General Discussion

https://www.ktnv.com/news/nellis-air-force-base-helicopter-crashes-on-training-range

KC-46 boom severed, hoist cable snapped during AR with F-15 over CA causing the KC-46 to land with half its boom in trail at Travis AFB and F-15 to divert.

I am wondering if there is an easier and perhaps less expensive way to adopt international (or domestic) children as a military couple. My husband is a Reservist and so I don't forsee us moving overseas, but I have a growing heart for baby girls in China and orphans in Africa. Is there anyone out there with personal experience? Or can you refer me to someone?

It is with great sadness to tell you that we have lost a Special Tactics Warrior deployed from 21 STS yesterday in Afghanistan. TSgt William Jefferson (WJ) was killed when the vehicle in which he was riding was struck by an IED. TSgt Jefferson is survived by his wife Kristy and daughter, Tyler. I ask you to join all of us here at Hurlburt and our deployed locations as we come together to provide support and love for the families, friends and teammates of our fallen warrior. Will was a great CCT and true Patriot. Blue Skies.....

Maybe now they'll quit bugging us for pics of the inside of one of them... Cheers! M2

Found this online; cannot confirm validity, but it sounds like something that should be on DuffelBlog. Edit: I found this online and I'm relaying it over here to see what your reactions and input is. This is NOT written by me,

I'm gonna start traveling here in a few weeks. What size bag will fit into a travel pod? Any suggested bags that are good for taking all your shit downrange?

Hi Everyone, I'll commission from AFROTC with a B.A. in Philosophy, but would really like to earn a B.S. in Physics or Engineering after UPT sometime so that I could possibly apply for TPS. Would this be feasible to do in the said amount of time? I know that you can take courses online, but those seem to mostly be for non-technical majors like history, management, etc. Plus, I'd imagine that getting a Physics degree would be pretty challenging for a pilot that has 10-14 hour work days as it is. Thanks for any input or advice. [ 05. March 2006, 23:26: Message edited by: FlyAF ]

All, As many of you know, the C-21 is getting phased down - and eventually out. Congress approved a reduction by 50% a few weeks back. Here is the "unoffical" listing from a buddy of mine who works Chief of OSA/VIPSAM Planning at AMC. Andrews 13 to 6 WP 13 to 5 C.S. 10 to 3 Scott 14 to 9 (to include school house aircraft) Keesler 5 to 0 School house will move to Scott and be assumed by AMC. AAFSA will move to OKC. Ramstein 14 to 8 or 9 Yokota 4 to 3 The rest of the aircraft will probably go to the Navy as trainers, TC-21s and fly out of Randolph and Pensacola. All of this will happen by the close out…

A couple of the flyers I’ve talked with have recommended Touro U for an online program to get an MBA. From what I hear they are very flexible with deployments and will also meet the rest of the cost that TA doesn’t provide. Has anyone gone through them to get your MBA? How did it work with deployments and TDYs while you were doing the classes? Would you recommend their program? Thanks for any help you can provide.

I was a little off on my prediction on how long they would be held before they were swapped back. I said a month. It looks like it will be less than two weeks. A Russian named Igor Sutyagin is coming over to the US, and part of his trouble was in co-writing a book I bought on Russian strategic nuclear forces. It's a very interesting read if you can get through 700+ pages of technical writing.

Anyone know a good link to find historical TAF/METAR reports for a location from less than a year ago? Also, looking for a link that would show a historical radar picture. Thanks

Must be a Navy thing...

From the BBC

Word on the street is there are TWO new varieties of PT shorts out there. The first kind is the marathon shorts which are shorter and lighter, and those are confirmed to exist. The other kind I've heard about (but have yet to see in person) are supposedly a longer pair with POCKETS. Does such a new PTU short exist, and if so, is it worth me dropping some coin on it before I head back the the Deid in another month?

So in the GA thread a tangent got started and a new thread I think is better Background: Accelerated Copilot Enrichment (ACE) was a program for tanker & bomber copilots to fly and develop Total Flight Time to get guys who sat a lot of Alpha Alert to Aircraft Commander upgrade in a reasonable timeframe, it ended in 91 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) was inactivated. 94/95 when Gen Loh of ACC ended the program It made dollars and sense as the T-37s and 38s were cost effective trainers to develop the aviation skills and airmanship you wanted in your future Aircrew Commanders. The flying was different, no autopilot in a fairly nimble aerobatic aircraft, bu…

I am a medical officer with 3 years in and want to switch fields to become a pilot. I am already commissioned before my 29th birthday (I'm 28 now). Can anyone assist? I have called AFPC and my functional and they either say they've never heard of it, or that I'd lose rank (don't mind)--and still no help after that. I am seeing if anyone knows anything else in order to help me out and if it were even worth my while with only a few hours of pilot training and ground school knocked out. Phone numbers, e-mails, or contacts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

This is totally ridiculous.

Ouch...

I just got Mountain Home as my casual base and I was hoping people who are or were stationed there could tell me what its like, if they enjoy(ed) it, if the O-club is fun and all that. Also If anyone knows the rules for grabbing a backseat ride in a 15, please post! I dont know any of the requried medical, safety, whatever rules!

Does anyone have experience dealing with getting continuation after a DNP? Some NJP is in the picture from a few years ago that I thought I had recovered from, but that still played into a DNP for my first look at O-5. I’m assuming it’s not going to change next year. I’ve assumed I would get double passed over, but I was expecting a Promote at least. Does a DNP likely mean a DNP next year and how does that affect continuation? Thanks for any experiences.

ALL, I've been DNIF for a few years and the docs are saying I can return to fly. The way the classification AFI reads, it seems that if my current community will release me back to the rated world, the community that needs a pilot from my year group can claim me. I no longer have a RDTM and would like to stay at my current location to fly it's aircraft. Has anyone experienced this to know how it would be handled?

To him. We have too few heroes in this world that deserve looking up to. He was one. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/01/14/air-force-legend-medal-of-honor-recipient-joe-jackson-dies-at-95/

Yeah they weren't military but they were there helping us out. Cheers to the fallen! https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101118/BREAKING/101119779/-1/living?Title=Plane-crash-kills-3-in-Avon-Park

I was just checking out the T-6 cockpit diagram on the gouge website. I just can't figure out a couple of things about it. First, is the speed brake lever just below the PCL lever? 2nd, what is the purpose of the lever on the rear right side just behind the avionics and light circuit breakers? And third, what is the purpose of the dispaly containing three pictires of the airplane located on the light switch panel? Trim? I know that they are going to tell me all of this at UPT but I have a picture of the cockpit here at my desk that I stare at all day and I just can't figure out what these things do. [ 10. March 2006, 13:40: Message edited by: F152 P…