Leaderboard

Currently a stud. I highly doubt that matters at all, but even if it did there is nothing you could do to control it. What you can do is crush UPT, study hard, decompress (party) on the weekends and have a great attitude. The chips (timing, luck, needs of the AF) will fall wherever they may, but control what you can. Oh, and trim.

Here's a spreadsheet, you only work 12 days a month at an airline, beat that.

What's more amazing is someone found a way to get something for free on a Ryanair flight.

I just got my pay stub for May. I'm a 3rd year NB FO at a mAAjor. Line holder bidding about 75%. I made $22,579.40 with the 16% DC. That's prob more than the COS made in May. Caveat...I had a week of vacation and still flew a little more than normal. The fact that fuckhead Fingers thinks he has standing to negotiate my fucking pay after I served 10 years pisses me off to no end. It should piss you off too. The disconnect is unreal. Fuck off Fingers. For all of you even looking at the fence much less sitting on it, NOW is the time to get out.

Too bad the МиГ-28 Finback is a single-seat fighter! But don't tell anyone, because I think that's classified!

Bro I wouldn't even worry about playing that mental game if I were you. Just enjoy UPT, drink, and chase women.

I'd agree except for the snarky part. Hoss implied here he was kicked out for "dissent". He was kicked out because he retired. Roto explained why he deleted the original post and, after a discussion that seemed (to me) to clear it up, he invited Hoss to repost with source. There's a literal handful of dudes up there trying to make things better. Roto is one of them. Doesn't help any of us when dudes are throwing spears at him and implying dark motives where there are none. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's almost like when a commodity (pilots) are in short supply, you have to pay more to secure them...

Sorry, I didn't mean America can't afford it financially, I mean America can't afford to have a weakened Air Force. The AF can't increase the bonus. Only Congress can. The AF shot for 60k, which in my opinion is pretty amazing, and they got stomped. We are a pretty (reasonably) cynical group here, but now we think Congress will just open the purse? That's the most optimistic sh*t I've ever heard in my life. Trust me, the day Congress allows the bonus or flight pay to compete with the airlines will be two fiscal year after there's no one left to pay it to. Your arguments are too ideal, IMO. Of course the AF can work on QoL AND money, but they won't. You know it, I know it. Now that the bonus went up I fully expect the true believers to use this as an excuse to wait a year or two and see how it affects retention, while more people leave. Maybe another "round table" or two, but no real action. I think there are a lot of leaders, way more than we realized, who find the concept of making changes to the AF to make people happy morally repugnant. They "dealt with it," so we should too. Now they can point to the bonus, which isn't enough, and say "See? We did what you asked, now stop complaining." I could be wrong, obviously. But I'm trying to think of a solution in the context of what's possible. And in the interest of full realism, no, I do not expect the AF, or Congress to get it right. I think there will be hearings about the pilot crisis that will go something like this: DC: Where are the pilots? AF: Let's give the bonus some time *Pilots leave* DC: Where are the pilots? AF: We're making changes we think will fix it. DC: What about stop loss? AF: We don't think stop loss is the right answer for this issue [after they thought it was for a while, of course] *Pilots leave, missions visibly (CNN) suffer* DC: Where are the pilots? AF: Our changes didn't have the planned effect. DC: What a about stop loss? AF: We don't think stop loss is the right answer for this issue DC: We disagree, do a stop loss AF: ok *Stop loss goes for six months or so, then makes headlines* DC: Are you people crazy why are we still stop-lossing our heroes?!?! AF: *blinking on CSPAN* ...But you said-- DC: End the stop loss! AF: ok *Pilots leave. Hollow force. Period of struggle* *Major attack, war, terrorist event, etc* *Americans step up, old hats return, patriotism and country music result in massive military spending, AF is reborn* Rinse and repeat

Friend of a friend, who is in DC as AF Fellow attended the meeting between USAF and Airlines. His words "it was a horse abortion"; the USAF viewpoint was not looked upon with any type of sympathy. The overall gist was, we are commercial business who's goal is to make $ for our stockholders and company. I guess United was the most vocal in their displeasure. Statements like "you have mismanaged your pilots for over a decade". So I don't think it went like leadership was hoping...

