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Amen... I am finishing this episode and I want to throw my computer out the window...utter fail by so many levels of NSW and DoD.

Yeah while it's an interesting conversation in an academic sense, the simple reality is that the people who view flying as an unfortunate necessity and impediment to ladder climbing are not going to do anything but the bare minimum to train and keep pilots trained. The bare minimum will be discovered by gradually reducing flying experience until too many planes crash to ignore the problem.

When you cultivate douchbaggery at the lowest level of NSW, it’s not surprising the leadership side is also flush with d bags. Obligatory shout out to the really good dude SEALs, just too bad they’re in the minority.

As far as the AF is concerned there's no reason to waste more money on additional flying training/aircraft when you're building a force you expect to be heavily attrited. The pipeline is being cut extensively so when the balloon goes up it's already designed to produce pilots as fast as possible. Not to mention, we're still fighting to keep strength coaches/massage therapists in squadrons due to funding and you think someone is going to approve buying more airplanes...? Total pipe dream.

ACE shouldn't be 'ACE' because it doesn't foster multi-capable-airman shenanigans or do-more-with-less realities (or as I say Aircrew A-Team concept because...reasons). !Instead! it'll should be a subset of the LPA (IYKYK..u should) in the form of an LLC. The Lieutenant's Logistics Corps...in otherwords the LPA LLC. LPA LLC Mission: do USAF, and if USSF or other branches are so inclinded to anty-up, air logistics and aircrew seasoning with GOGO, light, civil off the shelf aircraft in CONUS. If the USAF winged them...would not they trust them with non-contingency, CONUS mission(s)? As the crew are now qualified to fly now winged! If not, they're not ready for wings and stay in AETC UPT or whatever it's called by the staff these days. "Seeing-eye" silver backs and ole' crusties welcomed in-seat too.* *BLAB/Disclaimer: all 'good' deals offered to seniority, and favorite spots are destined as line-checks or LOSA obs naturally. Mission is the mission, brutally enforce adherence to mission, not much else...let em' learn and LPA in an LLC with a proper mission, not planning a military ball or other chaff.

Continuing the theme of fuck the SEALs. Matt Bissonnette just did the Sean Ryan Show and tells some very unflattering stories about Obama, Panetta, McRaven and most of the NSW officer corps. Case in point, shortly after leaving the Navy he reached out to his former commanding officer for his help, the reply..."delete me". Discouraging to watch to say the least.

I get it, the death of Phase 3 in SUPT for heavy tracked pilots (for now) and the deleterious effects of that policy choice causes discussion that really shouldn’t happen but here we are. This is only serious on Base Ops and in this thread. AMC, AFSOC, AFGSC should combine resources and resurrect this program IMHO, the inevitable protest of AETC be damned. Contracting out is likely the easiest way to do this. Contractor based COA, 3 course ACE program: COs first report to their assignment, fly one contractor based ACE program then attend FTU, remaining two ACE courses after FTU. 1st course: Multi-engine experience course, simple piston twin based. 2 weeks basic training in aircraft, 4 training trips, fly through multiple Class B & C airports. FTU 2nd course: Tailwheel, STOL / backcountry flying program, about 6 weeks; return to base, fly there another 3 or so months. 3rd course: Tailwheel based acro aircraft, solo acro & form, about 6 weeks; return to base, complete. Just my opinion and looking at the present state of the training enterprise, this seems to be a way to get training & experience despite the course AETC has set and the delays Boeing is delivering.

This is from the cheap seats, but everything being discussed in this thread strikes me as the whole point of pilot training. What am I missing? What is the USAF missing? Is this a serious proposal? We cut pilot training in half, but then add a program like this shortly thereafter? WTFO?

Yup, the advocacy for ACE 2 would still be there but the call would not be as loud. The overall point of ACE to me would be to make a stronger pilot in a formative point in their career. High enough performance to make neurons fire fast and build the overall awareness of flying, airmanship, regardless of flying the ACE aircraft or in their primary MWS. What aircraft could do that affordably and feasibly (easy enough to learn and maintain currency / proficiency) is a pickle.

Interesting close up video out there now. From this snap it looks like everything fore and aft of the center wingbox is gone...AND possibly a few props.

