Bergman

Anyone else a little worried that a former Boeing exec has been nominated to be the SecDef? Beware the military-industrial complex! Trump Nominated Shanahan

I don’t think you can go wrong with either. My point of view as a biased career tanker guy: The KC-135 is truly from a different era when it comes to hand flying it. It’s 1950s vintage through-and-through, so you actually have to FLY THE AIRPLANE. Or it will fly you, I promise. Perhaps not the most exciting missions some days, but flying a 60 year old airplane that has trim tabs, cable flight controls, and a shitload of power takes skill and constant attention. Not much fancy automation, hydraulic flight controls, auto-trim and HUDs to make everyone look like a hero. Never boring to flying that jet.

I know one of the plaintiffs from the lawsuit, and he is possibly the biggest A-hole I’ve ever met. He was deliberately abusing the USERRA rules to his own benefit and got caught. He also go fired as an ART in not only the ANG but also AFRC, several years apart, as a point of reference about his character.

I love giving people grief but Rhat was an entire extra level of petty and vindictive. The old adage “we only make fun of people we like” is pretty true with him IMHO.

We need Azimuth to pipe up here, as he was actually stationed there. I remember drinking beers at Manas and the Deid with Fairchild crews, listening to the stories, and being utterly amazed. Things like openly threatening to cancel join spouse assignments if someone didn’t cover a TDY. Then he turned up at OTBH as the OG a couple years later when I was on staff and it was as bad as his reputation.

He Q-3d a crew for flying a night visual despite having signed the FCIF saying they weren’t allowed any more, one of 69 they signed off during theater Indoc? Also decertified the tower controllers who cleared them as well as the SOF. Their home guard base just shredded the paperwork; never made it to their FEFs (airline guys). There was also the time he called a crew on the carpet for safety cancelling a Deid sortie, after stepping to their 4th un-airconditioned KC-135 in August heat over a span of nearly 5 hours. Bonus coward points for the Sq/CC who refused to go with the guys to defend them. Also, there’s this: https://www.jqpublicblog.com/another-one-bites-dust-amateur-hour-continues-amc-continuous-unexplained-firings/ and this saga: https://www.jqpublicblog.com/raging-white-jettisoning-lt-col-blair-kaiser-air-forces-ethics-problem/ The stories are endless and each more sad than the previous. What a terrible commander.

Other airline bubba: “Oh damn dude, you must have only worked 16-19 days last month!”

That unit has been a clown show for many, many years. About time someone got them back on track. Alert Double-Dipping

From another forum: “I received this today. Obviously I don’t know how accurate especially with no final NTSB report. I share only as something to think about especially with an emphasis on upset recovery. There may be flaws in the possible scenario below but again maybe it can happen to one of us out there so I’m sharing. Sent to me from someone else.... Subject: Houston Amazon 767 Crash Just FYI… we’ve heard the full cockpit audio and seen the data. Here’s what really happened (name redacted please to protect the innocent!): During the approach, at about 6,000 FT (being flown by the first officer), the Captain reached around the throttle quadrant to extend the flaps to the next position after being called to do so by the first officer (pilot flying)… very normal. In many aircraft including the 767, that’s a very odd/difficult repositioning of your hand (from the left seat, all the way around to the right side of the center console), and requires intimate familiarity and slow deliberate motion to do successfully. Well in any case, it was not done so this time. The captain accidently hit the “go around” switch while bringing his hand around for the flaps, which brought both engines up to full power. In the landing configuration, as this aircraft was transitioning into, that obviously causes a vast increase in lift… and the first officer (pilot flying) used everything he had to force the nose back down. Still not sure why that occurred, as the crew should have just “gone around” and tried it again when properly configured… but they did not. And that started in motion a chain of events that lead to tragedy. As the First Officer over-rotated downward, again with the engines at full power, the aircraft quickly accelerated and approached something we’re all trained to handle (at least in good training environments)… an “upset recovery”, countered by NON-AUTOMATION and basic “stick and rudder skills”. This captain however, in turn, grabbed the controls without using positive command (“I’ve got”, “My aircraft”, or anything normally done), and countered the F/O’s control input by completely hauling his control column full aft… remember, while the F/O is pushing full forward. In the process of doing that, he broke the “shear pin” on his control column (a device/mechanical safety interlock used to separate a control column from the “innards” of the control architecture in the event one control column is doing something it should not)… and that occurred here. The captain, a few seconds later, now accelerating downward out of the control envelope of the 767 (remember, all of this started at 6000 FT and probably took less time to get to the fatal point than it did to read this far), recognizes the has no control column and then asks the F/O to pull up, get the nose up, or something to that affect. It isn’t 100% clear what he says. The F/O then tries to pull aft on his column (going from full forward to full aft), but isn’t getting the response he needs, because the aircraft is out of the envelope of controllability and the controls are “air-loaded” in position. At about 2000 FT, eventually the trim motors are able to start overcoming the air-load, and the aircraft begins to attempt to arrest its rate of descent… but alas it’s far too little, far too late, and the aircraft impacts about 30-40 degrees nose down, with what is believed to be about 4-5000 FT / minute rate of descent. All during this time the throttles aren’t touched until somewhere during that last few seconds of flight… which is believed to be what enabled the trim motors to start working. Unclear who does it, and no audio indicates who it was. Just FYI… we’ve attempted in our 767 simulators to recover from the event with the exact same setup, and thus far we’ve only had success when starting at 8000’ or higher… meaning we are fully established in the “out of control” position at 8000’, recognize it by then, and initiate recovery starting at 8000’. These guys started the whole thing at 6000’ and were much lower when a true recovery attempt was initiated. No chance, and just shows you how quickly you can get “out of the envelope” when you don’t follow procedure, try some completely erroneous recovery technique, and don’t have a clue what you’re doing. So many things went wrong with crew coordination, basic flying skills, aircraft envelope awareness, basic procedures, and such… that this will likely go down as one of the absolute worst “pilot error” events ever. It needs to have serious impact throughout the Amazon flying circus (and associated partnerships), and show people that Jeff Bezos’ attempt to push the envelope at lower cost, all things else be damned, doesn’t apply to aviation. This accident no doubt was absolutely horrible, and three people lost their lives…one of them (the jumpseater) through absolutely no fault of his own. But making an approach into Houston, TX, it could have been so much worse. In another few miles, they would have been over major population centers and who knows what would have happened then. Know your aircraft. Know your procedures. And for God sakes, just FLY! It’s not a video game!”

