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Nothing says USMC fighter pilot quite like flying a nub with a PVC pipe extension from the back seat.

Or any other AFI/pubs change, to include ones that would improve mission effectiveness or safety procedures. You know, the things we do when we fly, in the Air Force. Priorities.

Do more with less.

True. All WSO configured jets have a little nub that you can attach a stick to. WSO-BFM on the road for a quick abeam set was always fun with them reaching down between their legs trying to fly the jet. Some of the smarter ones would bring a PVC pipe...

From what I hear, the hardest part about transitioning to the Eagle is telling your parents you're gay. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Flyby Shack.

I hope you were able to pick up on my ever-so-slight sense of sarcasm.

I hear MC-12 experience is a plus.

Consider yourself lucky... RODNE = Ralphs On Damn Near Everything

I won't advocate for good folks to leave (but wont try to stop them either) because we need them to help regain control of the aircraft...but I had several personnel discussions much like this one. Perfect common sense and everyone as satisfied as possible...but a no-go by the "system" -- Sometimes elevated to 2 and star levels only to get similar results. That's something that needs fixing NOW

Shack, we have little control...it is sickening how high some of the most basic and mundane decisions are pushed just to CYA. For a service that has the tenet "Centralized Control, Decentralized Execution." the service takes great pride in throwing that out the window at every opportunity. My first real clash with the system occurred when I was a squadron commander. I was given the AFPC commanders hotline which was a direct number a G series commander could call to work real people issues. The officer side was fairly straight forward in that I knew the lanes I could work to impact a person's career and assignment options. The enlisted side was a complete abomination. Long story short, I was manned at 63% on the enlisted side and I had a guy who had been in the unit for two years and had some family issues (his dad was terminally ill),...suddenly they wanted to move him to the AOC and replace him with a line Instructor from the critically manned ops unit. I found out the ops unit was going to get a long-term DNIF guy coming back from overseas. I talked to the other two squadron commanders and we all agreed, let the ops guy keep the much needed instructor, let me keep my guy who was doing three critical jobs outside his own (and I could manage his schedule to take leave to be with his dad), and send the DNIF guy to the AOC...makes sense right...not to the "E-9s" at AFPC. I got a few days of push back and finally called the head E-9 functional to explain the situation and ask for some common sense. His reply..."Sirrrrrr, the Air Force Enlisted Assignment process is far to big for you to take a personal interest in someone." I lost it...Why the FUCK am I a Commander if I can't take an interest in my people! I elevated it all the way through the Wing/CC and I LOST. We are broken...LEAVE while you can.

What were they thinking? T-1s are no place to prepare new pilots for a large airplane or the CRM that goes with it.

No. I'm trying to sell the B-1. We need the manning.

fify

This is the best response to the OP's question. Don't worry about the crew aspect, choose the one that suits the mission you want. If you want an A/A mission with an aircraft that excels at that mission, go C model. If you want a dual role aircraft that is designed to excel at A/G, go for the Strike Eagle. The Mudhens can't BFM for shit against the Vipers and Eagles, but the other guys don't get to rage into a threat zone at more than 500 knots, less than 500 feet, blacked out, at night. With more than 1500 Strike Eagle hours, I can count on one hand - make than one finger - the number of WSOs who were talking luggage. They know their role, the crew duties are clearly laid out, and we have a good method for setting those straight who have problems figuring it out.

I love hearing single seat guys talk about what it is like to fly with a WSO.

One has a nav, one doesn't....choose wisely.

I'd rather have frosted tip gelled hair forced upon me by a bunch of Eagle (F-15C) gaybros than listen to a nav mouthbreathe and ask me to fly every 69 seconds. Single seat all the way, even if it means being a homo Eagle driver. To clarify: I fly the Viper. The math is easy: take the number of ejection seats in your jet, multiplied by the number of engines, and multiply that product by the number of vertical stabs. Anything more than 1 and you're a homo. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

WSOs aren't real people. I'd rather have the extra gas.

Do stupid with less