Sounds like a cost effective plan to make more capable pilots. Im sure the AF will reject it. Details depend a lot on what the MWS community needs. Some sort of medium performance aircraft would make sense. Single-pilot capable, with room for an instructor/mentor seems ideal. ....that all said, this seems like a bandaid for insufficient UPT/FTU training....so, probably spot-on.

There is no Phase III in UPT anymore.

Wayyyy too soon to know. Remember a KC-130 broke up over Mississippi a few years back thanks to a corroded propeller blade.

A King Air would be a solid companion trainer for the C-130 community, and I’d imagine the rest of AMC. It would make an excellent Phase III trainer. You could have a program where guys from the MWSs fly with almost done with Phase III UPT students. Sort of like a top off thing. The UPT studs should be pros in the airplane at that point, and the MWS guys have the airmanship and basic competency to fly as the left seat in a relatively simple twin turbine. Everyone gets experience, everyone wins. All that said though, office jobs and additional duties, even for copilots and young ACs are such a time suck. I don’t know if this would be that great.

Yeah, it is technically the T-50 not the actual Su-57 which presumably is what Algeria will receive next year The prototype T-50s appear to not have the build quality the Su-57 one would expect a 5th gen to have, I guess Lowe’s is a sub for the T-50 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is this the jet that had drywall screws in the wings?

Wingbox corrosion?

Felon showing off the goods https://www.twz.com/air/su-57-felon-brandishes-its-loaded-weapons-bays-for-the-first-time Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey all, Looks like there hasn't been much discussion on this topic in a while but I wanted to share my situation as it is my understanding that some regulations may have changed over the years. I am a college student and I want to fly fighters in the Guard. When I was 17, I met with a recruiter to talk about guard enlistment options to pay for college and to get on the right path towards flying. As a dumb 17 year old, when asked about marijuana usage I figured that the people they are looking for are honest and accountable so I was transparent about my ONE and only usage when I was 15. Following the discussion the recruiter said make sure you remember those answers because they will follow you for the rest of your career. Looking back on it I know now that I should have just kept my mouth shut but it is too late for that. My plan is that if I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview with a squadron, that I will be fully transparent so that they are in the loop before the Guard Bureau kicks it back to them. Is this a disqualifying factor? Is the dream dead? Thank you for any insight.

Lockheed C-130EM Hercules, registration 68-1609, a 57-year-old aircraft originally delivered to Saudi Arabia before joining the Turkish Air Force.

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/turkish-c130-crash-georgia-azerbaijan-border

One more idea, in another thread this may have come up but what if ACE 2 were run at one or several centralized bases and participants TDY’d in for recurrency and a set training profile, like recurrency flights then an intense 2-3 weeks flying schedule. Figure 3-5 training programs. Since it would be about a one month TDY, the interference factor from home base could be eliminated.

Correction applied, thanks for the input as I strive for accuracy in my posts. Yup, lotta questions to try to seed the discussion. I see the value, looking back at my AD AMC tour, and I think it is possible unless things are way different now than then for a new CP (probably an Lt and not a Capt CP), especially in that first year at their assignment. The CT program the Global Hawk was about $90,000 (05-06 dollars) to fly all the RQ4 pilots for the year, maintaining ASEL INSTM currency per the FAA LOA that was in effect at the time that covered Navs directing the GH as Mission Commanders when it was in the US NAS. Dirt freaking cheap. ACC HQ squashed it as they whined they couldn’t set it up all their projected bases for the GH so nobody could have it, because you can’t fly a Cessna in Japan apparently. That was one of the reasons I requested my GH assignment, it was a great benefit while getting a RPA tour done, then the bait and switch happened. Total bullshit and not even penny wise, it was less than the color copier budget for an FY, no kidding. An example to consider for the HAF staffer lurking on this thread: Google AI says a -46 per flight hour cost is about $12,000 and a Gamebird GB1 would be about $400 per hour. Checking their AFMAN 11-2KC-46 Vol 2, to go from FP to MP you need a 1000 total and 400 -46 hours. Substituting 300 hours of GB1 time with a good bit of that being solo to really build airmanship would save $7 million in flying hours and I’m confident in saying likely deliver a stronger upgrade candidate than one with all -46 time.