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I would not want stock (or options) in this company.

Please stop making this about parachutes. If you fly heavies you know for a fact, if the aircraft can be controlled well enough to put the chute on and get out, it is controllable enough to land it.

Wanted to throw some kudos to Chick-Fil-A in St Louis. I can't get on facebook from this cave to get the link. After Cyr's memorial friends and family made a push to his favorite restaurant off base for some food and good stories. Chick-Fil-A was notified in advance of the crowd for the next day, they closed the resturaunt to the public and their headquarters covered the costs of everyone's meal. Maybe this link will work... https://www.facebook.com/ksdktv/posts/10200403876231773

Even if the opportunity to bail out presented itself, I'd still ride it in. My landings are better than my PLFs.

It's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife...

The mentality that nothing could ever happen to make bailing out either viable, or preferable to riding it in, is usually just due to a lack of imagination. In my community the notion of bailing out was laugable to many, particularly those whose crew stations are on the flight deck. It was a, "sure, give it the old college try, but you're just going to die halfway through the cargo compartment, as opposed to your crew station seat" kind of proposition. Granted it's not a heavy (AC-130), and is based on a platform that was designed to airdrop personnel and thus is configured to make exiting the aircraft in flight safe, but it was usually assumed that in any situation where you'd want to bail out the aircraft would be uncontrollable, dark, and for those who are familiar with the AC-130, full of obstructions in your way. Then one day a crew found themselves over central Afghanistan (good luck finding a viable crash landing location) at a relatively low altitude (typical for the gunship) with a perfectly controllable aircraft that wasn't producing adequate thrust to maintain altitude. The crew was in the process of prepping for bailout when the issue was resolved, but had it not been, bailing out would have absolutely been the best option. Crash landing onto an 70% slope with a sheer cliff face at its end with no power isn't a highly survivable situation. I get that bailing out of a heavy is a much different proposition, but defending the stance that parachutes are worthless in a heavy is going to be a shitty one to have to own for the 5 minutes that you glide down to certain death when that one situation that you couldn't ever have imagined crops up. The probability that they ever save a life being incredibly low, it's still easy insurance for a few hundred pounds.

Everyone please shut the fuck up about parachutes and other non-sense. We are in this thread to remember three friends and crew mates who have lost their lives. This has been floating around the facebook. Does anyone know it's origins? I’ve got troops in contact Pinned down by the Tali Made one more pass, way low on gas “I need vectors for the tanker.” Tonight my wounded warriors Need medevac to Landstuhl. A double A/R out of Kandahar “I need vectors for the tanker.” The Kims and their kin are at it again, In far away Korea We are looking tough, with my cell of Buffs “I need vectors to the tanker.” Earthquake, flood or famine The world needs US aid The air bridge is faster, to any disaster “I need vectors to the tanker.” NKA…WTG! We take pride in this expression. Day or night, we fuel the fight. “I need vectors to the tanker.” A CSAR helo has been launched A grim hunt for 3 survivors. A burned patch is found, now hallowed ground. “I need vectors to the tanker.” Today a crew is coming home. Boom stowed and bound for heaven. They passed their gas, now haulin’ ass. “I need vectors for the tanker.” All SAC aircrews please stand by This is GOD on “Guard.” Lemay and I from up on high “Are giving vectors to the tanker.”

please tell me someone told you doxy will fix your herpes...

The River Rats / Air Warrior Courage Foundation have been in contact with the SQ/CC, who passed us off the FLO's. Once we get the go ahead from the surviving spouses, 529 college accounts will be set up for the children. I'll post the donation info as soon as its official. Cheers, Cap-10

How do you run out of gas in a tanker? That's like a whore house running out of -tang

...or about 1.3 navs in the average Guard unit.

Sounds like bombers/heavies are a completely different story from fighters. At least in the Viper world, you are well behind your peers and have a lot of catching up to do. In general, the only real "leg up" you're given is job wise...i.e. shop chief much sooner (right out of, or close to, completion of MQT). Maybe FLUG comes slightly early, but certainly not IPUG. Both are merit-based upgrades and FAIPs are looked at pretty much the same as their flying peers (not year group peers). As the boss said the other day, he owes everyone one upgrade (MQT) and everything after is earned...he doesn't give a shit if you're a FAIP or right out of the pipeline. That's the predominant take I've seen on this situation. Some FAIPs realize this, accept it, and then kick ass and go on to blow past these hurdles/do very well. Others come to the CAF with an attitude that their FAIP time entitles them to something extra...it doesn't. Of course throw in a little luck/timing with leadership, VMLs, etc. and there you have it. That's how it is, without sugarcoating.

Butters. You edited this post above. How can you edit a post, and still not identify and correct "fist" versus "first?" You are very bad at the internet. You are very bad at the English language.

Landings at the wrong runway don't count. Sorry...saw the c-17 sig. Couldn't help myself. I completely agree. The chances that we would ever use our chutes in the 130 community is extremely slim, but they're nice to have. For true heavies that fly much faster though, I'm not sure they are as useful.

No, wasn't a war, doesn't count.

I think this particular passage is extremely relevant: "I recall telling people about the job, and they would all ask what I studied in college to do such a thing. At first I thought they were being rude toward me, because the reality is that I was hired at the age of 25 with my only prior experience having been owning NYCAviation, which was only a small nerd site at the time. One day I’m a bouncer asking a friend to see if she could get me an interview at this charter airline, and weeks later I’m in the Middle East doing the payload math that will bring soldiers to and from war." Yep, that checks. Sketchy as hell. I'm sure the rest of the carriers have much more rigorous training programs.

The doc says she'll be walking again in 5-7 days and the ability to eat solid foods should be a few days after that. All in all, not the worst she's experienced.

Christ Huggy, do you have an app that scours the interweb for new postings that contain the word "airshow"?

Easy now... You're talking about some of my favorite people.

Yes but the singing and dancing you guys do in DC is a little more relevant to the overall mission of air power.

Five big ones for that post! That was probably the closest I've ever come to wanting to fly fighters. :D