hindsight2020

LOL. Nope. Jest aside, that question is moot. It's a distinction without a difference. The small denominator of course will make anything look "competitive". It's a small bowl, only two squadrons, belonging to the same ADCON wing. [AFRC only, don't know the status of the B-2 Guard boondoggle these days]. Well three, but the FTU doesn't hire off the street anymore, well unless you're somebody's husband or golden-key holder (aaaand I digress). Flying/rigor wise? Meh, it's just another droning-heavy job, but you build a heck of a lot less TPIC than 11M assets. Post-TFI really ruined whatever merits were left of that job, ask me how I know. As for the rest of the 'draw', I have enough SA than to have the temerity of waxing poetic to my former A-10 co-workers I Cos-played permissive "CAS" from 30,000feet. Honest day's work driving the bus. Fighter UPT board slot it is not. Good luck with the job hunt.

That's just fighter privilege bruh. 😄 Jest aside, see my comments above regarding controlled grades. BL, it ain't gonna happen for our esteemed aspiring quitter unless he does some time as a TR/DSG first.

It's very difficult to get hired as an AGR, because the O-5 AGR billets at the flight level are scarce. You cannot overgrade AGR positions as they are controlled aka an O-5 in an O-4 AGR billet. TR/DSG is much easier, since most units play the shell game of "overage", then swap people in and out of permanent positions the UMD, giving them another 2 years. Rinse and repeat. It's a risk like everything else, but for the most part it works at kicking the can down the road. ARTs have no rank restriction, but nowadays you're looking at people running back to the units, some never to return to the airline game, so the musical chairs on the full-time side have kinda stopped for a couple years. The other piece where being an O-5 already gets more complicated is the waiver of sanctuary stuff, if your unit is tracking active retirements. O-5s are generally getting close in AD time, and the units don't want to have a guy show up for the proverbial one day and boom, claim sanctuary the second he gets on a 30+ day set of MPA. Color or money and all that jazz. BL, it's not particularly exigent an ask to get hired as an O-5 TR in a flying unit. AGR is much more difficult, especially as an outsider to the unit (it's pretty much unheard of, unless the command climate is super toxic at said unit already). Hardest part is letting go of the rope. Good luck, you're not the first one nor last one to make the jump. It's gonna be alright. 😄

Except I didn't make that false dichotomy, you did. The point of my post wasn't about STEM vs social and humanities. My point was that "soft-skill" peddlers of all shades, are chock full of pseudo-intellectuals wrt middle management labor market. The Country is riddled with bullshit jobs. LinkedIn is but one exemplification of that dynamic.

Sounds like a euphemism for "soft skills" sophistry. Not that's anything wrong with "fake it til you make it" middle manager cannon fodder; somebody gotta keep the cheap blazer stores afloat. 😄 As to PME, agree to disagree. I'd never put that shit on my CV. Not to say there's not a lot of waste and grift in Big Ed at the collegiate level. After all, part of the origin story of my username is in fact my running away from academia. But in general, the level of academic rigor is absolutely embarrassing for PME; again I say that with the bias of having completed graduate STEM education before I ever set foot in the military. Going through ACSC right now, this shit is irredeemable. Reminds me of the RAND and McKinsey and Co frauds I had to deal with during grad school on the non-STEM side. All hat no cattle cohort of pseudo-intellectualism.

Dude I'm in the middle of that garbage right now. I question my decision to continue with every module, and now they're subcontracting Arizona State Univ to handle the thing, so only Lord knows what the migration will do. I'm taking screenshots of my transcripts as we speak. If they short me credit, I'm quitting. Figured Iron Major suits my career aspirations well anyways lol. Cheers!

You're describing the water bro. We know the dynamics of female labor participation post 1970. We've also known about Hypergamy in Western women behavior post- labor market flooding for ages. The subtext is whether you want to pursue the reversal of the trend by coercive forces. That's what gets people defensive, high-achievement women of course included. Stop feigning neutrality, say what you really think. Are you on the "Johnny get my belt! and whip her back to the kitchen" crowd or not? 😄

Pft. Amateurs. Everybody knows you surrogate your wife's FB as a sockpuppet account.

