General Discussion

Looks like the Marines are down an F-35.

Oh... this again: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-call-sign-titties/?utm_campaign=trueanthem_manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=taskandpurpose Sent from my SM-F721U using Tapatalk

Fill in the blanks: "In the [insert Military Branch], you're actually a ______ first, then a pilot second" and give me a reason why this is the case I've seen it on multiple posts here and there, decided I may want to try to coalesce these answers all together under one. For example, marketing tells me that going Warrant Officer Army Pilot all you'll do is fly helicopters. I find this a little too good to be true as with any leadership position there comes a bevy of staff duties to fulfill. Like making sure the fridge is stocked. For example: In the Marines, you're actually a rifleman first, a pilot second. Because "oo-rah kill". So let's hear it! Wha…

Unfortunately, that wraps up the SOFIA Program. Two of my friends flew it. There are only 2 or 3 other 747SP aircraft still flying. https://simpleflying.com/nasa-sofia-boeing-747-final-flight/

Hello! Please feel free to move this if it’s not in the appropriate section. I’m currently an enlisted aviator that was selected for OTS/UPT in July (still waiting on dates). I’m interested in knowing what the average assignment length looks like for pilots, from what I can tell it’s 3-4 years. I assume it’s that way for most of the Air Force, but I have basically no experience with that since my shred can only go to 2 bases (I’ve been OCONUS for 4 years now, I know people that have done 9 year tours here or stayed at the CONUS base their entire career). I’m asking because my wife, who’s currently in the same career field as me but separating soon, wants to go …

I've got all of the materials to make a interphone patch cord and was wondering if anyone out there has a wiring diagram to put one together. If so, can you e-mail me a copy?

I spent some unwanted time at Eskan Village in Saudi. Got to travel the country. My opinion: overall shithole. Arrogant incompetent assholes. Saw things I've never seen before: 18 wheelers laying sideways on the interstate with a billion coke cans strewn across all 8 lanes, dude driving 75mph with a camel in the back of a pickup truck, the Saudi sweep, etc. Driving skills aside, interacting with them, they were arrogant assholes who sucked at whatever they did. I mean they are real assholes. Going into the RSAF headquarters they treated you like you were laden with explosives, denied every overflight request going to OEF, denied an IFE 2 ship of dark grays to land in…

Does anyone have any new info on when they expect to retire the T-1? Most recent article I found said 2023-2025, but I’m wondering if anyone in AETC land has better gouge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RR won the contract over GE and PW. With the engine and some other upgrades, sounds like the old gal will get a new designation to B-52J and fly well into 2050s. Would be cool if it made it to 2061 to make it 100 years on some of those models. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42517/rolls-royce-will-provide-long-awaited-new-jet-engines-for-the-b-52-bomber-fleet

So question... as BO dot net is a highly secure forum we'll be able to discuss technical details and numbers /s but... I saw this, historical photo of a RAF Canberra bomber with ASW missiles: and wondered what the 11F crowd thought of instead of a loyal wingman (unmanned) why not a manned high flyer (above 50K) with another fighter radar in its nose, node in the link, BLOS that data up and other data in and X-teen missiles to call on from the high ground? One platform, optionally manned, crewed not solo, that does high altitude ISR, C2, BACN, UCAV LOS C2 and arsenal missions. Too much for a community to do all those missions?

I’m probably getting ready to buy a new or used car. Is there any extra benefit to being in the military when I go check out loans? Such as: better availability of interest rates or just a company I should check out (beyond the dealers finance department) for getting a loan? Since we are on the subject, does anyone have an opinion on buying now verses buying in 1.5 years from now? Just wondering if everyone is under the opinion that the interest rates might be a bit higher by the middle of next year. Thanks!

I am just getting service dress and mess dress uniforms ready for active duty here shortly and this is the question i have: I have purchased the two medals and three ribbons we get when we commission and i cannot put them on a ribbon rack to save my life. the medals are the pain in the a$$! when i finally do they look like sh*t and are halfway destroyed. is there an easy way to do this? am i missing something? thanks in advance [ 03. December 2006, 05:52: Message edited by: Toro ]

Surprised no one posted this earlier. Pilot “under evaluation” in the hospital last I saw. https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2022-11-07/in-flight-emergency-columbus-afb-7962990.html

Have you guys in the CAF experienced positive results from the 8's and 9's in your organization? My experience was that if they never showed up to work at all a better decision would've been made that day. That's from the squadron all the way up to the MAJCOM. I spent a 3rd of my career on Army bases and while there were some worthless E-9s, some of them were pretty damn helpful at accomplishing the mission. I personally never met one E-8 or E-9 in the AF whose pay fairly equated to what they contributed. Not questioning the MAF or support folks because an immediate flaming about how valuable senior NCOs are would ensue. I saw it at SOS. And at ACSC. A long ti…

