General Discussion

Say I wanted to walk over to the friendly SF shack and qualify on the M-9. Anyone know how to go about this or any details? Specifically, is it limited to those deploying, or can anyone just walk over and get it done? Also, what are the requirements for qualifiying / marksman? I'm full of questions 'cause I've been shooting now for about a year with my H&K, and I want to make it official that I know how to shoot. Thanks in advance.

So my roomate and I were just flipping through the tv stations when we came across "The Price is Right"...so we kept watching and low and behold...a kid gets picked up to be able to bid (one of the contestants). Now this wouldnt be so bad..but this kid was in his full rotc uniform with cadet wings. WTF. I have seen marines on there and that is fine with me because they have probably just returned from combat..what has this rotc kid done so far? Fend off the Taliban on campus? hah. Now before I get flamed..I'm in ROTC myself, but i'm sorry I would never do a toolish thing like wearing my rotc uniform on national television. Ok now Ill step off my soapbox ha! th…

What is the difference of the amber tinted one than the dark ones? Does the usage depend on the type of mission? Or are they pretty much same as what we use as "driving glasses" for higher contrast? https://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/990...F-2171A-010.jpg

My husband is currently training at Corpus Christi and will be selecting his aircraft soon. Neither one of us have heard much about the EC but we would like to live in Tuscon. We don't want to choose an aircraft strictly based on location though. My question is does anyone here know much about this aircraft and lifestyle? He would really like to get into a special ops plane eventually. Would this hurt his chances later on if he got an EC now? Thanks in advance for entertaining questions from a newbie.

I know i am a longshot at getting in but I think I still have a chance of getting into the AF Reserves. I am 29 years old, and am graduating in Dec. I talked with a recruiter and he has given me the run a round, and won't give me a straight answer. I thought someone out there could give me a straight answer some good advice. I took the AFOQT, not the best of scores (pilot 60) but am planning on taking it again. Upon finishing school I will have a commercial pilot ticket with a multi-engine intrusment rating and 300 plus hours. Do I have a realistic shot at a pilot slot in the reserves? I am willing to move anywhere and fly anything they will let me. Thanks to anyon…

Ok so in the interest of actually sparking an aviation related discussion, I've got a question for all the CAS guys here. (Before the questions start CAS = Close Air Support, and the best description I've heard for this job is: "Doing God's work by supporting the grunts on the ground") So anyway, what is the Air to Mud community’s interpretation of the AV-8's capabilities? Coming from the AF side of the house, the A-10 and the AC-130 obviously dominate this role (not to exclude the Viper’s contributions ), so I don't hear about the Harrier much and wanted to know how it is regarded by other operators. GW

https://www.micom.net/oops/ /heads back over to the other side

I recently filled out the TSP form and decided to put all 10% of my pay in the C-fund. My reasoning for doing this is that I was shown how the different funds did in the past 10 years. The C-fund led at just about 12%. Is this a good idea to put all my eggs in one basket so to speak, or should I diversify my pay into all the funds? (I am a brand new 2nd Lt, planning to be in for 12 years.) Thanks

Anybody got the LASI program this year or in years past? Chime in if you did. Thanks...

Anyone want to share stories of military posers they’ve run across? I’ve got some junk cars on my property that I’m cleaning out, so I called the local scrap yard, and they sent out a wrecker. The driver seemed like a nice enough guy, so I got to talking to him. According to him: He is in the Army Reserve, and is Spec Ops out of Fort Bragg. He had just got back from South Africa, hunting terrorists. He has 34 years in the military, and is a Major. He went so far as to show me a set of DCU’s he had in the front seat of his wrecker, complete with Special Forces and Ranger tabs. OK, maybe none of that is impossible, but dude, you’re a Major, a Special Opera…

Have you ever thought of a situation where an attack helo faces a high performance jet fighter? Today I was discussing this with another armt dawg, which we made up a scenario where a single Longbow was confronted by a Viper... I defended the idea that I would be more maneuvrable and can hide, however I would not have any weapons to hit the jet unless I am really lucky... What do you think?

