How do you feel about your airframe and mission?

[gorams5]

Really interested in the F-15E/F-16 fighter side and the KC-135/C-130J on the heavy side. Thanks 

[Mrpringles]

KC-135

You will deploy for 60 days, if you’re active duty you’ll deploy maybe 2-3 times a year. Highly depends on which base you drop, obviously. Deployments are easy, this is where the tanker bubbas get to fly.

Minimal training at home station. Not many in this community take flying seriously. For some people, if you do anything other than an ILS to a full stop, you are “trying too hard”. Yes, it’s a tanker so there aren’t any tactics involved, but the -135 community in general are extremely apprehensive when it comes to max performing the jet. I’m not some fighter wannabe trying to be hardcore in a tanker but for s sake we should be proficient in handling the jet. 135 can be a very difficult jet to land. Straight and level or left hand turns at .78 are what we do and not much else. 135 leadership put a huge focus on nuke missions. Quarterly tape testings and exercises will haunt you in between deployments. 

TDYs are good, I’ve been to sweet locations and some missions are satisfying- like aeroevac missions. Booms are very involved in flying and they’re great with backing you up. 

If you’re hard up on tankers, 135 is satisfying to fly. I may not be happy with the proficiency of -135 community in general, but the bros are great for the most part. Oh, and I’m not saying I’m some top gun. I’m not, and I wish our leadership focused more on flying so we can all be better.

MX are tired and undermanned- they can’t keep up with the aging fleet. Most OPS leaders don’t care to make waves with the MX because they’re trying to make rank. 

Btw, if you have ANY interest in fighters- put all your effort in tracking -38s. There is a huge difference in two communities and you probably won’t be happy being a tanker dude

[carminsandiego]

 

F-15E: Guy in front takes you to target, guy in back does everything else. Has cool toys and lots of ordnance but that's the only neat factor. 

F-16: Single seat multi role... so many roles... prob too many roles.  But single seat nonetheless. 

[mcbush]

F-15C: Guy in front rubs, guy in back tugs 

[Bigred]

On 11/7/2018 at 8:44 PM, Mrpringles said:

Quarterly tape testings

what's that?

 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Bigred

[ThreeHoler]

what's that?
 

Nothing you need to know about on here.

[gorams5]

Any current info on the A-10?

[Bigred]

Looking for any updates on the HC-130J lifestyle/optempo. 

 

 

[Tank]

12 hours ago, gorams5 said:

Any current info on the A-10?

- 3 bases

- Big gun

- Best CAS airframe 

 

[PTM.24]

Guard Kc-135 

Ops tempo

Anyway you slice it the -135 community is busy with deployments, operational taskings, training sorties, and trips.  As far as deployments are concerned, as a new Lt. you’re going to be asked to do a 2 month (72 day) rotation for the first couple years.  The guard is split between “bucket” and “rainbow” deployments, both have their pros and cons.  The busy tempo has had an affect on the morale at some loactions. Which makes the decision for “on the fence” guys to head to the airlines that much easier.

Rewarding?

In my humble opinion I feel the deployed mission is extremely rewarding.  Having the opportunity to offload gas to a receiver that is supporting the dudes on the ground is only second to actually being the strike package guy.  Our stateside mission also includes Aero Evac, Troop Movement, Coronets, etc.  All of which have their rewarding moments.

In the same breath the mission can be monotonous and bland. Flying in circles for hours just waiting on your receivers , who sometimes never show up.

 Bases

AD, AFRC, ANG! Tankers are everywhere. But if you go AD you can almost expect to go to McConnell or Fairchild.  

 

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. 

Hope this helps!

[DinaMight]

Any B2/B52/B1 pilots/CSOs can chime in on their lifestyle, deployments, training or bases?

[pawnman]

4 hours ago, DinaMight said:

Any B2/B52/B1 pilots/CSOs can chime in on their lifestyle, deployments, training or bases?

Copy-paste from the first page of this thread:

I'm in the B-1.  OPSTEMPO wasn't too oppressive when I was in an ops squadron...6 months deployed, a year at home.  I'm still waiting to see what it will be like under Global Strike.  There's a lot of options on the table regarding 3 month deployments, deploying one squadron to two geographically separated areas, rainbowing squadrons in various theaters, etc...so honestly, no one actually knows what the OPSTEMPO will look like for the next year or so [update...it looked pretty similar, with some smaller 1-month "deployments" to England].  

At home, the work load is significant, but not crushing.  I've been at the schoolhouse for a while, and honestly the biggest adjustment is the constant thrash that the schedule becomes when you're dealing with student lines instead of normal continuation training lines.  But still, it's rare to stay much past 1800 if you're not on the night shift, and working weekends is very rare for most of us.

The family life is relatively stable.  There are only two bases with B-1s, so there isn't much PCSing in the early part of your career (unless you draw the ALO or UPT card).  Because the community is so small, you'll quickly find people that you knew at your last assignment when you go to your next one.  Almost half the people I'm at the schoolhouse with are people I deployed with from Ellsworth.

