KC-46A Info

[JarheadBoom]

12 hours ago, sforron said:

The KC-10 training is done at McGuire or Travis as far as I know

Correct.

[Clark Griswold]

On 2/1/2017 at 0:49 PM, ThreeHoler said:

-10s are gone starting 2019. Not low key at all.

 

Say it ain't so... 

Sidebar question:  was there ever any movement to move 10s to Hickam?  If operations in the Pacific have to deal with the tyranny of distance, a squadron of 10's in the middle of it (or close to it) would seem to make sense.  

[SurelySerious]

-10s are gone starting 2019. Not low key at all.

Guess that takes care of the ADS-B issue.

[ThreeHoler]

17 minutes ago, SurelySerious said:

Guess that takes care of the ADS-B issue.

The -10 has ADS-B Out. Not many jets left to mod.

Now...the EADI/EHSI/FMS blanking issue...

[SurelySerious]

The -10 has ADS-B Out. Not many jets left to mod.
Now...the EADI/EHSI/FMS blanking issue...

Ah, nice. And diminishing parts source for some part of the boom flight control that would require significant changes, if I remember correctly from talking to bros.

[ThreeHoler]

Yes. I don't think the BCU replacement ever happened.


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[bb17]

On 2/1/2017 at 9:58 PM, sforron said:

The KC-10 training is done at McGuire or Travis as far as I know, so no return trip to Altus. I just wonder if they'd bother to "waste" time training me on the -10, or if I'd end up stuck as the squadron gofer for a good chunk of time (more so than the average new guy).

Not that the answer changes anything, I'm just curious.

Whoops, sorry, I was thinking of KC-135's for some reason because I would likely be going to Altus twice with a short gap in between depending on when the KC-46's arrive. What I meant to say was that likely the person would be going to PIQ twice with an unspecified amount of time in between. I thought the Air Force would try to save costs by streamlining current folks heading to the KC-46 in the near future but I was told that is not the case, mainly because the delivery schedule is an unknown. 

Edited February 3, 2017 by bb17

[Fuzz]

20 hours ago, bb17 said:

Whoops, sorry, I was thinking of KC-135's for some reason because I would likely be going to Altus twice with a short gap in between depending on when the KC-46's arrive. What I meant to say was that likely the person would be going to PIQ twice with an unspecified amount of time in between. I thought the Air Force would try to save costs by streamlining current folks heading to the KC-46 in the near future but I was told that is not the case, mainly because the delivery schedule is an unknown. 

Just remember we are talking about the same Air Force that was still dropping C-130Hs to UPT studs months after the squadrons they were heading to were already announced to be shutting down within the next 1-2 years. Those guys went through C-130H PIQ arrived at their squadron and got assignments to other airframes within a couple months.

[MooseAg03]

Just remember we are talking about the same Air Force that was still dropping C-130Hs to UPT studs months after the squadrons they were heading to were already announced to be shutting down within the next 1-2 years. Those guys went through C-130H PIQ arrived at their squadron and got assignments RPAs within a couple months.

FIFY.


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[disgruntledemployee]

20 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Just remember we are talking about the same Air Force that was still dropping C-130Hs to UPT studs months after the squadrons they were heading to were already announced to be shutting down within the next 1-2 years. Those guys went through C-130H PIQ arrived at their squadron and got assignments to other airframes within a couple months.

The timeline was much closer to well under a year than 1-2 years.  One night, two new CPs smack in the middle of their flying training come in and mention that they will PCS to something else and feared it would be RPAs as those were most definitely on the list.  A total fucking shit show.  So my advice that night was to go fly, do well, and discuss career options during the debrief over a beer.  And this was McDew's 18th AF.

Out

[MitchS]

Been reading through relevant posts, but haven't seen much. What's the word on SUPT -46 drops? I know they were on some lists as early as 2014, but I haven't heard much about them since. How often do they drop, how competitive are the slots, what do pilots DO with a -46 assignment for the near future, etc?

Edited February 13, 2017 by MitchS

[Homestar]

Are IOT&E selects even flying that thing yet? Should have named it the KC-46 Unicorn. 

[bb17]

2 hours ago, MitchS said:

Been reading through relevant posts, but haven't seen much. What's the word on SUPT -46 drops? I know they were on some lists as early as 2014, but I haven't heard much about them since. How often do they drop, how competitive are the slots, what do pilots DO with a -46 assignment for the near future, etc?