Did the search but drew a null. Here's the deal. Boy is starting IFR and CFI has recommended Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 2OO4 to get him up to speed on procedure... says it will save him flight time, i.e. $$$, in the long run. Here's the question: Does anyone have experience - good, bad or ugly - with the yoke and rudder pedals made by CH Products? (see https://www.chproducts.com/retail_flash/index.html) Before the fool goes out and poaches a neighbor’s heifer to pay for the outfit, I want to know if the hardware is worth the effort.

as an airlift pilot, i was under the impression that "pacer-craig" of the kc135 variety was actually an acronym for something. i was just reading a regulation that had "pacer-craig" spelled out, which i thought was wrong. can a tanker pilot please enlighten me? thanks ps - what percentage of AD 135s have this mod? pps - did you [tanker pilots] know that we [c17 pilots] don't need to know your squawk? i can't speak for c5s, but i chuckle when tanker pilots pass us their squawk. [ 26. May 2005, 12:59: Message edited by: spar91 ]

If a special request falls through, meaning it wasn't in the drop, should one request the aircraft/assignment by other means, i.e. hardship? How long would the process take? The hardship would be for my wife's medical issues and we want to be close to family for assistance. I don't want to create waves in the system, but at the same time, I don't wan't to be called home from a future deployment because this all could've been avoided if I filed for hardship out of UPT. Any advice would be appreciated... PP

My husband's UPT class is graduating in August and we're looking for a good speaker for the ceremony. I know they provide a list of "reserve" speakers, but we'd like to find a really inspirational person to be the keynote for the event. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks! V.

I just got done with PIT. Can I take a copy of my initial instructor qual form 8 in the T-38 and have the FAA add an instructor rating to my FAA license or do I need to have a check ride in order to do that? Thanks!

I just recieved a pilot slot through OTS. I turned 26 in march and figure I won't go to OTS till about that time next year, meaning I'll graduate UPT at 28. So am I going to feel like old man river in my class? Are most students right out of college and about 23 or so?

Just was curious if all aircrews carry a 9mm when in the theater. Is it tailored to certain aircraft like c130, 17's or fighters who are too carry?

My squadron CC had his class picture at PIT in front of the new grey and black schemed plane. The final shade of grey will be similar to the light grey on the T-38's and it will have black on top of the cowling (like it does now) and on the leading edges of the wings. It looks pretty cool. He said AETC is still deciding the final shade but it should be approved and on the T-6's in the next year.

If you were a new Lt. on casual somewhere, would you be able to do a job on the weekend outside of the AF such as bartending? It seems that you would have the time and I wouldn't see why you couldnt. Just curious.

Anybody headed to Brooks on 5 June???

This past weekend I got a chance to go to Eglin AFB on a base visit for ROTC. We toured one of the facilities which I believe was a training center for Eagle crew chiefs. Inside of this building was a mock cockpit of an F-15 and one of the NCOs started explaining some of the features. She told us how one feature exclusive to Eagles was "Anti-Skid," which apparently is a switch in the cockpit that a pilot can operatate, and when activated, he/she can fly in totally coordinated flight without using the rudders (on-board computers operate the rudders automatically.) Can any pilots on this board explain this feature in greater detail? What phases of flight is it used in…

I am about to enter active duty and go to pilot training. I've talked with a lot of people that served in the AF and it seems as though most people rent homes or they purchase a home and sell it when they get transferred a few years later. If possible, I would like to purchase homes wherever I'm stationed and then rent them when I get transferred and have a property management company take care of it. This way when I get out of the AF I will have built up equity in these home and I would then transfer that equity to the home I would move into. Does anyone know of people that do this successfully while in the AF active duty? Is it possible to successfully own …

Well here we go again; Kentucky Derby is upon us. Tomorrow is the 131st running of the Kentucky Derby, the first and most coveted race of the Triple Crown. This year boasts a newly renovated Churchill Downs and absolutely beautiful weather. The combination has brought more corporate jets to Louisville International than I've ever seen in my life! Be that as it may, we can't let the CEO's and top execs of corporate America have all the fun! Enter the USAF and USN! I walked over and spoke with two of the Lieutenants from Vance. I thought they were just passing through...nope! They're here for the ponies! They flew in today and don't leave …

Okay...i apologize if someone is about to bust out the search function search function search function remark, but i did try and was unsuccessful. This question is one that i have never gotten an answer on because no one seems to know both sides of the story. I thought this would be good place to throw it out. What are the differences between life and lifestyle in a civilian aviation career and a military aviation career. Major points i am looking for include FINANCIAL (primary), family life, professional opportunities near the end of careers, and any other major pros and cons. In other words, if i were to ask you to tell me why i should spend the rest of my life in …