Dogs-N-Guns

Going to be over $7M after the AF pays to redesign the PT-6A to remove beta/reverse.

Thanks for the info.

How long is T-38 PIT? Are there any pipeline delays to be expected? Turbo prop pilot, hasn't flown in 3 years, or the T-38 in 10 years. Is this cause for concern? Asking for a friend.

Flying has to be it's own reward, because the shift in focus of the military is that the flying will get done and no one cares how cool pilots are anymore. Military flying is challenging, endless training and upgrades and just because you did it correct 1,000 times, you can still screw up 1,001. Military controls where, when, and how you will fly. You are tired, too bad, press the mission. Just woke up, sorry you launch in 12 hr go back into crew rest. They also control when you don't fly. Time for PME, now staff job, training pipeline is backed up so you can't requal right now, how about a pentagon tour. You owe 10 years after training which is usually 12 year total. Granted my experience is active duty, but I've heard stories that reserves are not much better, and even the guard isn't the flying club it use to be. Still with hindsight I would do it again, but it's not for everyone. I will likely fly a desk into retirement, I have a goal to build and RV-10, but in the meantime I've discovered paramotors to scratch that flying itch.

This one surprised me. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/01/16/two-star-head-of-air-force-research-lab-fired-under-osi-investigation/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/afrl-commander-wright-patt-removed-while-misconduct-investigated/EcqltwRVpiR9uvSOl7uACL/

Timeless Tips for Simple Sabotage from 1944. A lot of this is eerily familiar. Additional nuggets on page 28 of the PDF. General Interference with Organizations and Production Organizations and Conferences Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. Make "speeches," Talk as frequently as possible and at great length., Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic" comments. When possible, refer all matters to committees, for "further study and consideration." Attempt to make the committees as large as possible - never less than five. Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible. Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision. Advocate "caution." Be “reasonable" and urge your fellow-conferees to be "reasonable" and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on. Be worried about the propriety of any decision - raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon. https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2012-featured-story-archive/simple-sabotage.html

Apologies. Three different DV visits cut into my internet time this week. I did a quick search for centerline thrust and only saw the previous post. Tried to post something quick before my wife kicked me off the computer to go mow the lawn. Epic fail. I submit myself for disciplinary actions.

For anyone not on TPN, looks like a new FAA memo will help with centerline thrust restriction. https://www.scribd.com/document/385329095/FAA-Centerline-Thrust-Restriction-Removal-Changes

True, but there is no guarantee that you won't get hit with a 180 or 365 anyway. Always a game of chess.

The AF has paid for my ATP and PhD. I'm in for 20 (5 more years). I haven't decided if I will stay past 20, but I won't accept an ADSC past 20 years. I will have less than 3 years when it's time to move again. I wouldn't mind a requal, but I have other career options post-AF and won't accept the ADSC.

I stayed. I am two years late to rate, finished my 96 gate month, so flight pay is good until a month after I hit 20 years even if I don't fly again. I got released to get my PhD in applied physics right around the time they reduced the crew ratio in the C-17. Became bonus eligible 5 months after I graduated with my degree, so the 5 yr PhD ADSC is running concurrently with my bonus ADSC. I have 2.5 years left on my teaching payback tour. Then only on more assignment between me an retirement. I'm preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. I miss flying, but as long as it's treated as an additional duty (especially for FGOs), I'm not interested in returning.

Citibank has made the news with some new anti 2nd amendment policies. They also currently provide the Government Travel Card (GTC) which military members are forced to sign up for and used for all official travel. Now that Citibank made policy based on political ideology, how long before a service member challenges the GTC requirement of the JTR that supports of a private company with a political agenda contrary to their own. Would this be a first amendment issue? (not interested in the lame tired excuse of "you don't have rights in the military") Paraphrasing AFI1-1 sec 2.13 "Under our democratic system, the military, as a group, must remain politically neutral and divorced from partisan politics" Does continued support of a company that is clearly no longer politically neutral affect the neutrality of the military?

I'm assuming the mission required an augmented crew, meaning 3 pilots for up to a 24 hr flight duty period (C-17 world). I believe the original intent was to have 2 ACs and one FP (first pilot), but there isn't enough ACs. Solution was to allow an experience FP serve as the augmenting pilot with Sq/CC approval. Anyone with an ounce of integrity wouldn't allow a 200 hr pilot to serve as an augmenting FP. edit: typos corrected

I believe it, but there is a lot to unpack. First I would assume 17 hours/month doesn't include msn planning. My info is 5 yrs old now, but in the C-17 world we would msn plan a training local the day prior. A random route low level through through Alaska, with a tanker rendezvous, plus assault landing and pattern work could easily take 5+ hours to plan and brief for a 5 hour sortie. Airdrop and formation even more time. No experience with fighters, but I would guess they take just as long to plan for sortie that is less than 2 hours. Back of the napkin math would mean that heavies are working 35-40 hours per month on flying stuff and fighters up 80 hours. In the dream world of a 40 hour work week (160 hours/month) that mean heavies spend 75% of their time doing non-pilot stuff, fighters are 50/50. Next problem. I hate averages, primarily because Wing Kings have used it to beat the sqdns claiming we were are not over worked. Problem is there are too many pilot the schedulers can't touch. Rotating exec desk at the sq/gp/wg takes up 2-4 pilots, Wg FSO, ADOs, schedulers, just off the top of my head. When some logs ZERO hours than brings down the average fast. Give me the entire stats, Mean, Median, and Standard Deviation. I would bet it shows a small group of pilots are carrying a disproportionate load of the flying hours. Take everything with a grain of salt. I've been flying a desk for almost 5 years.

With these numbers and forecasts I'm surprised stop-loss hasn't happened already.

Also interested. Voluntarily flying a desk since Fall 2013. Former C-17 IP. At least one assignment after this one before I hit 20. Never flew a white jet. Interested C-37 (MacDill) and C-40 (Scott).

Two categories, Long (>5 years) and Short. There are roughly and equal number of both for the FY17 contracts, but those numbers combined are dwarfed by the early-signers. With less than 70 days in FY17, it doesn't appear that the new bonus had any effect, unless people are just waiting for the last minute.

They moved where they post the numbers, but you can still look them up with a CAC. It looks to be a little worse than last year, but the numbers are padded with the early-signers. Since there is no early option for FY17, the real effects probably won't be seen until FY18.

Are the OCP/2-piece flights suit approved by AETC? I have a few from my MC-12 days and would like to put them back in the rotation. Is the OCP boonie hat authorized in CONUS?

Wouldn't the lack of any bonus ADSC on your SURF send the same message? If you have a 1-2 yr PCS ADSC might as well take the money.

Looks like the AF Res and ANG programs are on mypers, just search "aviation bonus program". Short version, choose 1-3 year initial contract at $30K/yr. Still waiting on the AD program specifics.

I pieced together a good deal that minimized my exposure to BS. The bonus was part of the equation. I was also late rated, which put me a couple years closer to 20 than other pilots at the decision point. I'm in the "it's not just about the money" crowd.

123 days remain in FY17, still no ARP. I wonder how many fence sitters have punched out rather than take another PCS ADSC waiting for a decision on the bonus amount.

... and it was just posted.

They were supposed to post the list to myPers by 1400 yesterday and I still haven't seen it, so I wouldn't expect to see vMPF updates anytime soon.