General Discussion

I'm getting ready to fill out my dream sheet here in a few weeks for the T-1 drop in early July. I know it differs from base to base, but I was wondering if anybody knew a rough estimate of the current ops tempos on the heavy side. If you could throw in specific examples (ie specific base deployment rates) that would help out a bunch. Just want to make an informed decision of what jet I put down and I have a feeling that those out there actually doing the mission could give me more accurate info than the brief we're going to receive from those who have been around the training squadron for a while. Thanks.

Just heard about this... T-6 Instructor Pilot Dies After Ejection Seat Goes Off on the Ground (airandspaceforces.com) An Air Force instructor pilot died early in the morning on May 14 from injuries sustained when the pilot’s T-6A Texan II training plane ejection seat activated during ground operations the day before, the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, announced in a press release. “An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway,” the wing wrote, adding that the pilot’s name is being withheld for 24 hours to notify his or her next of kin. (full story at title link) 🍺

Hello! Mid twenties working in healthcare with few logged hours under my belt. Been considering a career change and try for a guard spot. Current job is somewhat interesting and rewarding, but it just feels like a job and like I am putting my life on pause until I clock out. Does flying ever start feeling like that? I have read enough from pilots leaving service to understand there is a lot of desk work and duties outside of flying, but at the end of the day you still get to do some amazing flying, with amazing people, wear flight suits, and all the prestigious things that come with being a pilot. It just feels childish to quit a stable career I built so far to start from…

Anybody know what the lifestyle is like for the KC-10?I know there probably gone a lot just like everybody else.

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 …

The videos coming out of France are insane. Granted, no one loves rioting more than the French, but they've taken up a notch. They're making the George Floyd riots look tame. Sure seems like the frequency and magnitude of chaos in "civil" society has sharply increased as of late. It is really about people being victimized by the police? Buy lowers.

Is anyone familiar with this assignment and area? I’m looking at potentially leaving the CAF to go there, but I don’t know much about it. Thanks.

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.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-10-08/saic-offering-eclipse-550s-usaf-pilot-trainer-bid Thoughts??

BREAKING NEWS — North Korea announced Monday that it successfully carried out an underground nuclear test, weeks after threatening to restart its rogue atomic program. FOX News

Many of these topics have been discussed here piecemeal before, but my Google-fu has failed to turn up any dedicated thread. I know we have many retirees & separatees (current or imminent), so hopefully this thread will be value-added. So, I've dropped my papers--I get promoted to "Mister" on 1 July. So far, the retirement outprocessing stuff has been a lot like a PCS, just more painful. I think I've got my brain wrapped around most of it so far, with a couple of glaring exceptions. I'm hoping some of the ORFs who have gone before me can help me work out the best answer(s) for myself & my wife. Particulars: retiring as an O-5 with 21 yrs, 8 mos; marri…

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…

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

Anybody know the name of the place that customizes the FLIGHT (not ****in missile) Jackets? They put silk lining in and print blood chits on them. If anybody has info on that it would be appreciated. thanks...

I was just wondering if, barring the retirement or removal or your current platform, is it possible to change platforms during your career. Obviously, this applies to AD, but all input would be welcome!

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.

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.

I will be heading off to UPT in a few months but my wife will not join me until January. I have heard that I can live in the dorms and she will get BAH. Is there any truth to that rumor? Is that usually what guys do that go through UPT without their wives? Do I have any other options? Thanks.

...the Falklands War started! to the Brits! Cheers! M2

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…

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…

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

I think the probability of acquiring the holy grail guard slot just became 69x harder. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-national-guard-fighter-fleet-bill/#:~:text=A minimum of 25 fighter,with at least 18 aircraft