nunya

To do so would be blasphemous heresy. I 100% used an M8 bolt leftover from a ceiling fan to remove a truck brake rotor last week.

I'd even strike "once boarding is complete." Lots of problems happen during boarding and we have people for that, too. Some CAs feel the need to make a PA directly to the passengers in pursuit of some nebulous passenger satisfaction metric. Nah. Best case you get some attaboys on X. Worst case you say "Ladies and Gentlemen" and you lose your job for a while.

Being in NCR I really wouldn't worry about it. As you said, I think you'll be able to find something if you have to. With 4 years to play with (2 to pin on + 2 overgrade waiver), I'd go for it. Once you have completed your requisite mouth shut period, I'd start lobbying for them to change a billet or three to O-5.

Overgrade waivers are generally (always?) only good for 2 years, so I wouldn't count on that as your long term answer. In my experience, we always wrote positions for O-5s to avoid that exact problem. I thought writing for O-5 was standard... What do you know about the UMD vacancies of the unit you're looking to join? Is it all O-4 billets? Are all the O-5 billets already doubled?

I've seen multiple manufacturers, including Ranger Point and Magpul, list their buttstocks as 1894/1895/336.

Boyds does. No, it's the Trapper. SBL is 3" longer. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006029530?pid=999284

Buddy's 45-70 Ruger-Lin Trapper. Wears a can and IER scope now.

To help with VID:

So an average of $121k/year. You seem pleased with how it turned out for you so I'm thrilled for you and your family. I'm hope you enjoyed the adventure. Good work, Col. You're proof that you can live a perfectly comfortable life without going to the private sector. However, the other side of the coin is that your numbers don't come close to private sector compensation. DoD got your skills and time for an incredible bargain. Enjoy retirement - you've earned it!

Helo dudes, NTSB dude said the helo crew would have used their baro altimeter as their primary reference instead of radalt. Is that true? Radio was always my primary on Herk low levels. But I guess the charted ceiling of 200' was baro, not radio, so maybe baro was primary?

Kirby publicly voiced that concern. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-airline-pilots-fight-their-unions-increase-retirement-age-2023-08-22/

There's no indication they loaded the RNAV 33 to have SA on IDTEK so its constraint is immaterial. They were switched from the Mt Vernon 1 to visual 33 from the Wilson Bridge. Wilson Bridge is 3.4NM from 33. I expect - and hope - they didn't go heads down to load a new approach in the box that late.

Any helo bubbas have insight into the max altitudes on Rt 4? Looks like the chart calls for 200' coordination?

But they achieved their goal, with most headlines leaving out the last part.

The aileron inputs look like a normal CDS run in as #2-4. 😁