The B-1 is currently undergoing the largest upgrade since the fleet was introduced.  We're replacing all the green-screen CRTs with full-color LCD displays, we're opening a lot of the software to the pilots (who used to have to just trust the WSOs that things were set correctly), we're finally on Link-16, and we got some really nice upgrades to the targeting capabilities.  I see the B-1 as being in service for at least the next 20 years or so, depending on how long it will take to get the B-21 online and what capabilities it eventually brings to the table. [Anyone coming to the B-1 in the future will be flying the fully-upgraded jets starting in the FTU.  The first class to fly them should hit the flightline early next year]

Community morale is actually pretty high in the B-1 from what I've seen, although like every other platform we are hemorraging our fair share of pilots [and WSOs].

Finally, if you go to the B-1, you want to go to Ellsworth.  You'll end up back at Dyess eventually, but Ellsworth is a hidden gem tucked away in the Black Hills.  There's something new to see or do almost every weekend, and the winters aren't as brutal as people like to pretend.

[gorams5]

Any more info on the C-146? Besides the old post I can’t find anything on it. Is it possible to drop one out of upt? 

[viper154]

14 minutes ago, gorams5 said:

Any more info on the C-146? Besides the old post I can’t find anything on it. Is it possible to drop one out of upt? 

Yes. There is another thread on here with some stuff. There is reason you can’t find much on it. NSAV is pretty hush, you bring people/things to places, and you wil be stationed at Duke. Probably as much info as you are going to get. 

[gorams5]

14 minutes ago, viper154 said:

Yes. There is another thread on here with some stuff. There is reason you can’t find much on it. NSAV is pretty hush, you bring people/things to places, and you wil be stationed at Duke. Probably as much info as you are going to get. 

Thanks. Any idea how their ops tempo is? 

[dream big]

1 hour ago, gorams5 said:

Thanks. Any idea how their ops tempo is? 

Gone a lot, sporadically, to places you can’t talk about. 

[GoodSplash9]

I've read the previous posts about the B-1. Anyone have gouge on the 345th Bomb Squadron (Reserve) at Dyess? How would the Ops Tempo and QOL differ from active duty B-1s? How often are dudes flying home station and what kind of hours are they logging?

[KState_Poke22]

On 12/12/2018 at 8:08 AM, gorams5 said:

Thanks. Any idea how their ops tempo is? 

Gone a lot, but usually to pretty cushy places. 

[Disco_Nav963]

On 12/13/2018 at 11:01 PM, GoodSplash9 said:

I've read the previous posts about the B-1. Anyone have gouge on the 345th Bomb Squadron (Reserve) at Dyess? How would the Ops Tempo and QOL differ from active duty B-1s? How often are dudes flying home station and what kind of hours are they logging?

Classic associate with 9th Bomb Squadron (Active Duty)... Strong TFI relationship. In the past 345 BS/CC has had G-Series authority over the garrison 9 BS folks during 9 BS deployments, and on one Guam deployment the 345 BS/CC actually commanded the 9 EBS for 2-3 months. 345th has participated with other 307 BW players (93 BS/343 BS BUFFs) on a couple of EUCOM trips and I believe was also the lead squadron as the 345 EBS for a short TFI Fairford deployment in conjunction with the 9 BS and 7 OSS. Anecdotally there is (or at least has in the past been) an expectation that members either deploy for half of every 9 BS deployment or all of every other 9 BS deployment, but I think this is managed through carefully controlled mobilizations so dudes get dwell protection. YMMV based on needs of both units. 

At home station I know the AGR, ART, and trougher types are generally making RAP (4 sorties/month inexperienced and 3/month experienced)... Don't know about the true TRs, but I imagine it could be a crapshoot depending on aircraft availability. Anecdotally the participation expectation is at least 6 days/month, which I understand is in line with other CAF-affiliated Reserve units. I'm not smart on average sortie duration, so can't help you there. When the 9 BS is in garrison they only fly 345th-only lines (callsign CROOK) during UTAs and fly as part of rainbow crews with the 9 BS during the work week.

[FishBowl]

Any B-2 dudes around willing to chime in?

[mcbush]

Takeoff out of Missouri, sit in cruise for 14 hours, press a button, sit in cruise for 14 hours, land.

 

[SurelySerious]

45 minutes ago, mcbush said:

Takeoff out of Missouri, sit in cruise for 14 hours, press a button, sit in cruise for 14 hours, land.

 

You forgot: prior to this...sim takeoff out of Missouri, sit in sim cruise for 14 hours, press sim button, sim cruise 14 hours home. 

[Guardian]

Doesn’t that all include the keys to a T38? And home most nights?

[FishBowl]

6 minutes ago, Guardian said:

Doesn’t that all include the keys to a T38? And home most nights?

I was about to say, sounds like my current mission, but I have no weapons, no stealth, and no 38. 

[ayz33]

3 hours ago, mcbush said:

Takeoff out of Missouri, sit in cruise for 14 hours, press a button, sit in cruise for 14 hours, land.

 

There's a nap or two somewhere in there