General Discussion

Sounds like a massive storm/tornado went through Sun 'N Fun a few hours ago. Here are some pictures of the destruction from the EAA facebook site. https://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=192081688622&aid=358039&closeTheater=1

I know that getting selected to Phase I is tough and Phase II is even harder to pass. But does anyone have any more info on these guys? I'v been to specialtactics.com. How often are they getting deployed? Are the Combat Controllers deployed with the Army and Navy? Thanks for the help. [ 22. June 2006, 17:34: Message edited by: ralph ]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-military-aircraft-crashes-mediterranean-sea-after-training-mishap-no-indication-hostile-activity Interesting that they haven’t even released which aircraft it was. They usually get that info out fast. Is it me or is the military being “tight lipped” a little out of the ordinary? Anybody have unclass intel on this?

After doing some searches, looks like AD fighter pilots rack around 300 hours a year (typically)? Any comments from the experts? From what I understand, a guard bum could rack around 100 hours during a year of typical guard weekend duty? I basically want to fly as much as I can, and was led to believe a guard fighter bum could bum his way up to around 500 hrs a year if he hung around the squadron all day?...or is that just being active duty guard? Just trying to decide if I should keep interviewing with guard units or go AD AF. I originally was going active before having trouble with a bunch of stupid recruiters. I posted earlier today and I'll say it again, I appre…

I know this thread may be a bit of a downer and something many people aren't used to reading on this site. However, with that said, I am looking for those who may have any insite on the process, if any, on changing career fields. I know if you are permantly DNIF or there is some other outstanding circumstance which allows people to do this, but that's not my situation. I have given the pilot thing a chance and come to the conclusion that enviornment is making me miserable. Maybe it's my base, airframe, Sq...who knows. Unfortunatley I have quite sometime left on my contract which ended after UPT. I know that contract ties me to the AF rather than just the pilot world…

C-145 makes a successful single engine landing at Talahassee. The news media of course is making a really big deal out of landing on just one engine in low cloud cover... Anyway, it ended well... https://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Air-Force-Pilot-Makes-Emergency-Landing-In-Tallahassee-243414381.html

I couldn't find a recent or highly relevant thread for this topic. This thread can be for any drug abuse incidents or news stories that affect military personnel. Biden’s Son Hunter Discharged From Navy Reserve After Failing Cocaine Test - https://online.wsj.com/articles/bidens-son-hunter-discharged-from-navy-reserve-after-failing-cocaine-test-1413499657 Joe Biden’s Son Hunter Biden Discharged From Navy After Positive Cocaine Test - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-bidens-son-hunter-biden-discharged-navy-positive/story?id=26257601 Biden's son discharged from Navy Reserve - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/16/obama-joe-biden-hunter-biden-naval-re…

All this talk about Delta, United, AA, Southwest just makes me sick. Where is the love for the other major airlines? FRONTIER anyone? SPIRIT anyone? It's like they don't exist to you people.

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…

If someone wants to post up the link from the AF Times, but they're finally doing something about the worst placed sewage ponds in the world. Over the years I've logged over a year and a half smelling that crap at Kandahar! Finally fixing it hopefully.

NATO's Bomb Supply Is Running Short ..."Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time, according to senior NATO and U.S. officials"... Libya “has not been a very big war. If [the Europeans] would run out of these munitions this early in such a small operation, you have to wonder what kind of war they were planning on fighting,” said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense think tank. “Maybe they were just planning on using their air force for air shows.”…

Read a good article in the Atlantic and wanted to see what the opinion of others was on the idea that we are actually close to another major conflict between the new Great Powers via alliances and waxing / waning influence. Yes, It Could Happen Again Instability in Ukraine, chaos in Syria, conflict in the East China Sea—the trigger points for World War III are in place.