Ditto. One of the few line items of my life that is not part of my username's origin story LOL. To be fair, watching a pair of SLUFs from the PRANG from out the chain link fence was what sparked my entire vocational interest in flying at the young age of 9. All the fighter posters in my wall as a teen were all ANG swag/merch from the hometown unit, so the ARC was a known quantity for me since day one. I was still surprised people were so relatively aloof about the ARC going through OTS and UPT. And this was in the time of flightinfo and the first days of baseops, so the internet was a thing back then already.

Again, you don't have to convince me of either position. I'm just a messenger that has heard it over and over again at pretty much all the squadrons I've been a part of, by virtue of having to manage these people's schedules. Like @SocialD highlighted, the more common complaint seems to be regarding full AD retiree falcons who happen to be management pilots and thus have (or perceive themselves to have) a bigger say/stick on these matters. At any rate, to your question, essentially they articulated the reason was in so many words, the same reason some civi-only pilots also resent ARC pilots: resentment over participation throttling/cherry-picking of relative juniority (and all the associated schedule/QOL that defines it), via rolling MLOA. Again, don't sic the cartero. 😄

I believe so. I don't have a dog in this fight either way, but the inference that pilot washouts in future management positions hold a passive aggressive grudge against mil pilots has at least been the anecdotal experience for me in some professional circles I've dabbled in. I'm not suggesting this would be the case with particular CEO and his airline pilot subordinates. Again no dog in the UAL fight. To be fair, I've also seen mil-on-mil hate from full-AD retired pilots against their dual hatted ARC/airline peers, so it's not just washouts that can hold animosity.

As I currently muddle through the trite and pathetic excuse for what passes for post-graduate academic content via PME vis a vis civilian post graduate education, they keep bringing in this toxic and narcissistic leadership themes on these recycled modules. Descriptions of senior leadership on this thread are almost plagiaristic replications, it's uncanny. "Do as I say not as I do" anyone?

So back on topic, heard SWA flushed the CJO poolies, which is not having a lot of folks feeling the "LUV" right now. Also, internal RUMINT with SW critters in my unit indicate they feel somewhat encouraged a potential aggressive early out program extended to folks as young as 57 (early retirement payout benefits not to exceed 5 years) may indeed have the kind of traction that could stave off furloughs come Oct 1. The same of course cannot be said for United, based on the latest displacement bid. On the AF side, I think it's pretty clear blue won again with their legendary "run the clock offense". Folks are jamming up against each other on the way back into Uncle Sammy's whip. On the ARC side, full time jobs are pretty much doneski, all musical chairs are full already, RPA jobs included. Major/Legacy airline guys in the sub-1000 from their respective bottom would be wise imo to pull the trigger on MLOA earlier rather than later, cuz the manday pots and staff full-time IMAs are going like hotcakes right now.

Pretty "*cheap" to keep, from a *certified perspective anyways. I've owned a Warrior II in the past and now own a post-'72 Arrow II (retractable 200hp full back seat version of the hershey bar PA-28 sub-variant) going on 8 years. PM me if interested on more details, not gonna get into the reasons I own the type over other types on here. All that said, I'm no type-cult member. My reasons for owning the type are rather transactional. If your mission is 2 seats or less, I'd forget these spam cans and go experimental every day of the week and twice on sunday. In the interest of brevity I'll digress on the reasons. You can PM me for those too. Good luck!

IMO your assessment of the condition of this micro-fleet is hyperbolic. The only tangent where I somewhat part company with @HuggyU2 is the seat argument. Retrofitting a measly orphaned detachment of tutors with basic martin bakers, a seat already afforded to and serviced by the Canadians on their entire CT-156 fleet (our T-6 II) is not an economic indignity. They chose to cheap out. That said, I'm not suggesting they need Hornets, at all. I am curious as to what you think should be in order here. All that said, the pilot punched out too late for the old seats, the video is clear as day on that. There was plenty of time to punch out in the envelope of the old seat; that was a decision-making error, that wasn't on the airplane. Unfortunately it cost the pax her life, and maybe the pilot's medical ability to strap into another airplane again, maybe even walk. So I split the baby on this one. Are the snowbirds toast? They don't have to be. It's a matter of financial appetite as to whether or not they keep their show team. If they're that tight that they can't either put two dozen MB seats on those spam cans, or alternatively spare half a detachment of CT-155s to keep the show going, then I guess they don't need the recruitment shtick all that badly. Time will tell.

Those seats tho...... You gotta get out before stall or sink develops, especially on these non-zero-zero dino seats. That was a wicked belated punch for those seats (assuming stock seats for the Tutor). They even got one full turn as the airplane post-stall-gyrated. Yikes. Envelopes are paltry as it is on them. I know people kvetch about RCP vis on the martin bakers on the 38, but I love working with that seat on the C model, just as I did on the T-6. Condolences to the affected families. RIP.

In the simplest terms yes. It's of course more nuanced than that, but to your question of downward displacement (both in seat, equipment, and yes even domicile) you got the right idea. Like I said it's nuanced, because there's also fleet capacity shuffling which affects the net effect of said displacement on an usually smaller fleet total than pre-furloughs, but again, you're in the ballpark. That's why you hear some folks utter the words "there are worse things than getting furloughed", and they're not being ironic when they're implying not getting furloughed can be worse. Being the QOL/schedule plug in your late40s/50s is one such of those insinuations. A lot of people don't have the stomach for that kind of scheduling reset in what is supposed to be the highest grossing years of their lives, and usually their highest overhead years (for the ones with children who are hitting college). It's also the reason many late 40s/50s career changers stuck in the regionals when these musical chairs stop, decide to exit the industry outright. In essence, they don't have the luxury of time to endure that collegiate quality of life over the pedestrian opulent luxuries like weekends offs, that they could attain in their measly 30s in a different industry. Which is why when people say the job is not for everybody, I find it a heavily understated utterance. On the other side of the silver linings spectrum, you had many mil pilots in the lost decade made absolute bank by attaining an active duty retirement they thought they had left on the table, by virtue of being furloughed. Coming back to airlines with true free agency courtesy of that check and lifetime universal healthcare well before the age of 65. Of course, a few decided the juice wasn't worth the squeeze after 7 years of being home every night in the ARC, and just bypassed the airline recalls anyways and never returned. Others did return for a little then bailed when it was convenient for whatever they had going on at the time. How people cope with those lifestyle displacements in middle age is a very personal thing, since it relies a lot on people's life stage and what's going on at home, and the composition of the home of course. Good luck to all.

Agreed on all counts. And indeed, they have the cabin volumetrics overweight Americans want, and for some, outright need. But at those prices they are still hen's teeth in the retail market. This downturn will further protract their prevalence in the market outright. If the rank and file GA recreational market had to wait until they could spend housing money on a 2 seater (nevermind those of us who could, but don't do as a matter of principle), there'd be no recreational piston market, even for the standards of our current moribund one. The need to build in itself continues to be a hindrance to the market of course. Otherwise you and I would already own one each. Thankfully, there's old RV-6s and 7s on resale.

Perpetual war is not the bug, it's the feature. The mission is pork barrel baby, we're just the patsies. There's a few people in life I'd take a bullet for, none of them currently populate our 3 branches of federal government.

Form landings are pretty much done at this point, so moot discussion. The latest RUMINT on the shit that's rolling down the hill on the UPT 2.5 fighter track side of things is a doozy. UPT 2.5 might end up killing more people than wing landings. I'm sure Gen Webb means well and his reputation precedes him, but I think he's not got one clue wtf is about to unfold under his tent. Captain hi-top left this place in disarray.

