General Discussion

Apparently certain year groups in the MX Officer career field have significant short falls at my base and they are asking aircrew to help back-fill AMU OIC and MX Ops Officer (MOO) positions. The deal is that the rated folks would be allowed to continue flying and maintain currency but their main job would be MX for a given period. I was essentially offered such a position and since I am a former MX officer thought it might be a good fit/opportunity. My understanding is that in my case it would be to take over a MOO position. Apparently, also, It's an initiative that the WG/CC is a big proponent of. Does anyone on here have any experience with this sort of situation …

Whitney was mentioned in the WTF thread, but this bucket of shit deserves its own thread. NJ Governor lowers flags to half staff to honor Whitney Houston

US Aircraft Crashes in Djibouti, Four Fatalities :beer: :beer:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17110079 Partial quote: The Nato commander in Afghanistan has apologised over reports foreign troops may have burnt copies of the Koran. Announcing an inquiry, US Gen John R Allen said any "improper disposal" of religious materials was inadvertent. Reports suggest the books were taken from prisoners after the US uncovered a secret Taliban message system. Rumours that a Koran had been burnt led to protests outside the US base at Bagram north of Kabul. One man was hurt when Nato troops fired rubber bullets. President Hamid Karzai condemned the reports that the Koran had been burnt, as did the Taliban who said the incident would…

Nice accomplishment! I do take a litle umbrage with using the term "Best Squadron" when only air defense units were included, as IMHO the best fighter squadron in the CAF today has got to be someone actually fighting. I've highlighted a few lines that I found interesting.

Looks like all the canucks made it out safe https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1135032--fire-breaks-out-on-military-aircraft-all-nine-crew-evacuate-safely?bn=1

Greetings, Anyone in or around HRT/AFSOC hear a rumor about the 1 SOW OG/CC recently putting a CV-22 into the trees about 200m short of the LZ, then throwing the copilot in his seat, jumping off the bird while the crew continues the mission, and then handing out Q3s to everyone for it all? Plus, we haven't heard anything about it at any safety meetings. Im sure I dont have all the facts but it sounds pretty lowball to me.

Doubt it'll pass as it has to be approved by Congress. I'm all for cutting the defense budget back a bit as the wars end but this may go a little too far if the Pentagon wants to maintain some resemblance of the increasingly scant military benefits everyone was entitled to when they signed on. https://freebeacon.co...ashing-tricare/

All, I am married to a German citizen who only hold German citizenship and I won't ask her to change that. Our daughter holds dual US/German citizenship. She would like to apply for an ROTC scholarship or an academy appointment. As a prospective officer, does she have to give up her German citizenship to make these things possible?

"Air Force Official Says 9/11 Remains in Landfill Did Not Include Shanksville Victims" https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/us/air-force-official-says-9-11-remains-in-landfill-did-not-include-shanksville-victims.html?_r=1&ref=us

I remember seeing in some pics in a post of Bagram before the shoe clerks invaded. Does anyone know where these were posted? I used the search function, but no such luck. Thanks!

Came across these articles while while doing some thesis research, thought i'd share. Cliff Notes: 1. Beijing asking Russia for Su-35 Super Flankers due to an inability to use the word engineer without using reverse in the same sentence: https://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/03/04/china%E2%80%99s-sukhoi-submission/ 2. China's fighters suck and will get their ass handed to them by the USAF (surprise!): https://the-diplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2011/03/10/chinas-fighters-wont-match-us/

The Wall Street Journal has a subscribers' only article about the Afghan Air Force using aircraft to transport drugs. Here's Reuters' take: https://www.reuters.c...E8270DU20120308 Who knew that the Afghanis had C-5s?

It appeared in the inbox today - but links to a .org address...but it's not like they ask you about the Raptor OBOGS. It uses an individual PIN, so forwarding isn't going to work.

Pretty neat bird! https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/6836386475/sizes/o/in/photostream/

I am at a GSU to a GSU currently, and was wondering if anyone here knew what this year's DP allocation rate was for the LAF O5 board. Thanks.

Are the pilot jobs at this squadron for TPS grads only? I'm unfamiliar with their mission other than what can be found online. Thanks for the help.

Does anyone know if anybody sells the screw-in NVG Battery Pack counter weights? I've only been able to find counter weight bags...

https://www.afcgoc.org/ Holy fuck, there's a CGOC in charge of all the base CGOCs? Mind. Blown.

~~~~~~~~~~~Please share the message next under~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On March 20, 2012, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will expand their trusted traveler program known as Pre✓™ to Service members flying out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Service members, active drilling Reservists, National Guardsmen, and members of the Coast Guard, who present a valid Common Access Card (CAC) at security checkpoints will receive expedited security screening. To participate, members must go to the TSA Pre✓™ lane at the security checkpoint in terminal B (gates 10-22), and present their CAC to a TSA officer who will scan the card…

I’m currently deployed and a buddy of mine recently called crew rest/safety of flight during his alert sequence. Apparently he was unable to sleep and had already been up for approx 16 or so hours. We fly combat basic and the mission was routine, meaning there was nothing vital to move such as AE, HR, etc. However, it seems that when he called safety of flight, TACC grilled him and the amount info requested seemed to be slightly over the top. Apparently, it goes all the way to the top and a general has to be briefed. When I attended GRACC I remember TACC telling us that if safety of flight was ever an issue, call it and they would have our back. Yet when a crew m…

Once upon a time a pilot found a beautiful princess and asked her, "Will you marry me?" The princess said, "No!" And the pilot lived happily ever after and flew jets all over the world and drove hot cars and chased skinny long-legged big-breasted flight attendants and hunted and fished and went to topless bars and dated women half his age and drank Weihenstephaner German beer and Captain Morgan and never heard bitching and never paid child support or alimony and kept his house and guns and ate cold leftover meals, potato chips and beans and blew enormous farts and never got cheated on while he was at work and all his friends and family thought he was frickin' cool as…

Osan lost a jet today. Pilot ejected safely. https://www.osan.af.m...sp?id=123294664

Just saw this article up on CNN.com Here's a good one... If/when pilots are walking down the aisles of airliners NOT flying and instead serving beverages and peanuts, just go ahead and kill me because that is a world I do not want to live in. https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/24/travel/autopilot-airlines/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

After reading through these threads for a week or so, there seems to be many unfavorable aspects to being a military aviator such as long hours, large amounts of time away from home, random schedules etc... This brings me to two questions: 1) Is being a pilot worst than, the same as, or better than what you expected? 2) Do the pros outweigh the cons? Obviously these are opinion based questions. Just some things I'm curious about, thanks in advanced for the input.