Happy Memorial Day As I saw all the social media posts about fallen military members, I was struck by the number of suicides mentioned. It’s such a sad thing and always surprising that people don’t seek help. It reminded me of a time a few years back when I was talking to a bro going through some bad times and I suggested he seek out some mental health services and replied that he didn’t want to do that because he would be DNIF’d and “flying is the only thing that makes me happy.” He ended up fine and got through it with a combination of booze and flying a ton. What’s the opinion of this esteemed body about aviators using mental health services? I hate…

So what is it? A UFO? The Russians? The Chinese? NOOOOPE. Buddy finishes our normal AR with the TACAMO's and they drop into STL for transition. Hilarity ensues. ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) -A mysterious white plane drew plenty of attention Tuesday afternoon near Lambert Airport and nearby Maryland Heights. The low flying four engine plane came low over ranch style homes in Edmundson and prompted some to take photographs. Janice Marienau of the 43-hundred block of Beauty in Edmundson started to photograph the plane after it flew over her family’s home three times. Then she called FOX 2 News when calls to Lambert Airport and Scott Air Force Base in Illinois …

I'm an officer, pilot-type, who for 17 years, never had the good fortune of directly supervising any enlisted troops. In my current job, I am the OIC of a particular function, and I have one NCOIC who works directly for me. He is a SSgt pinning on TSgt in the near future. The kid is a fast-burner, (already working on his Masters), and makes my job really easy. I feel like I should do more than just pat him on the back and say congrats for the promotion. So my question is two-fold. Is it appropriate to give him a gift of some sort, and what's an appropriate gift? Anyone else ever been in a similar situation? I have a few ideas, but wanted to hear some advice from t…

My Dad recently told me that it was tradition to to turn you squadron patch upside down the week you leave for a PCS, PCA, etc. He never could tell me where or why this got started just that it was "What was done". (Much like party suits) I have seen it done in a couple of places, but was wondering if anyone knew where this tradition got started and what the significance of it is? Maybe some of the old-heads on here can help me out so I can justify bringing it back. Anyone else out there do this the last week? Edit: Spell'in

Anyone know somebody who has done this? I'm really leaning towards trying to get one of these slots when i'm done with my tour here in England. Wife will have to get citizenship but that's just a trip to the states and back. I'll also be in for a long bit of training (up to 1 year depending on language). The job really sounds interesting and definitely very few do it. Anybody have any info. I have already emailed the Europe Defense Attache program dude and he has gotten back to me but it was pretty much a canned answer to some of my questions.

I'm flying the T-38C and looking to save myself a copy of my HUD tape, but since it records the video analog, it seems impossible to find a medium to play the video on, and transfer it to my computer. Any suggestions? And buying one of those $500 tape players is out of the equation. Thanks in advance.

I'm having a problem with TMO and need regs/ammo to fight this. Story: PCSd from Florida to Wyoming with TDY enroute at Little Rock. Partial DITY/PPM the entire trip. I got empty and full weight tickets for both legs of the move. I filed my DITY paperwork and have received two payments. Here's the problem: They only paid me for 600 pounds Florida to LR and LR to WY. They are refusing to pay me for the remainder of my weight from FL to WY. As I understand it, I should have received payment for 600 pounds FL-LR-WY and the remainder of the weight from FL-WY. TMO here says they already "used" my 4 weight tickets on the 2x 600 pound moves and cannot reuse those…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3060026/US-Air-Force-refuelling-aircraft-falls-radar-English-Channel.html?ito=social-facebook Just saw this on the internet. I hope there is more to this story and they landed safely after losing some of their avionics or something. Anybody know anything else?

Yes, I do believe she actually earned it; and yes, I do believe she is a badass! Air Force Names First Female SERE Specialist as Chief Master Sergeant Published Dec. 9, 2024 By Miriam A. Thurber Air Force Accessions Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas Tiffany Zaloudek became the first female survival, evasion, resistance, escape specialist to earn the rank of chief master sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, Nov 1. Although not the first female SERE specialist, when Zaloudek earned her beret in 2007, she broke an eight-year dry spell in which no women had graduated from the specialized training…

I just got passed up in ROTC for a rated slot, so I won't be flying in the AF unless they pull me from the alt list; I'm not counting on it. Anyways, I want to fly for a career once I get out of the AF and as of now have ASEL Comm and CFI, working on CFI-I and AMEL Comm. Not only do I want to fly while on AD, but I want to instruct and build hours. I have several questions that I will put below. Assuming there is an aeroclub on base, would I be allowed to instruct on the side? If none on base, how about instructing off base? What are the clubs normally like? What kinds of a/c do they usually have? Just light singles or twins too? Would I even be able to work th…

Originally saw this here. Here's the text from a related story that was easier to copy and paste: The website to the commission and its actual report isn't loading correctly, but the link to it is here.

Anyone have any info or a link that talks about the minimum requirements for guys to go fly the E-4B? Thanks for any help

Interesting link: https://www.otbeach.com/news/airlines-and-a...world--418.html