General Discussion

Thoughts? https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-creates-new-air-defense-zone-in-east-china-sea-amid-dispute-with-japan/2013/11/23/c415f1a8-5416-11e3-9ee6-2580086d8254_story.html

Crashed on the range, no details yet on survivors....say a prayer.

Hi All, Hopefully this is different enough to warrant not being a side discussion in the "what's wrong with the AF" thread. Obviously there's a decent percentage of Majors punching out due to reasons that have been adequately covered, but I was curious how long it takes new studs/Lt's to become disillusioned and want to get out as well. There's probably a decent spread, but does it seem like most become fed up towards the last few years or is it trending towards less and less time in? Does it seem like more and more pilots are becoming fed up with the fuck fuck games/general fuckery during/around their first ops tour? UPT/first ops seems likes some of the best ye…

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2022/11/12/plane-crash-reported-during-air-show-at-dallas-executive-airport/ Doesn't look good, but holding out hope some people got out. Edit: P-63 Kingcobra looked to have hit the B-17 in the aft fuselage.

Hey all, some coworkers and I are putting on a skit (of sorts) tomorrow night and I will be playing the stereotypical pilot role...entirely too self centered and arrogant. What I need is some good one-liners...something along the lines of "What's the difference between God and an Air Force pilot? God can't fly jets!" bwah hahaha. Anyway, you get the point. So...fire away! I know there's gotta be some good stuff out there.

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'm looking at a flight pay table here and I was curious why the jump from $206 (>4 yrs) to $650 (>6 yrs)??

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/us-shoots-down-syrian-bomber-for-attacking-anti-assad-force/article/2626344 https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/06/18/us-navy-fa18e-shoots-down-su22-over-syria.html

i didn't want to hijack a thread, but scoobs (i think) advised someone in upt to fly fighters (they were undecided) because they could always go fly heavies later. and so i wondered if anyone has ever gone the opposite direction - heavies to fighters? i don't know of any, nor have i ever heard of any. how about you?

Recently, I had an interesting discussion with a future OG regarding the future of the Air Force, in general. It should be known that this guy is a career fighter pilot. His philosophy is this: in order to take back our Air Force, we have to be willing to play it's game. He argues that too many aviators are shying away from staff jobs that will help them become the generals of the future. He sees too many current senior officers taking non-rated dudes on their staffs because the SO can't get any aviators to join the staff. The future OG notes that one indication of the aviator losing his foothold in command positions is the creation of the maintenance group. Soon,…

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/07/20/so-you-wanna-fly-air-force-pilots-can-apply-to-new-aviation-only-program/ BLUF: Majors or Major-selects with 11-13 YOS can apply starting soon. Seemed like you only fly plus work stan eval, training or tactics. PME and AAD are optional. ALso targeting 5 years at one duty station.

They say that if you get paid to do something you love, then you never work a day in your life. But they also say that if you throw money in the mix, it makes that 'hobby' feel more like work. When you're off the clock so to say, do you ever still feel like flying? I've heard stories of certain people getting out of the Air Force or Navy and never flying again but it seems like a lot of people enjoy the career path. I feel like I won't ever get tired of it but how has it affected you? Do you take your family flying for fun? Ever have planes on buying a small plane? Are the huge amounts of commercial pilots from the Air Force an indicator of a lack of flight time…

When all the men in a wedding party are wearing mess dress, is it rude/inappropriate/in poor taste to display all your medals if you have more than the groom?

This is making the rounds on social media. 93d and 28th Bomb Squadrons can just kiss their patches goodbye.

I'm just going to leave this right here.... https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2017/12/06/enlisted-combat-pilots-the-air-force-is-launching-a-test-that-could-lead-to-that/

There is a topic discussing what's "Wrong with the AF?" Let's track the improvements... I recall when Welsh was nominated back in 2012, there was loud applause of pending changes that we all thought were looming -- mainly due his interaction with the CAF when he was USAFE/CC, etc. Welsh took command Aug 2012...and probably has a little over a year left until he's done. What improvements, if any, have you seen....?

Of course we all know what today is, and we have all answered the question hundreds of times as well as reflected personally on todays events 6 years ago. I dont want to turn this thread into that. I was just curious if any of you were flying CAP's or any other mission that day that could relate the experience, what it felt like being the only ones in the air, having semi-silent radio chatter (if it was). Just was curious

Fox News is reporting a B-1 crash. Sounds like all 4 crew ejected safely. https://www.ksfy.com/story/23173844/ellsworth-afb-crew-survives-b-1-bomber-crash-in-montana

Looks like Big Blue is finally raising our flight pay . 6 years only gets a $50 increase while the 14 year guys goes down to 12 years now at $1k. But we have to worry about our guys being able to jump to the airlines at 750 hours.

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?

i am an ad lt awaiting nav training in Dec. per the rules i was offered up to 10 days for free leave to go house hunting with the wife. the obvious catch is that i pay travel/lodging and such. basically it is free leave, as ya'll already know. anyway, us this a good idea to go down there, can i save money by taking space A or is that just not realistic for a 10 day trip to randolph. ok-or can i take the 10 days house hunting free leave predate from my RNLT date plus 8 days permissive TDY so it is actually 18 days pre RNLT date. which would all be paid for because it is travel time. also they give like 7 days to drive so really it would be 25 days worth of paid t…

I just recieved my slot a few weeks ago for UPT and am anxiously excited to get myself prepared for it. i got my PPL when i was in high school and since then have used my license to more or less buzz around and enjoy myself. This summer i've got some money set aside and want to start flying in a much more disciplined manner to start gearing my mind for UPT... ie serious attention to detail and things of that nature. For example i'm planning on doing heavy 'mission' planning, restudying PPL material, a lot of practice with EPs, and spending time practicing manuevers with narrow altitude limits, etc. in other words doing what i should have been doing anyway. do you gu…

Col. Jeannie Leavitt will take command of the 4th Fighter Wing on June 1st. https://www.therepublic.com/view/story/b51824a3cfb74c858c5e596d9c41c183/NC--Air-Force-Female-Commander/ https://www.seymourjohnson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123303403

This is somewhat Reserve/Guard-centric, but I thought it was worthy of general discussion. Over the last 10 years, I have watched with horror as the ANG has tried harder and harder to become like the active duty. Our leadership has yelled from the rooftops "We're just like active duty! We're an operational reserve, not strategic! Give us new equipment! Deploy us more!" Meanwhile.... The standard ANG AEF deployment has gone from 45 days to 180. ANG units are now being routinely tasked for non-voluntary, non-combat 90-120 day TSP deployments. And now it looks like the reserve component deploy to dwell ratio is in question. For many years, the RC's deploy to dwell ratio …

https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan