RTB

Can anyone explain why this is still happening? Weren't 365's just supposed to be temporary measures to get us through the surge periods several years ago? I can think of no good reason a 365 isn't split into 3 120s other than continuity but that's not a good enough reason to keep crushing people.

I'd do both. GI Bill for the kids (huge benefit beyond just the tuition) AND a separate college fund for the kids. Will it be around in 15 years? No way to know for sure, but I'm willing to bet it will be, at least for those of us that have already earned it.

True...IF your multi engine Form 8 is NOT a centerline thrust jet. I only got the CFII. They wouldn't give me an MEI or a CFI.

When I got my MCI Flight instructor certificate, all I had to take in were the written results (thank you Sheppard Air) and an Instructor Form 8. I took in an Instrument/Qual Form 8 rather than a Mission one to alleviate any confusion about whether I was instrument qualified. They asked about a ground school certificate but I told them that fighter IPs don't get any kind of ground school certificate to go along with the Form 8 and they were fine with that explanation. It was simple and seamless. Definitely make an appointment though, the FSDO I went to was busy all day and I would have waited. I just called the day prior and was able to get one without any trouble. Last thing is the type of Flight Instructor you'll get. You guys with F-16, T-6 or other single engine IP Form 8s will get CFI and CFII. And if you're a heavy guy without that stupid centerline thrust restriction, you'll also walk out with your MEI as long as you bring in an IP Form 8 from that jet too.

Do NOT trust the HARM office to maintain accurate records. When I went to put everything into LogTen Pro, I found out that a 7 month period from 15 years ago (that included an entire deployment with a ton of flying) was gone. Poof. All the HARM shop could do was shrug their shoulders and say sorry. Fortunately I found an old annual review in a closet with the missing data.

L10 Pro is pricey but worth it, IMO. When putting my apps together, I found that I needed to gather lots of different hours data and it was simple to filter and create 'smart lists' of any criteria I wanted. For example, when I needed to gather my PIC, student, night, and instrument time for single engine civilian flying, it was easy to create a smart list of all those airplanes. Same when I wanted to gather just military flying info for sortie counts, IP/EP time, etc. I also like that I can enter a flight using my iphone and it updates the desktop database via icloud so it's always up to date.

Stupid beyond words. Standardized morale.

Just got an email from the FSS saying TERA and VSP applications are now on a "strategic delay" until the AF can further review requirements for projected force reductions.

ME is ME...sort of. ME centerline thrust time does not count as ME time for FAA instructor purposes. You can't get an MEI certificate if you've only been an IP in a ME centerline thrust aircraft. So far, it appears that any ME time satisfies the 50 hour requirement for the ATP but it's not clearly spelled out. I've heard from the DPE I flew with that some DPEs don't view ME centerline thrust time as satisfactory for the ATP requirements for the same reason it doesn't satisfy the MEI requirements. HOWEVER...I know of no one with only ME centerline time that didn't get their CL time counted for the ATP hour requirement.

The timing of these back to back AF Times covers is slightly ironic...

Probably true in the macro sense AF-wide. However, too often in the last 5 years, I have personally seen too many dudes placed into a command plan from afar despite no credibility in the jet (sometimes zero time) but a stellar SAASS record and GO push. Guys everyone respected suddenly found themselves without a chair when the music stopped. Results on morale have been...bad. Absolutely!

What happened in AFSOC to make life suck these days? Years ago, I thought (or heard) that AFSOC was it's own little world where life was grand...tons of money, min queep, total mission focus. Sounds like not so much now. Was that true 'back in the day' or just propaganda?

The fact that the AF still uses 365s at the pace we do is total and complete bullshit. Those were started at the peak of OIF and OEF as a stopgap measure to appease the Army who hated our shorter deployment lengths. Now that we've reduced the manning demand so significantly, we should kill all 365s and go back to the way it was. What a morale killer. But hard to put that genie back in the bottle.

Congrats! How long did it take after your Wing CC signed the 1288?

Sad how scared some leaders are to do the simple stuff. On a related note, as soon as the new AFI was released, our Sq/CC said PRESS!!! with the colored shirts on Fridays. Our squadron enlisted and pilots all wore our colored shirts to the 0800 OG Call yesterday and while there was some initial 'concern' by the Group Chief and Shirt (directed at the 1COs, not the pilots), once they were informed of the changes all was GTG. Pretty much the entire Ops Group was wearing the full compliment of shirts, patches and pen tabs so at least that's a small win in our little corner of the AF.

"We're past the point of doing everything just because it says so in an [Air Force Instruction]," Welsh said. "If it wastes our time, we should stop, and we should stop today."

When all the Friday stuff was killed a couple years ago, there was OUTRAGE on BODN. And rightly so! That decision was bullshit. We got had by a shoe but sanity prevailed and that stuff is back. Yes, the retirement COLA cuts are total BS and attacks on TFL will also suck. But at least the AF is fixing this one thing that we have control over.

Damn dude, glass half empty? Why is this "vector" so important to everyone? Actions not words right?

Is there such a thing?

Wow. I'm almost speechless. Big win for Welsh (I'll give him credit) and a big F U to those that killed this stuff a couple years ago.

In case anyone is curious, you may have to wait a while for your permanent certificate these days. Two of us took our checkrides on 29 Sep 13. The other dude got his certificate 13 Dec (75 days) while it took just under 4 months for me (111 days). Difference is his was completely processed online in IACRA while mine needed a letter sent to the FAA due to the DPE forgetting to input that he'd verified my multi engine time. Granted, there was a 2 week government shutdown in the middle of that but still a long wait. Edit: spelling

5 new ATPS in the last couple months, 2 more taking written this month followed soon by practical. 4 of us just took the Emerald Coast Interview course so yes, lots happening here.

Yes, I get that most people won't see a retirement. However, the slippery slope aspect of this should concern everyone. As I said before, taking from those that have served is now on the table.

Strangely, on my last family flight a few weeks ago, only my 4 year old had "TSA PreCheck" on her boarding pass. None of the rest of us did. Flawless system.

From that article: "One House aide said that leadership may be waiting before making a decision on the retirement benefits to see how strongly the issue resonates back in lawmakers’ districts. "If members come back and go to leadership and say they’re really getting hit on this, leadership might be in a mood to adjust it,” the aide said. “If they come back and there’s not as much passion behind it, that tells you it will be a completely different story.” UFB. Most individual military members are not vocal with their congressional representatives, which does not bode well for us... I wrote all 3 of my congressmen. Zero responses so far. Next stop is to their local offices. Edited for poor formatting...