General Discussion

Hey Guys, Looking to gather some info on an upcoming PCS. There’s a potential to go on a marine exchange. Have any of you bros done one? Looking to see if it’s a good opportunity/QOL. Any general experience is helpful, however this is a F-35 marine exchange to be specific. Thanks!

https://apnews.com/article/holloman-air-force-base-f16-jet-crash-84504e14dbb43837839d4d2e824c08eb Pilot ejected and taken to the hospital and released.

I was wondering about how logging sim time towards your total time works and if we’re able to do it for military sim training. I’m currently at JMATS in Little Rock, training in their full motion C-130J simulators. I’m a guard guy so after seasoning I’ll be back out on the streets and have to find a full time civilian flying job (hopefully), and I’m trying to plan ahead. With the market as it is, I want to count as many hours as I’m able to towards my total time and hopefully go straight to a regional, or at least a fractional ownership company like Netjets. Does any C-130J pilot out there know if the C-130J sims are FAA certified so that we are able to count them towards…

Good morning all, Board results were just announced and I was one of the unfortunate ones that didn’t make it. Had about 24hrs to soak up this information and I think it’s time for me to start thinking about what’s going to happen next in my life. Here’s some info about my career so far. Commissioned 2015 and went to a non-rated career field. In 2019 I decided to apply for the Late-to-rate boards and got picked up as an early Captain. Currently in a flying unit flying the best MAF aircraft out there (IYKYK). A basic AC with about 1000 total time (UPT/Current MWS). I had an assignment to be an instructor for UPT leaving for PIT in a couple of months, bu…

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/t-6-emergency-landing-texas/ ..having executed a belly flop landing.

Well, it is an election year. Tell me if you've heard this story before. 1. Bird flu research by the US and China. https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=439621 "Research Project: US-UK-China Collab: Predictive phylogenetics for evolutionary and transmission dynamics of newly emerging avian influenza viruses" 2. Bird flu found in chicken farms: Largest US egg producer temporarily halts production due to avian flu at Texas facility https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/largest-us-egg-producer-temporarily-halts-production-due-108795657 3. Bird flu jumps from birds to dairy cattle. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bird-flu-hi…

I know there are a lot of topics that discuss VA disability here and there, but didn't se anything specific to it.. unless I completely missed it while searching on my phone at 3am. As flyers, we document nothing. I decided 3 years ago, prior to retirement, to start documenting everything. This eventually led to me being DNIF and never flying again but also helped in getting 100% disability from the VA. My 100% was from nothing big I claimed.. just a bunch of little aches and pains that added up to 97%. When I got my notification letter, I noticed a number of items on there that are "deferred". I called the VA and asked them what that meant, what was needed …

Can someone give a quick down dirty of how TOLD/W&B is done in fighter world. Trying to bounce some ideas around in another community.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/03/23/air-force-honors-fallen-jber-service-member-with-flyover/ R.I.P. SSgt Charles Crumlett.

Question for the crowd. Does anyone know of opportunities that will allow you to collect your retirement, but also retain the ability to go on orders for short periods of time? Examples could look like: Part-time technician that could do things like sit alert from time to time. White jet instructor (DSG/ART) that can turn a few sorties a month at a UPT base. A "points" only gig like USAFA liaison officer - not sure if something like that would even qualify for USERRA. Why? To be able to collect basically the full retirement, keep flying military jets, and also retain full USERRA control over one's airline schedule when necessary. J…

We invested a shitload of money in a shithole, and "Surprise!"... we get kicked out. Again. How badly is this Admin gonna keep screwing up? It appears we operate(d) two bases there. The linchpin of the U.S. military’s archipelago of bases in North and West Africa, Air Base 201 consists of a 6,200-foot runway (composed of 1.1 million square feet of asphalt), aprons, taxiways, massive aircraft hangars, multistory living quarters, roads, utilities, munitions storage, and an aircraft rescue and firefighting station, all within a 25-kilometer “base security zone.” U.S. troops eat in a 13,000-square-foot dining facility, work out in a gym, play on …

Long shot, but I know there are experts here who might be able to help. BLUF: Long-time A-10 leader passed away this week, and is being interred at DFW National Cemetery next week. We're looking to see if we can get a 4 Ship flyover but have no idea where to start with the airspace. That cemetery is 10nm SE of the eastern runway at DFW, so airspace should be simple. Right? Coord through official USAF channels to approve it is underway, but would like to know if anyone has any words on where to go otherwise; ATC POCs to coord and/or approve, or even just to find out if there's no way to proceed. They've done Memorial Day flyovers there, but I'm sure they have p…

An IL-76 was reportedly shot down and crashed. One engine appears on fire but this alone should have not caused a crash so maybe there was additional damage. https://warisboring.com/second-russian-military-transport-plane-comes-down-since-january/?fbclid=IwAR1qGCJ8p9y3aR3l4pv61kOg9aO2A0cqsxkR8654UesdBuUHlDnQsRoZiYw_aem_AaM4aJCKbEEF5pjC1t-0cIyK7ZH9AstX8CqYNQBosEK5FrsdJMUD-sCr3zPPpq06zMw#ltp4tr1qbv0ccfq0vuf

Serious question here, not looking to start a pissing contest. I know there’s at least a couple people on this forum who have experience in both. Which was generally “more difficult” and what made it so? Or were some parts of one easier in the other and vice versa?

Has anyone here been to the above? Its a 3 day course in Austin, TX. My unit wants to send a few COs down to learn stuff unless someone here can tell us that it's a waste of time. Thanks.

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3674442/air-force-space-force-announce-sweeping-changes-to-maintain-superiority-amid-gr/ Worth its own thread to discuss. I see lots of new words and new places to park generals but 🤷‍♂️ IDK how this is all gonna work out when the rubber hits the road.

I am a current AD 62E Officer who was lucky enough to get picked up for UPT on this year’s Active-Duty UFT Board. I am thrilled to finally be living out the dream but am seeking advice for those who have been in my shoes.....late to rate. I am a 1st Lt who, pending any drastic UPT scheduling delays, should be completing UPT right around the time I hit Capt. As someone who is currently removed from the flying community, I have all of these aspirations for making the most of my flying time, and hope to get plenty of operational experience, and even have hopes of potentially attending WIC. I also (potentially naively?) plan to retire, as I sit here at a little ov…

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what was or is your effective way of studying (while in college, UPT, aviation career)? everyone seems to have their own distinct study habits, for example, ive heard of someone who watched breaking bad while studying in UPT which helped him retain information better. idk how that works but to each their own. I haven't quite figured out my effective way of studying. as of right now it's just to try and go for as long as I can without breaks (trying to work on that). A lot of people say to take breaks in between, but I seem to contradict that and attempt to read through the lines with my eyes shutting. a more specific question: when you guys enter the fire…

This a big deal? I guess not... Unlocked article link below: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/hospitalized-pentagon-chief-was-in-intensive-care-unit-12b3f1a6?st=n7pns02pvqo4gy7&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Word is a bone crashed at ellsworth tonight. Crew ejected is most recent update. Just happened about 2 hours ago. https://theatlasnews.co/breakingnews/2024/01/04/u-s-air-force-b-1-crash-ellsworth-afb-south-dakota/ Sent from my SM-S918U1 using Baseops Network mobile app

US Air Force legend Robert “Bob” Pardo, known for his selfless action known as “Pardo’s Push” during the Vietnam War, has died Dec. 5 in College Station, Texas. He was 89. https://nypost.com/2023/12/17/news/air-force-legend-robert-bob-pardo-famous-for-pardos-push-maneuver-dead-at-89/

Recently started collecting UPT class patches from students we support here at Vance. Would love to see how creative they get. Here is 24-05. Feel free to post an image of your class patch.

Saw a trailer for this movie this morning. It's apparently getting people pretty riled up. We had just watched "Leave the World Behind" a couple nights ago. There were some thought-provoking concepts, but the movie sucked ass. Dystopian and disaster flicks are nothing new, but it's unsettling to see these plots and storylines using current events, then pulling on what seems to be a short thread. The movie plans to fill people's heads with this stuff next Spring as the election heats up. Just curious as to others thoughts. Think it'll be good?