General Discussion

I hear a lot of talk about military traffic patterns with fixes and all kinds of stuff. What does a military traffic pattern actually consist of? Is a VFR pattern more like an approach or is it just a general procedure?

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?

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146001069880040.html "In November 2010, each branch of the military issued a final report on the Fort Hood shooting. Not one mentioned the perpetrator's ties to radical Islam." Even after this rampage, the military still refuses to identify the true enemy we are fighting that is the ideologies of radical Islam. Another example of the type of officers in leadership in today's military, risk adverse, politically correct, and lacking spine. Thoughts?

Reports from England today (Feb 14): A quarter of the RAF's trainee pilots are to be sacked in the latest stage of the Government's defence cuts, reports claim. Up to 100 student pilots will be told the news tomorrow that they have no future in the service as part of the latest ramifications of the defence spending review. They are said to include some who are just a few flying hours hours away from earning their wings as fully qualified pilots. Job cuts: One-in-four new RAF pilots are to be sacked as part of new defence cuts, it has been claimed According to the Daily Telegraph up to 20 fast jet pilots, 30 helicopter pilots and 50 transport aircraft pilots are to …

An article in the Wall Street Journal this AM stating Sec gates is in favor of increasing Tricare premiums for retirees. I am sure the retired groups will be up in arms, but it seems to make sense to me. Enrollment fees have not changed since the program was founded in 1996 and the cost for a family would increase from $460 to $520 per year, that sounds more than fair and reasonable to me. Another change is to encourage the use of the mail-order pharmacy, no co-pay for using the service, certainly a reasonable option for non-time critical medicines. The co-pay would increase $3 if you still want to use a local pharmacy. With all the other cuts backs and issues faci…

So, looking over all of the postings recently, there has been alot of talk about the tweet gouge. Everyone seems to agree that guys inbound for UPT should at least know the Boldface, but there has been alot of talk about the boldface having changed. Can it really change so much that it is nolonger worth looking at? Also what is the Boldface test like, fill in the blank, multiple guess, or is it verbatium write out every boldface? Any help would be appreciated.

Who is getting rich off of this BS? Anyone know a way to get out of this? Supposedly it's mando under AFCENT. Other than just not wanting something that should be totally optional shoved down my throat; I don't want it to affect my credit rating, or have to monitor another account. If I needed it, I would apply for it. Are they going to try to make the BX a non-cash operation?

We've told war stories. We've discussed the same 10 topics at least 69 times or more. We've measured johnsons. How about some pictures to back all the bullsh1t up? I'm always in search of cool aviation pictures, so I thought it would be interesting if the peanut gallery posted some "So there I was..." pictures. Let's try to keep it to photos you're either in or took yourself. Any weenie can surf the internet to post someone else's pictures. For those who are internet challenged, go to Tiny Pic to host your pictures. Upload it, then cut-n-paste the "IMG" line at the bottom into your message on here. Toro...that's not you, is it? Somewhere over Oklah…

Trying to find the call sign of LtCol. Robert L. Wright (ret) who was the Operations Officer for the F-15 test squadron at Edwards in the late 80's, early 90's. He also flew F-4's before going to TPS. Any help anyone can give would garner you many internet beers! Edit: More information

By BGEN Greg Stroud (Ret) Some of you know that I was recently "retired" as the 162 Fighter Wing Commander. The decision was made by Brig Gen Mike Colangelo, the Arizona Air Commander, who replaced me because he "just wants to change the culture at the 162nd". Not for cause or performance or any other reason. This officer never commanded anything bigger than an Air Control Squadron and somehow he wound up in charge. Heck, the guy probably got beat up in grade school everyday. I think it is indicative of what is happening in our Air Force and reinforces what Bruce MacLennan and the anonymous author have to say below. Well, I also have something to say about our changing…

I am currently in AFROTC commissioning in May and heading to UPT at some point after that. (Hoping for quick EADs) I have been trying to get into the right mindset for UPT. I, like many guys going to UPT have been wanting to fly fighters for the AF for as long as I can remember. So my question is this: What is the best way to approach the competitive aspect of UPT? I am going there determined to achieve my goals, and will give 110% to get there but I don't want to be that guy who steps on the other studs to get what I want. I have heard that it is an intense competition and it's dog eat dog, but also that you need to help each other out and pass on all the valuable i…

