General Discussion

I did a search and I know that there has got to be some more info on this stuff but could not find it. So I thought I would jump start this again. For those in the know, what are some of the differences and likes of the Mc and HC 130? I know that there are more differences than what just meets the eye but I can't find them. It seems to me that they do alot of the same things. Plus, any Nav specific stuff would be appreciated such a deployment rates and specific duties. Thanks Oh man I probably should have put this some where else, this new design allows a high learning curve

"4/23/2008 - COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Two pilots died April 23 when an Air Force T-38C Talon trainer crashed at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Names of the deceased have not been released, pending the notification of next of kin. A board of officers will investigate the accident. Additional details will be provided as they become available. " AF dot MIL

A Lt Col and F-15E pilot has been kicked out of the Air Force after 18 years of service because he is gay: https://www.military.com/news/article/af-bo...-being-gay.html I know it is the law, but couldn't they have at least given him early retirement or something? It's likely they will have to give him retirement benefits/reinstatement anyway after the law is changed sometime between now and the midterm elections. ETA: Anyone else get a creepy feeling about the OSI spending time, money, and manpower looking into people's sex lives?

This is probably an odd question, but I was wondering about vacation time. I know you guys get 30 days a year, but do you really get to use it all? If so, can it all be taken at once? I guess I’m having “commitment” issues, and was just wondering how sold my soul would be to the government for ten years or so of flying. Thanks.

Is there any need for a Mess Dress while at UPT?? [ 16. July 2004, 14:59: Message edited by: Sneedro ]

26 August at 2100 on the History Channel. Looks like it's going to be an awesome show, possibly even outstanding. [ 25. August 2005, 23:15: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

Hey, I was approached by a Marine recruiter about their guaranteed aviaiton program and it sounds like a sweet deal. Anyone have stories or advice about how the Marines do things; flying in particular. I know they train with the Navy guys, but what kind of crap do they do after that? Any comments good or bad are aprreciated.

Brethren, Last night at a home bball game at the small K12 private school I now steward, I became ENRAGED at one of the students during the National Anthem. Instead of assuming a position of attention with hand over heart, he had his head down, and although he was standing, he had one foot propped up in a chair. To further add to my rage, he was a bball player, and a senior at that. I'll have a "refocus" assembly Monday morning for all the 8-12th graders to "educate" these folks on the sacrifices Americans are currently making, and have made throughout history for that Flag, and that disrespecting MY Flag in any way will meet with severe repercussions (etc. etc. etc.)…

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

https://news.yahoo.com/us-air-force-may-remove-171141507.html

Breaking reports - flipped upside down. Initial report say most people survived. 35-45 Knts winds at landing.

Doubt it'll pass as it has to be approved by Congress. I'm all for cutting the defense budget back a bit as the wars end but this may go a little too far if the Pentagon wants to maintain some resemblance of the increasingly scant military benefits everyone was entitled to when they signed on. https://freebeacon.co...ashing-tricare/

In the report, called “Global Horizons: United States Air Force Global Science and Technology Vision,” USAF Chief Scientist Maybury said that the Air Force’s manned air fleet is likely to shrink slightly by 2027. This is primarily due to increases in technology coupled with reduced costs for RPA development world-wide. During Allied Force in 1999 I sat in on a meeting at the CAOC then in Vicenza where the subject of equipping 1 RQ-1 Predator with a laser range finder had all the fighter pilots in the room up in arms. Gen Short the JFACC, told the group the laser range finder was only there to collect coordinates and not for target designation. Moreover, he said UA…

Does anyone know if the 75 day use or lose leave policy is still in effect for 2011? Or did it go back to the 60 day max leave. Trying to make sure I don't lose 15 days. Thanks.

Anybody hear about this? Saw some email on it and it's a plane/mission/deployment I'd never heard of. Not shopping for deployments...but it's always nice to see what's out there. Sorta seems like a manned UAV but anything beats the 'Died. Unless it operates out of the 'Died of course. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_Airborne_Communications_Node Edit: I searched but couldn't find anything

Trying to get some info on this. Just received an informal notification from my commander that I will see one drop with my name on it in the near future. Any info is appreciated. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

this is just a random question. but i realized i've never seen any officers with dog tags before in real life. do all O's get dog tags? or is it just certain positions? just curious. thanks

I'm going to go to Kirtland AFB next month for the FSO course. It's about three weeks long. I'll probably be the oldest guy ever to go throught the damn thing, but it AFRC is willing to pay for it, I'm willing to put it on my resume. I heard it's a pretty cool school. Anyway...I haven't spent much time in Albuquergue over the years, just a bunch of gas-n-goes and the occasional RON. I'm going to fly my own small airplane out there for the TDY and have a rental car too. Couple questions for anyone in the know... What's a decent FBO, either on ABQ or any of the outlying airports, to park a small plane for a few weeks? For anyone who's gone through the course…

See B.C. from Valdosta's letter in the Ocotber '06 issue. The gist of the letter to the Advisor was that he and his bros were having a hard time picking up chicks. Seems they didn't want anything to do with Air Force folks. Anyone got any suggested answers for this guy when the age-old question arises: What do you do for a living? My answer: As little as possible.

I was wondering if Al Dhafra had internet available, either wireless or land line. I heard rumor that they were installing wireless but have nevere gotten this rumor confirmed or denied. Someone who has been recently please let me know. Just wondering if I'll be able to talk to my wife using Skype or if will be emails only. Thanks.

The queep trickles further downstream and further into the AO. Not downplaying the importance of a Change of Command ceremony, but when you pull away from the war effort to put up three separate static displays of combat aircraft and form up your wing in the AOR for a simple commander swap, maybe we should stop wondering why the other services laugh at us and our "priorities". I'm sure that there were even quiet hours put into effect for this... https://www.bagram.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145035

OK, Folks... I'm 2 weeks out from rejoining AETC and going BACK to school. Back to Inital Qual for Linda. Anybody got some words-o-wisdom for us Kirtland-bound folks? Good folks at my future squadron, but nobody's got any good info to pass along (other than some incredibly good gouge on off-base billeting)! Request picture, words, and uh... my parrot just dropped dead.... bent... bent... uhm... wake up, Polly! I've got some Ritz for ya'! No, give me the eye-patch! I'm the Pirate! Sorry, folks... having movers at my house all day has twisted my soul even more than I imagined. Off for a Gin & Tonic followed by some good British Stand-Up from Eddie Izzard. Ch…

I actually did a search figuring that this has been discussed, not much came up. Sounds like it should be flying in 2008, and half of Europe is ordering them, but not the US (according to google). European made I suppose. H3 - $30 million J model - $60 million A400M - $90 million payload of 64k, a little faster than the Herc, cargo area a little bigger than the Herc, and it has that neat tiger-stripe paint job.

Is anybody else able to use the e4l webmail right now? https://web.mail.us.af.mil/owa or https://scottapc.mail.us.af.mil/owa/

With all of these programs to build the pilot population and pilot training cranking out high numbers of pilots yet we are still looking for more pilots, why doesn’t the Air Force reinstitute aero clubs at bases? I know there are a few remaining. But they are the exception. Thoughts?