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I'd say the T-7 is a last call 'what the hell, why not?' level sexy; certainly not on the same level as the Viper. Can it do a double Immelmann? Can the opposing solo do a sub 100 knot slow flight and then shortly afterwards turn around for a 555 knot low pass? Loops with enough of excess thrust that wingman can easily maintain position? How about a fast, high-g, min radius turn over show center? I don't know the answers (because I honestly couldn't care less about the T-7), but I suspect the answers are no. Also, for better or worse, the F-16 is going to be part of the AF for a long time to come. Again with the applicant pool. Is there a shortage of applicants? Along the personnel line of thought, T-Birds fit solidly into the fighter category of debriefs. I know multiple previous T-Birds and, as I understand it, they conduct long and excruciatingly detailed debriefs where every tiny mistake is discussed in a cold heartless fighter pilot style. I am sure that there are some other communities that are similar (prob Gunships and similar), but I've sat in on enough debriefs of other platforms to know that many pilots that were raised in other communities would have little tolerance for a gloves off fighter pilot style debrief. Pilots are molded by their communities and it would be difficult to remold someone with 6-9 years of experience. In the end, it seems like you are seeking a more diverse pilot group for the Thunderbirds. That's been tried and didn't go well.

Time for Linebacker 3.

Pretty well…until we took a break.

Dibs!

Sydney Sweeney in a one piece or bikini is still hot as hell

I have a new theory but no data. Was there a Coldplay song playing on the airshow PA?

The only airplane with a side opening canopy I want to see at an airshow is an OV-10 or an F-104.

How's bombing them into submission going? Asking for our nation.

If any "Plus-Ups" are still waiting, this is the latest: "Good morning. NORDO from scheduler. Followed up this morning. There are 3 from Plus-Up list (post board upgrades) that are pending assignments. I know she was involved with some high up briefings last week (CSAF level) and I would not be surprised if she is having to make changes across already scheduled classes (not uncommon)."

Agree to disagree, she’s sexy in the red, white and blue… But as to more of the why, because the T-7 for better or worse is the future or part of the future of the AIr Force. Changing the team to this type and expanding the applicant pool I think signifies a change in the USAF. Just my two cents. The horse is out of the barn so whatever deficiencies the -7 has like the -46 have are gonna have to be addressed, fixed, mitigated, etc…

The only way I could explain the lack of Air Force supervision over the schools is the same reason the whole concept sucks: every school has a different management composition and style, every school has a different pool of cfi's and every school has different aircraft. How could the AF possibly expect any kind of standardized result.

Navy has grounded four of their five demo teams. Only the Blues are not affected. The Navy treats demo teams very differently than the USAF. Will they adopt more of a "USAF model" in the future?

Oh weird, the IRGC, effectively a terrorist organization, can’t be dealt with via diplomacy or ignoring them. Shocking.

As more info leaks out from the test world on the T-7, it's going to be embarrassing. The T-50 would have been a nice alternative. And the T-50 is a nice Airshow aircraft.

4th gen dudes.

And it looks like we are bombing them again. Granted, it's some mine laying boats...so, as is tradition, they were doing exactly what they now accuse of doing: "Iran criticised the “bad faith and unreliability” of Washington"

The War ZoneChina’s “Bohai Sea Monster” Reappears With Apparent Weapo...New details add weight to the idea that the “Bohai Sea Monster” has a kinetic role to play, although the general concept could be supersized for other missions. New details add weight to the idea that

Well played...

Thanks all.

As another poster said, there are a lot of F-16’s that are easily maintainable, fast, loud, and SEXY. Nobody wants to see the T-7…….Its disproportionate, ungainly, and no F-16. I flew -38’s , as all of my heavy driving classmates, it wasn’t a thought to fly in the T-Birds, even when they were flying -38’s. It’s not a horrible idea, Just don’t see it happening. Now, what I always wondered was how come there was never a Tweet /T-6 II and -38 solo Airshow demo flight. Just to show the capabilities of these trainers.

Yeah pardon my naivety but I figured with the geographic proximity to KRND that the schools in TX would be under the microscope That contract is about 83.5 mil a year, at $600 a day per man day that’s 381 man years of orders or 342 man year with a $25k per year bonus, add in the beanie of successful completion of X training sorties and Tricare for Life upon retirement if a an ARC member regardless of traditional or immediate retirement pay status and you would get takers The aircraft could be had quickly if wanted. You could even run this COA at an ARC base ala Project Liberty but that assumes the institution gives a fornication

Sample size of one school (unrelated to AF training) - vast majority of young CFIs suck (and we’ve ran through a lot in the last year, hired from all over the country). Their work ethic and maturity are significantly lacking is the best way to sum it up. Now add in their complete lack of experience and unwillingness to acknowledge that - it’s a recipe for bad decisions and poor instruction. I can only imagine this is plaguing these AF-contract flight schools. UPT is, for all the valid BGCs, vastly superior to a standard flight school, especially when trying to produce military pilots at scale.

Oh boy…