, BUILD A WALL -- preferably a wall that is also surrounded by armed guards. The Vatican understands this lesson. Every celebrity in Hollywood understands. All the wealthy politicians in Washington, D.C., understand. All the big-shot media executives understand. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and George Soros all understand. Barbara Streisand, George Clooney, Sean Penn, and Madonna all understand. They are protected by big walls, sturdy gates, and armed guards. Lesson No. 2: Liberal Democrats are hypocrites. All the liberal bigmouths who denigrate the wall live behind walls and gates. None is a better example than Reid, former chief water carrier and bottle washer of President Barack Obama. Reid spent his entire Senate career fighting viciously against a wall. Reid argued walls were terrible and unnecessary things. So, why did Harry choose Anthem? Because he loves his family. That's why we all want a wall at America's southern border. To protect our country and our children from bad people, drugs, disease, and violent crime. Welcome to the neighborhood, Harry. Can I bring a cake by? Lesson No. 3: Liberals lie about everything. Liberals don't just use walls to separate themselves from the very poor and illegal alien voters they count on to elect them. They use limos and private jets and send their children to lily-white private schools where they'll never be around gangbangers or illegal aliens or Muslim refugees or disease. Lesson No. 4: Guns must not be as bad as liberals claim. Because liberals may argue against gun ownership, but at the same time, they have armed guards protect them. Lesson No. 5: The argument against voter identification is a total scam. How do all those gardeners, maids and pool cleaners drive through the gates of Anthem every day? The answer: They all already have a government-issued photo ID. So I guess it's a lie when liberal politicians claim that poor people and minorities don't have a photo ID or that it's too difficult for them to get or that it's "racist" to ask them for it. Voter ID is an issue because liberals want election fraud. They can't win without it. They want illegals to be able to vote by the millions for Democrats. Folks, we're being scammed. But not just any scam. This is the greatest scam of all time. Anthem, my beautiful, safe community, is the proof. What happens here in the suburbs of Vegas, is happening everywhere. My advice? BUILD THE WALL.

If walls don't work, how comes is it that so many liberals live in gated communities or in homes with large fences and walls?

Flea, at AA, vacation time increases the longer you are with the airline and tops out at 31 days. The vacation bidding system sucks but allegedly is going to change. You also manipulate the system with PVD (Personal Vacation Days) and trip drops to build time off. Lots of ways to skin the cat to build a window to travel. As far as travel goes, if you can tolerate dealing with the unknowns and frustrations of flying standby, you can easily go places. Over the last year, the wife and I have gone to Ireland and Spain for 5 day visits. For longer layovers, the wife has flown standby with me to Paris, Santiago, and Hawaii. Lots of options on places to go but passenger loads can sometimes be unpredictable.