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Pilot Shortage Deepens, USAF is SCREWED.


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I'm surprised you guys haven't begun to target separating Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots. There are a huge number of dudes with gold wings dealing with all of the problems you guys are, who get zero bonus and average about 3-5 flight hours a month.

I am by no means trying to say you guys don't have it bad, just bringing to light that there is an experienced pool of dudes many of whom would almost certainly agree to transfer to a similar platform if they simply got to fly more, let alone got a (small) bonus.

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10 minutes ago, VMFA187 said:

I'm surprised you guys haven't begun to target separating Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots. There are a huge number of dudes with gold wings dealing with all of the problems you guys are, who get zero bonus and average about 3-5 flight hours a month.

I am by no means trying to say you guys don't have it bad, just bringing to light that there is an experienced pool of dudes many of whom would almost certainly agree to transfer to a similar platform if they simply got to fly more, let alone got a (small) bonus.

Good news, the U-2 has been solving its own problems at the Squadron level for some time. We just hired a P-3 guy, in fact. http://www.beale.af.mil/Library/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/279960/u-2-pilot-application/

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13 minutes ago, VMFA187 said:

I'm surprised you guys haven't begun to target separating Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots. There are a huge number of dudes with gold wings dealing with all of the problems you guys are, who get zero bonus and average about 3-5 flight hours a month.

I am by no means trying to say you guys don't have it bad, just bringing to light that there is an experienced pool of dudes many of whom would almost certainly agree to transfer to a similar platform if they simply got to fly more, let alone got a (small) bonus.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/02/14/marines-are-flying-more-than-the-air-force/

So, who is getting the hours?  You guys must have a wide spread (sts) in hours by type.

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1 hour ago, VMFA187 said:

I'm surprised you guys haven't begun to target separating Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots. There are a huge number of dudes with gold wings dealing with all of the problems you guys are, who get zero bonus and average about 3-5 flight hours a month.

I am by no means trying to say you guys don't have it bad, just bringing to light that there is an experienced pool of dudes many of whom would almost certainly agree to transfer to a similar platform if they simply got to fly more, let alone got a (small) bonus.

Oddly enough it’s the bureaucracy that is getting in the way. There hasn’t been a lack of trying at least in some ANG units.

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My ENJJPT experience with Italians was interesting. If the Germans, Dutch, or Norwegians offered an exchange UPT, I think it’d be fine.
I only had student experience there so that’s pretty useless, but Italians didn’t seem to have their feces colocated like the other countries.

As a former student and former IP at Sheppard, dealing with them for about 5 1/2 years, you realize stereotypes exist for a reason. Dysfunctional is the best way I can describe whatever it is they are doing...
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Oddly enough it’s the bureaucracy that is getting in the way. There hasn’t been a lack of trying at least in some ANG units.
We just hired a Marine into our ANG unit, but keep in mind, the ANG isn't giving bonuses out to traditionals. They need to start.
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The CSAR/Helo numbers look good now, but there are a huge number of guys getting out now at the end of their ADSCs or 100% set on doing it. Many are leaving to do jobs totally not flying related. A few are using the Rotary to Airline route, but they're older dudes that had 20 years in already. 

I can't begin to imagine what will happen when the contractors totally take over SUPT-H. Without having USAF dudes there to balance out the old contractors its gunna get weird. UPT by just sim instructors. 

 

Upping the flow of new dudes is going to do F all. We can't even train the Co-pilots we get now. Moody is a great case study. Brand new Lts are getting 45-60 hrs a year, getting passed around to guard units for any experience they can scrape up, or deploying with other RQS's.  Have you ever seen a bitter Lt? Its like the Ghost of Christmas Future. The iron to fly them isnt there. More importantly the SMAs aren't there. Their retention is a whole other topic. 

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I'm beginning to wonder if the decision to eventually enact stop loss hasn't already been made.  Could be the reason why retention hasn't been a focus, because they know deep down they will retain us anyway.  This way they save some money regardless of what it will do to morale.

That’s freaking scary true logic.

Who’s stop loss smart? Would that apply to full time guard and reservists?
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38 minutes ago, Gazmo said:

We just hired a Marine into our ANG unit, but keep in mind, the ANG isn't giving bonuses out to traditionals. They need to start.

Last time I heard talk about a DSG bonus, it was something like 5k/yr.  While it will be welcomed, I doubt that will do much.  It's nowhere near enough to keep me in past my 20, but would help make up a little of the money I lose by dropping trips/reserve days.  

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Is "ecosystem" the new "synergy"?  YGBSM

USAF Problem statement as written by career execs:  "The Air Force's damaged aircrew ecosystem must be healed through stable and predictable funding along with incorpartion of advanced technologies to enable long-term systemic recovery required to FLY, FIGHT & WIN!"

If it were written by Pilots:  "Increase our budget so we can pay our pilots more and improve technology that will make our pilots' lives easier; both initiatives will increase our combat capability".  

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, raimius said:

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/02/14/marines-are-flying-more-than-the-air-force/

So, who is getting the hours?  You guys must have a wide spread (sts) in hours by type.

That article went viral in USMC fleet squadron ready rooms. Our leaders are either manipulating facts to a point rarely seen or just straight up lying. We have a fleet F-18 squadron deploying in less than three weeks with an average of 2-3 hours per pilot in the last 30 days. They had a single flyable jet Friday. Flyable, not mission capable.

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That article went viral in USMC fleet squadron ready rooms. Our leaders are either manipulating facts to a point rarely seen or just straight up lying. We have a fleet F-18 squadron deploying in less than three weeks with an average of 2-3 hours per pilot in the last 30 days. They had a single flyable jet Friday. Flyable, not mission capable.


Well it’s just par for the course for SWOs to lie about training and readiness. See: 7th Fleet.
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We're so fucked. Notice all #s are 2016...

/Break, break/

Lt Gen Nowland told Congressional sub-committee the newly passed budget had $$$ for AD AF aviators; But I don't see it. He also said AF will target bonus  $$ to IP/EPs. Lastly, that AF is coming back to Congress to ask for help to implement a new plan. Wonder what that'll be?!

Edited by Swizzle
Spellin'
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Best part about all this is we can see how the HAF is going to deal with the oncoming exodus of Cyber dudes as well.  We've already heard the rumblings of "increase the pipeline" on our side and increasing ADSC's for doing the keyboard-ninja stuff.

RUMINT says those that took the Retention Bonus are going to get the "most desirable" assignments coming up.  Solid copying of our Rated brethren...why would this be any different?

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