LOL #oof

Because that's NOT the reason the program exists. Read the UFT handbook excerpt I quoted, it spells it out right there. I'll spare the history of why this became the case, but the purpose of the TDART program is to facilitate the qualification of a future career civil servant, and served as an olive branch for folks to stick around in light of high airline hiring (regionals, in the case of the co-pilot/basic wingman types). It's not and never was intended to be a conduit to help you keep your seniority number and retirement credits at a civilian employer you intended to return to. That's what MPA/RPA/IMA/AGR/CDE order statuses are for. You're not the first nor the last person to posit/request/kvetch/lobby for the allowance to make ART jobs treated as title 10 or 32 status (it's title 5 btw, if you're wondering). I'm not trying to patronize you, and don't shoot the messenger, but it's a pipedream you're latching on to with this ART USERRA business. By all means, contact your congressman, and the USERRA support govt agency (the ESGR) if it makes you feel better. I'm just trying to get you to focus your energy more strategically, before you go say the wrong thing back at the unit and effectively get yourself on the entitled-shitbag list when it comes to full time opportunities in the future. BL, Don't look at a gift horse in the mouth. You got real enviable options considering this Corona economic environment.

Let's pump the brakes. I'd be careful about the nomenclature here. MQT (now MT) is part of school tour funding. I know because I used to be the training guy on the officer side, when filling out the AF 101s for my last CAF unit. That's paid by daddy AFRC. You're not being shorted that. TDART is a different thing. It's a full time ART pipeline grooming program, not a substitution of mission funding for pilots, like it's being portrayed here. As most old guys here know, OPM requires flight time triggers for full time ART positions and seats. In the past, baby ART jobs were requested in order to kill two birds with one stone, since what the unit really wants is meat in the ADCON seat, not airline pilot aspirant fodder. AFRC simply streamlined that constant ask from the units, via TDART. That's it, no conspiracy here. And yes, of course it's a cheaper avenue than paying people title 10 (see my remarks on the AGR-ART flexibility thread), are you new? (don't answer that, I know you are 😉 ) At any rate, straight out of the UFT Guidebook: So everybody pump the brakes on the "they're forcing me to quit my job!" nonsense. You're still getting 140 days of RPA to get local mish qualified after FTU, just like everybody before you. After that, you're no different than any other TR: That's what you signed up to do, be a TR. Now for some tough love: The fact you built decade long seniority and retirement credits in a civilian career before going to UPT is not germane to this. Most people your age would not have had the luxury of acting on a military flying epiphany in their late 30s in the first place, so count your blessings. Like you said, most young guys (the majority in the UFT-board level of things), have no option in this shitbox economy. And in the shitbox economy I got smoked out of grad school 15 years ago with no kidding $1500 to my name, TDART would have been a godsend. Like I told a couple of the TDART applicants who have PM me recently, and I quote myself: I would have scalped them with my bare hands for a TDART guarantee in 2006. So let's redirect fire here. You can trough.... but you rather be an AGR. I hear ya brother, I want a threesome with my wife and Alexis Texas. Wish in one hand and shit on the other. That may not in the cards here, because your unit is ART-centric. But you knew that from day one. You can still trough, just not to the degree you would prior to Corona, since all your senior guys are coming back to roost and you're the low man on the pole. Re-read the 3 rules of military life. BTDT got the Lost Decade T-shirt. If the unit is shorting you the 140 RPA days post FTU, take that UFT guidebook to your DO right now, and escalate from there. That's the only legal foul they would be committing. But I'm 69% sure that's not what's going on here. As to the macro topic of ARTs not being USERRA exempt, just like my threesome ask, that has been a known quantity for decades. This isn't new. Matter of fact, it's stated up front. They're not telling your unit TRs to become ARTs if they want to trough or pull more trips at the unit. They're still using the same mish mash of MPA and RPA allocations they always have. What you're asking (making ART USERRA exempt) is a non-starter. It's federal law brother. By the time they get around to changing that, you'll be of Social Security Age. Pick another hill to die on. The reality is that you are at a fork in the road, career wise. You gotta figure out what you want to be in life. We've already conversed on PM as to what I think you should do based on your current potential avenues (and we counted three distinct paths from this discussion alone). If you want to put your gaining unit on blast for what you think is subversion of the law, that's your prerogative, I have no dog in that fight. I just want to make sure people understand what TDART is and isn't. Good luck to all.

This describes most of the implementation changes. It's not particularly significant, other than some changes within the management of term vs non-term positions. Why do you ask? Are you looking for an AGR? Vacancies are listed in MyPers.