I'm kind of in that boat right now. The answer is to fly whatever airframe that unit is currently flying for a brief period of time before transitioning. Although the last thing I heard (reading between the lines though) is possibly to time the very newest selectees to go straight to -46 without an interim step. But plans can still change. 

[StoleIt]

Anyone else hearing about what a cluster the -46 program currently is?

Sounding like the AF doesn't want to/shouldn't accept delivery from Boeing any time soon. It can't AR and can't carry cargo.

[Homestar]

What is the current delivery status? I'm too lazy to Google. 

[LookieRookie]

26 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Anyone else hearing about what a cluster the -46 program currently is?

Sounding like the AF doesn't want to/shouldn't accept delivery from Boeing any time soon. It can't AR and can't carry cargo.

Any links?

[Truman08]

42 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Anyone else hearing about what a cluster the -46 program currently is?

Sounding like the AF doesn't want to/shouldn't accept delivery from Boeing any time soon. It can't AR and can't carry cargo.

I'm not sure the status of delivery but word on the street is the -46 cancelled on coming to the Altus Airshow last minute. Odd considering Altus is one of the first bases to have a Squadron, you'd think they'd want to show it off a bit at one of the home station units. 

There's also a ton of dudes in Type 1 training right now. I don't believe they've made it from Florida to Washington for the difference training yet (still -767 initial training) but I wonder if that'll hold any of them up. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Truman08

[StoleIt]

23 minutes ago, LookieRookie said:

Any links?

No sources besides bro level from people directly involved in this type of thing.

Boeing probably doesn't want any of this out in the open because it would reflect negatively on them (and therefore, I assume, their stock price).

[Prosuper]

Boeing  should have just have offered new build KC-135 super max's instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm 54 and already told the 20/30 somethings in 135 post dock where I work at Tinker that I will be long retired and buried before the last KC-135 is parked permanently at AMARC. 

[StoleIt]

1 minute ago, Prosuper said:

Boeing  should have just have offered new build KC-135 super max's instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'm 54 and already told the 20/30 somethings in 135 post dock where I work at Tinker that I will be long retired and buried before the last KC-135 is parked permanently at AMARC. 

True, but it's probably a lot "easier" for them to keep the 767 line open rather than figure out how to make Dash 80's again.

[Prosuper]

3 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

True, but it's probably a lot "easier" for them to keep the 767 line open rather than figure out how to make Dash 80's again.

Use the 737 top half of the fuselage mated with the new tooled 707 lower half add body tanks and plumbing. Use same landing gear as the R model. Try and slap some sense into engineers and procurement to use the KISS method. Not too much of a fan of the boomer not having to look at his receivers through his Mark 1 eyeballs.   

 

[StoleIt]

3 minutes ago, Prosuper said:

Use the 737 top half of the fuselage mated with the new tooled 707 lower half add body tanks and plumbing. Use same landing gear as the R model. Try and slap some sense into engineers and procurement to use the KISS method. Not too much of a fan of the boomer not having to look at his receivers through his Mark 1 eyeballs.   

 

Boeing couldn't even get 3 subsets of a 767 to fit together and you think they can competently merge a 737 and a 707?
I bet Airbus is laughing at the sidelines while having a commercially successful A330 MRTT.

[Prosuper]

13 minutes ago, StoleIt said:

Boeing couldn't even get 3 subsets of a 767 to fit together and you think they can competently merge a 737 and a 707?
I bet Airbus is laughing at the sidelines while having a commercially successful A330 MRTT.

It's too bad Boeing used to be a good aerospace company, now it's just a corporation run by MBA's who just want maximum return on investment and answers to nobody but Wall street.

 

[Clark Griswold]

1 hour ago, StoleIt said:

Boeing couldn't even get 3 subsets of a 767 to fit together and you think they can competently merge a 737 and a 707?
I bet Airbus is laughing at the sidelines while having a commercially successful A330 MRTT.

All the way to the bank I imagine.

 

[Azimuth]

Buddy of mine who is involved in the -46 program flew on the Aussie's KC-30 during Mobility Guardian.  He told me that "Boeing has a lot of catching up to do."  The fucking camera system on the KC-46 is in black/white whereas the KC-30 is in color.