Didn't see a similar thread for Iranian Tomfoolery. Besides them being in the news recently for trying to steal US Navy Saildrone Explorer USV's (new acronym to me: unmanned surface vessels)...looks like they just put in an order for 24 Su-35's that were originally tagged for Egypt. https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2022/09/04/iran-buys-24-sukhoi-su-35-flanker-e-fighters-produced-for-egypt/?fbclid=IwAR3BeYvM_22ZO2vRPgDaftw7WYRFZVJ9_q3Jljh4gv04-YjOI89sfuxbxxI

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/10/27/air-force-to-replace-kadena-f-15-squadrons-with-rotational-fighters/ Looks like the eagles will be leaving Kadena. Seems weird to pull them before we can fully replace them with squadrons based there. Any rumor who is going to be rotating there? Are the PACAF Viper units going to be doing most of the rotational work?

The 2022 National Defense Strategy was released today: https://www.defense.gov/National-Defense-Strategy/ While the content isn't surprising, the escalation in language, tone, and specifics from 2018 National Defense Strategy is. https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf The trend line continues to reinforce the Thucydides Trap theory.

The subject has been touched on in the past, but I'd like to open a thread to highlight all that is lame with current Ops at the 'Deid. When the shooting war was starting, everybody was too preoccupied with the no-$hit mission to worry about queep. Then the jets started coming back with bombs and the shoe clerk mentality started to grow. Here's my first story - Over in 'Ops Town' we had a bathroom that was just a short walk from our Ops Tent. By the time we got there, there was a good deal of penned-in graffiti on the walls of the $hitters. Standard $hitter immature crap. Well somebody got fairly pissed about it, sent in some dudes to paint over the walls an…

Apparently Rotax engines are a target of organized crime (at least in Europe for now). They are showing up in Iranian drones purchased by Russia and being used in Ukraine. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/bizarre-theft-wave-targets-same-rotax-engines-used-in-iranian-drones?fbclid=IwAR2BeFr1ribbpa62UkTrl4klDu-wzhr_O867JfQmLCzbN3EcM0OeTQ7D9mk

I have recently been considering joining the Air Force Reserve. Military service has been attractive to me for a long time, but I am only now giving it serious thought. Previously, I was very focused on a civilian career. For background, I am 28 years old and in the first year of law school, which is a three year program. I have an undergraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering. I intend to finish law school, and I will be 30 years old when I do. I am married with three children under the age of 5. I intend to have a civilian career at a large firm (not interested in JAG), during which I should be well-situated financially. I am motivated by a stron…

Hope he is ok. https://twitter.com/388fw/status/1582893659044708352?s=20&t=MTVQd_0vTp_NncTjHMj3aw

So there’s this whiny FGO in my squadron that seems like he doesn’t want to fly with me. I’m the DO, and I have a ‘go-fly’ list of people I want to fly with. I specifically ask Skeds to put us together, but every time we end up on the schedule together he takes “emergency” leave or says he can’t clear his ears. I’m pretty much the best pilot in the squadron, if not the wing, so I know I can show him a thing or two. When I talk to my life-size doll of Robin Olds, (that I keep in my office) his mustache speaks to me and says I should just smash his soul out of his body. Oh whatever should I do? These damn millennials…

Hello all, I am very interested in getting into the tactical mobility area of flying. I will be commissioning from Norwich University in about 50 days, and I will be going to UPT later on this fall. Right now, I’m really setting my sights on C-130s and C-17s because it seems like an awesome community to get into, and I really think that the overall mission fits my personality (if that makes any sense) I have a few questions, so PLEASE feel free to answer any and (preferably) all of them: 1. How hard is it to GET C-130s or C-17s? I have read in the forum that the best way to get Hercs is to bypass T-1s and try to get C-12s or T-44s at track select. Do you …

Hey everyone. I’ve looked everywhere online and done multiple searches on this forum to find the answer to this question but haven’t been able to find anything concrete. Do pilots commonly switch aircraft within their types (cargo, tankers, afsoc aircraft, fighters) or do they stay on the same airframe for their entire career? For example, do C17 pilots commonly switch to the C5 or C130 in their career or do they stay with the C17? Thanks in advance!

https://defenseopinion.com/in-a-dangerous-world-new-pentagon-mitigation-plan-would-hobble-u-s-forces/183/ One excerpt. Interesting from the perspective that major combat would probably be hampered if you apply the same expectations as HVI hunts with Hellfires, which he argues we are doing.