As has been said already, but I’m saying it again for emphasis, do NOT under ANY circumstance keep a mortgage or any other financial asset with her. The horror stories I’ve heard would water your eyes. I let my Ex stay in our house in lieu of alimony for over a year and even that was a mild disaster. The condition of the house wasn’t good when I finally got it back and some utilities had gone unpaid (that were in my name). The one thing I wish I had done differently is to have sold the house. I let her stay, and then moved myself back in, with the thought that it would provide stability for my kids but that hasn’t really been the case. They’re doing better with it now but the first 6 months of my being back in there were rough. Should have sold it and started fresh. also, steer clear of any language in the decree about who pays for college. It’s a whole can of worms that you want nothing to do with. They’ll be 18 by then anyway so figure it out later and don’t have it in writing.

This sort of thing has been standard for a decade or longer. And management wonders why people are bailing to the airlines in droves...and those that stay (or can’t leave yet) are stuck working for the dregs that are left. This may be my new rule for an air force career: RUN! Fucking run!! Management doesn’t deserve your sacrifice. (the old rules being: 1. Timing is Everything 2. Life isn’t fair 3. There is no justice)

BTDT and couldn’t have said it any better. LASER FOCUS! The divorce is just business at this point.

Finally holding them accountable and looking out for the crews before something bad happens. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/air-warfare-symposium/2019/03/01/air-force-suspends-kc-46-tanker-deliveries/

That was a really good read. I could not agree more.

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/20/696198626/southwest-grounds-planes-blames-labor-dispute-with-the-union

Sadly, you’re right. Hope the PC zealots aren’t that bad after this many years. He had to have suspected it would come up when news of this came out.

Agreed. At what point do the demo pilots certify on the routine? What would happen if they couldn’t get it down and/or the General wouldn’t sign off on it? I suspect that isn’t the case here; just wondering out loud. Either way, really sucks for her.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/02/12/first-female-viper-demo-team-pilot-relieved-after-two-weeks/ WHats the back story here??

Following the convention of “First basic trainer name” II then “first advanced trainer name” II....I would go with Trojan II!

May the odds be ever in your favor. Meanwhile, the quiche-eating airline guys are busy working 12, maybe 15, days a month for double the money. The low point...being gone for 3 nights in a row! 😂 Love ya Big Blue, but the madness has to stop. Run! Fucking Run fellas!!

True but the bid closes around the 10-11th, right? If you have enough seniority you’ll have a good idea of what days you’ll get off (sts) before the schedule is released.

Ha! That place is just down the road from me. Gotta love their marketing strategy. More of a Chevy man myself. The brunette can stay though.

Meh. I know where I, and about 75% of the other dudes in my guard squadron, finished in our UPT classes.

Okay. I’ve read that entire article 3 times today hoping my conclusion would change. It hasn’t. “What fucking planet are you on, dude?!” I want to drive to his house with a 12 pack and invite myself in. “My man! We need to talk!” Because clearly NO ONE he has talked to has given him the straight scoop. He might as well have said, “Well, based on my two 15 day deployments in the last 20 years, THIS is what the rated force means”. YGBSM.

It’s a toss up between scuba diving in Curaçao, driving around Western Europe, or drinking Mai Tais in Waikiki. I wasn’t built to fly, but I sure was built to go TDY!