General Discussion

https://www.switched.com/2010/12/27/navy-pilots-flew-helicopters-into-lake-tahoe-for-facebook-pictur/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYExH8hpgXI&feature=player_embedded

Just a reminder that so far we have 130 posts on the thread to win yourself a 2011 HeliOps calendar. Once we reach 200 posts then the thread gets closed off and those posters win a calendar each. So there are another 70 calendars waiting, is one of them yours, click on the link, sign up, make your post, and get your name on one of them, its that simple. https://www.heliopsforum.com/index.php?threads/200-heliops-2011-helicopters-at-work-calendars-to-be-won.264/ Cheers and have a great New Years.

My grandfather enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the late 30s, and then he spent most of the War in the South Pacific as a nav and pilot on 17s and as an IP on 29s in Mississippi (to the best of my knowledge). Well, he died in 2003 and left all his medals and ribbons to me. However, my grandmother (his wife), just passed away last week, finally putting me in possession of said medals and ribbons. My question is: how do I found out what each one is for? He stayed in the service for years and years as a reservist after the War ended, so I can't figure out which decorations belong to which time period. I'm assuming there's a website out there that would have all of these thi…

Do any of you T-38 pilots have any recent experience landing at civilian fields in SoCal, as far as getting an airstart? How about Palm Springs? I know SBD, Chino, Van Nuys, and Long Beach are good to go.

On September 3rd, 1951, a strike force of U.S. Navy Grumman F-9 Panthers was going in to hit the railroad freight yards at Wonson, North Korea. The formation was from VF-51, the "Screaming Eagles," staging from the aircraft carrier USS Essex. While over the target area, one of the aircraft, tail number 125122, was struck by anti-aircraft artillery fire and lost elevator control. The pilot, a 21 year old NROTC aviation cadet, managed to nurse his crippled aircraft back across friendly lines, then, unable to land, ejected from the aircraft near a friendly air base. He then parachuted to earth safely and without injury, though certainly shook up for the ordeal. …

I cannot imagine that this situation is very unique, but I haven't been able to find any definitive answers. My wife and I are expecting our first child, but the expected due date falls right in between the scheduled completion of a TDY en route at Little Rock (C-130J initial qual - I'm currently an E/H guy) and our RNLTD to our next base (Dyess). My question: Is there any way to extend one's TDY en route without taking leave until after the due date? It would be good to have some continuity in our OB/GYN appointments and have the baby in Little Rock, then travel to Abilene, versus the other two options of: -Her leaving Little Rock in the third trimester and …

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!

Fellow pilots, Cranium's up & FYI: New charting specification should appear in the NTAP soon: Here's a sneak peak (attachment). Also, "Taxi into Position and Hold" is going away, to be replaced by "Line up and Wait" even here in the CONUS. Link below to new rules on use of LUAW. FAA Notice Fly safe! Graphic Notice for MTA_Final.pdf

New show on Discovery, starts Fri 14 Jan--I've got my DVR set. Trailers look interesting.

Dudes, I'm about to buy my first house and I was curious what y'all do to prepare your house for both long deployments and 3-6 week trips and TDYs? I'm expecting about 250+ days gone in the next year... I'm single and was just wondering if y'all have a checklist of things to do/shut off/hire people for, since no one will be there to take care of the day to day stuff? Googled a bunch of stuff but it was just random things here and there. I'm looking for more of an all/mostly encompassing checklist. Thanks, Banquet

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Air Force Col. James E. Dennany, 34, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Maj. Robert L. Tucci, 27, of Detroit, will be buried as a group Jan. 14, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery. On Nov. 12, 1969, Dennany and Tucci were flying the number three aircraft of three F-4Ds escorting an AC-130 gunship on a night strike mission over Laos. After the gunship attacked six trucks and set two of them on fire, 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.

Come this fall, there will be a new and extremely powerful supercomputer in Afghanistan. But it won’t be in Dave Petraeus’ headquarters in Kabul or at some three-letter agency’s operations center in Kandahar. It’ll be floating 20,000 feet above the warzone, aboard a giant spy blimp that watches and listens to everything for miles around. That is, if an ambitious, $211 million crash program called “Blue Devil” works out as planned. As of now, the airship’s “freakishly large” hull — seven times the size of the Goodyear Blimp’s — has yet to be put together. Full article: ISR Blimp

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

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

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…

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…

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.

Oh no! The old baseops.net access to the Airfield Suitability Reports has been yanked (I know they'e been warning us for a while but I was hoping it wouldn't happen). Now we have to get GDSS2 accounts to get to the Giant reports. As a red-headed step child C130 rescue unit in ACC, we rely heavily on the Giant reports for CONUS planning. Any of you AMC bubbas feel like helping a sister out with the odds of/procedures for requesting a GDSS2 account? I'd appreciate it a ton.

Isn't this why we went to the ABUs in the first place? https://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123240205 1/27/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Airmen deploying to Afghanistan in 2011 will see a new uniform issued to them as part of their deployment gear beginning in March. While Airmen have been faced with a slew of uniform changes in recent years, this new uniform is not a matter of image or heritage but instead has resulted from a joint initiative that ensures all outside-the-wire deployers in Afghanistan, regardless of branch of service, have the best ground combat uniform in order to enhance combat effectiveness. According to Lt. Col. Shawna McGowan, the Air Forc…

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

One of numerous stories on the ongoing protests in Egypt. Figured it's an appropriate topic since Egypt is both a big U.S. ally in the region & also unfortunately has quite an iron-fisted regeime. For all the talk of us supporting freedom we need stability too and those competing interests have put us in a tough spot. Thoughts on implications for U.S. interests?

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…

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…