20 years ago today, on 31 Jan 1991, SPIRIT 03, an AC-130H from the 16th SOS was shot down by a MANPAD while providing close air support for Marines during the Battle of Khafji. All 14 crewmembers died. It was the single largest loss of Air Force personnel during the Gulf War. Please take a moment to remember their sacrifice... Major Paul J. Weaver - Pilot Captain Clifford Bland, Jr. - Co-Pilot Captain Dixon L. Walters - Electronic Warfare Officer Captain Arthur Galvan - Fire Control Officer Captain William D. Grimm - Navigator Senior Master Sergeant Paul G. Buege - Sensor Operator Senior Master Sergeant James B. May II, Gunner Technical Sergeant Robert K. Hod…

I saw the openings on the 365 list, and was pretty interested - anybody know someone I can talk to who is actually doing it. I've lost my contacts since leaving the T-6 awhile back... Same goes for anyone doign Kinetic Caravan...

If you know anyone who flew the T-38 and their GRANDFATHER flew the T-38, please drop me a msg. I'm looking for 2 or 3 generations of pilots in the aircraft. Sluf

Has anyone been able to get their CAC reader to work on a MAC not using a windows partition, just plain ole OS X?

Unmanned aircraft program takes on first class Hopefully they can increase the volume in the 18X pipeline enough to reduce demand and cut the non-vol 11X pulls.

Air Force’s ‘All-Seeing Eye’ Flops Vision Test It’s the one of the most revolutionary — and one of the most chilling — weapons to come out of America’s decade of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gorgon Stare, a new “all-seeing” camera system for aerial drones, is supposed to boost U.S. surveillance by an order of magnitude, by installing a hive of nine or more cameras under the wing of an Air Force Reaper drone. Gorgon Stare-equipped Reapers are meant to watch over a “city-size” area, while also simultaneously sending video feeds to dozens of “customers” on the ground. There’s just one problem. Gorgon Stare doesn’t work as promised, at least according to the A…

5 generals mishandled $87M, comptroller says By Bruce Rolfsen brolfsen@militarytimes.com Five generals have been disciplined for mishandling $87 million and failing to meet Air Force standards. Gen. Roger Brady, Gen. Stephen Lorenz, Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears, Maj. Gen. Anthony Przybyslawski and Brig. Gen. Sandra Gregory received letters of admonishment for acting inappropriately in 2005 by allowing the Air Force to over draw its fund for permanent change-of-station moves, according to Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a service spokesman. All had budget- or personnel related jobs. The Defense Department uncovered the shortage in 2006 during a routine audit. Brady and Lorenz…

Came across this link of some pictures and transcript of yesterdays launch at Vandenburg. Looking at the pictures I am wondering the pucker factor of the launch controller who had his finger on a self destruct button. Looking at the pics on the link you can see a fire at a seam on one of the external boosters and later you see a fire just above one of the engines. Hopefully there are some guys with knowledge with these monsters on this forum. https://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d352/status.html

I am running into some problems trying to see if I qualify for partial DLA. I was forced moved because of renovations from one base housing unit to another. From reading JFTR Vol 1 U-5630 Ch. 5, Part G, Para 15, it seems as though I would qualify. However, no one at my base seems to know who is suppose to fund it. They need a LOA (line of accounting?) to process the payment, but finance sends me to TMO, who sends me to housing, who sends me to Privatized housing, who sends me to finance, and the circle continues. Has anyone had an experience with this or any idea on how to help? Thanks in advance!

I am starting UPT at Columbus this October. My first choice will be C-21s. I have heard rumors that they are all going to gaurd or reserves. Any truth to that. If so when is that supposed to happen? Does Yokota still have C-21s?

Does anyone have a briefing guide for a C-130 formation brief that would be used/given by the MC. I am not talking about an AC brief or table top brief or anything like that. I am talking about the actual Formation brief given by the MC. I looked in the 3-3 and vol. 3 etc. and got nothing. I also checked the gouge section on this site to no avail. Anybody got a legit guide, gouge, know where to get one? Thanks -Barney E/H Model

I'm a UPT student hoping for T-44's. I have a wife, child, and a dog. Just wondering what the housing situation (on-base, rentals, etc.) is for AF Lt's going to Corpus for T-44 training? Thanks for any advice.

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.