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Yeah, I see a legit critique, if the policy applied to non fighter applicants I see that as acceptable. Having there be one set path to application once most or all pilots have a T-7 training background would be my ideal, a level starting point but that’s just my preference. I’m not sure it’s a gap, deficiency or problem that I’m suggesting this solves but an improvement to the AF in my opinion.

Current fighter guys flying a lot of finger tip form during their ops assignments?

I think this sounds like a solution in search of a problem.

Eh, it'll be the problem of the Sq/CC, DO, IPs, and eventually the loves ones of the pilots that don't receive the training required by an ever watered down syllabus.

Epic would be printing this and autographed by all four crewmen. New Callsign "Pronebone"

Eh, good luck convincing CAF dudes that the path to the thunderbird's now leads through a UPT assignment just to be eligible to audition. I think having that as a requirement for non-fighter types makes more sense. As alluded to though, is the juice worth the squeeze? What gap or deficiency does this solve other than giving more ppl opportunities to fly on the team?

There is a much better case for calling the campaign an operational failure than a moral failure. The only part of that article I find silly is the section on hostages. Israel was obviously not prioritizing the hostages. They were just saying that because the Israelis have a long history of "recovery at any cost." That's why Hamas took hostages in the first place, and I'm sure they were shocked when Israel chose to let many of them languish/die rather than give the upper hand to Hamas.

An interesting article from my Marine War College classmate Andy Milburn on Israel's operation in Gaza. The Operational Case Against Israel’s Gaza Campaign

Have the F-16/15/35 doing the Sandy mission? Sandy 1 is a never ending helmet fire centered on finding the survivor, authenticating the survivor, protecting the survivor, and making the final go/no-go call. Sandy 2 has to manage comms to keep track of all the players while executing the FAC gig to defend the survivor. Sandy 3 needs to find a way in and out for Pedro/Jolly and troll the route for threats as the helo transits. All Sandys need to be down up close and personal doing "Hover Cover" with eyeballs on the pickup ready to deliver ordnance quickly on pop up threats to the helo or survivor. Doing that at 400+ knots up in the Bozosphere is not going to work. Doing that at low altitude at 400+ knots won't be any easier and certainly not an improvement over the A-10.

Mr. O6 isn’t wrong, but he and his friends won’t like the outcome of that risk (enter Sua’s example).

We’ve already answered this - it’s the F-16.

Hopefully the institutional myopia doesn't set in before that actually happens.

So the exec mafia can get around the WIC.

Whoever made this is next level!

Trump might get the off-ramp he wants via domestic politics. Senate has actually voted in favor of advancing a WPR barricade for Iran requiring the Admin to make its case. This is not me cheerleading the Senate, which is easily the most derelict in modern times. But it might give Trump a way to quit while blaming someone else.

Iran is waiting until the midterms. Trump wants an off-ramp, which is why he apparently had a heated discussion with Bibi yesterday.

Just the 60 series, I thought it was the entire NTTR... Valid points, might have been a different story when I went through in the days of Orville and Wilbur where we all flew T-38's. You point about speeds not sure I am fully on board, some heavy platforms fly a lot of formation, closer than you would think and requiring some heavy brain power to maneuver a large formation around. Not at all a dick measuring contest, the pointy nose community certainly has the market cornered on going faster, closer and upside down so it is a much easier transition versus a Tanker bro that doesn't exceed 45 degree of bank. The real question would be is the juice worth the squeeze just to wear a tight red flight suit and sign autographs. It is great to see the Thunderchickens fly fast and make noise, great recruiting tool that we should probably leave alone given the other real issues that need to be fixed. My only real beef with the T-birds is the program has turned into another platform to make fighter GOs. But life isn't fair so move on. Quick funny story - during my tenure at the WIC my senior rater was the 57th Wing/CC. For my 2BPZ push to O-6 (which I made), the boss gave me a the highest strat in the wing, a strat that pissed off the then T-Bird/CC so much he later confronted me about it...Really Bra like it was my decision? Anyway, life isn't fair, move on.

F-35, F-15 may take A-10’s combat-search-and-rescue role: USAF chief “The reason why the A-10 is really good at that is because it's a core mission of that platform, and as we transition with putting the A-10 in the retirement phase, there will be other platforms that it will become their core mission,” Wilsbach said. “So F-35s, F-15s, other platforms have the capability."

Valid point, not just for this idea but UPT plus other missions, the T-7 extra order will need to happen. All good and reasonable questions. No drop in standards and as to maneuvers if the team converted to the T-7 the show would might change anyway. I’d see the main path to the team (if they converted) not just for heavy pilots but all being from an AETC tour as an IP in the T-7 and after some time in that assignment and with the right recommendations, applying. That would solve the recency of flying some of those / similar maneuvers and currency in the jet.

That train of thought hasn't worked out before (minus the same command). AIB Link

Any UHT selects get any news on when they could be heading to Alabama?

Do you forsee standards being lowered to make this occur? Specifically, are less dangerous maneuvers/formations going to be flown, or is the separation between jets going to be greater? Is this idea thought of with the assumption that in the future all pilots will fly the T-7? If not, how long of a spin-up do you think will be required for pilots that have never even flown basic form in a jet? If it isn't obvious, I'm skeptical. I feel compelled to state this isn't a fighter v heavy dick measuring contest. However, dudes thar dropped heavies from T-38s and then went to T-38 PIT after a heavy tour or 2 generally have some serious growing pains. Which is to be expected when their brains haven't had to think at those speeds/Vc etc in 3+ years. Neck, there are viper dudes that have made the team and had to be cut later for flying issues. This is part of the reason I'd be concerned this approach will require a more significant investment in flight hours just to get these pilots comfortable with even basic formation flying.

As described by an O6, "if a B-Courser isn't able to get all their night sorties I can still graduate them on-time and send them to their ops unit because it's the same command and we can buy that risk."

Continues the trend of kicking the can all the way to the ops units. Pretty soon someone is going to propose we just dont do UPT or FTU....they can learn over Iran.

Ultimately we just won’t have the airframes. As we’ve done now for the last few dozen acquisition programs we’re going to build the absolute bare minimum number of T-7s and then ponder, along with the great mysteries of the universe, why small fleet dynamics are once again biting us in the ass. Vipers were built in big numbers for their time and ludicrous numbers by today’s standards. Meaning.. they’re some of the most maintainable aircraft we have, and because of that, very low impact on the force to use to run a demo team.