This! I'm really digging the airline gig and I'm glad I jumped early. However, the above can't be emphasized enough. Right now, if you think you're going to the airlines anyway, the earlier, the better. Being at the front of the wave is a good hedge against any black swan events. In 10 years I might think it's wise to hang on for the pension...time will tell. I was over 10 years away from an AGR retirement so, for me, it was an easy decision to jump. If you're within 5 years, it's a no brainer...the tough spot is the guys between 10 and 15 YOS. Although even if I had been there, I still would have jumped. This year, my total compensation between the two gigs will more than double my O-4 AGR pay (16 yr, w/o dependents) and I'll work about the same. Taxes take a cut of that but I'm still up, plus my rental properties and a good tax man help. Flying with a captain now who was held back in the AF for almost a year. The difference...his buddies were hired into the right seat of the 757 on the A scale and he was hired into second officer on the 727 on the B scale. His buddies have also been WB captains for years while he is still unable to hold WB captain. His (forced) delay has cost him home hundreds of thousands of dollars and untold QOL (wrt to schedules). It's all a crapshoot, goodluck to us all.

This sort of thing happens in the U-2 quite often. Lots of folks want to join the "13 nautical mile high club".

Really? In the age of Google? https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/ and https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/COLA/

That picture is inaccurate... My mom's hair is darker

The "way too many variables" argument cuts both ways. "The spreadsheet" also doesn't include a single furlough, merger, or bankruptcy...which are not exactly unheard of in the airline industry, especially since most of us will spend 20+ years flying for an airline after we leave the military. The numbers themselves have always only been a single datapoint to be considered in a larger context of other life, financial, and career factors.

Well then. That pretty much caps off my horrific imagined sensations quota for the day.

Ryanair..... because a Ford Tri-motor full of live poultry wasn't available....

Yes. It went well if I get hired. Can be improved if I don't get hired.

Your base are all belong to us

Interns

Hoss quotes this forum's rumor about the airline meeting not going well and asks for clarification. That post is deleted by the mods and called "deliberate misinformation" and "fake news." Hoss is given a snarky (imo) "thank you for your service" by the other mod and removed from the group because the rules state fighter pilots lose their eligibility when they retire. That's exactly how it went down.

Not exactly how it went down Hoss. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Like the others said that's a bunch of BS. Pretty sure the AF needs pilots right now, absolutely do not let her sucker you into applying for all officer positions. Go take the TBAS again and apply for guard and reserve units, no need for a recruiter until after you get hired, and that's just to push paper work. She just wants her quota and could give a shit about your career or that you want to fly.

Anybody else finding it ironic he signed the post RT?

Spending 8-10 years as an O-6 maneuvering for O-7 sounds like the shittiest deal going.

My perspective is that if they COMPLETELY fixed the QOL/culture/toxic leadership, etc. They wouldn't have to pay people to stay (or pay much). Conversely, if they decided to keep going the way things are, they could fix the problem by paying their way out of it. Something like a $1million upfront bonus and I almost guaran-damn-tee you that even someone as cynical as I would have to rethink my plans. So since you really can't do either to the extreme the best bet is to make a concerted effort to fix the things that we have been squawking about for the last 10 years and up the bonus to grab the fence-sitters. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

You've obviously forgoten about the memo that says we can roll up our sleeves now.

Couldn't agree more. At the beginning of my career I heard people say that they would do this job for free. I maintain to this day that that comment is one of the stupidest I've ever heard. There is something about flying fast jets that causes some of the smartest people I've ever met to make some of the dumbest comments in the world about their compensation. I now have the comfort of cuddling with my DD214 nightly, but I get pissed when I hear borderline geniuses say that it's not about the money. Someone needs to start a workshop on business negotiation. We spend over a decade getting shat on with absolutely no negotiating power and once you finally have a say in your life and a little freedom you give a HUGE concession to big blue by saying it's not about the money! Of course it's about the money. That's just not the biggest part of what it's about.

I keep hearing guys say, "it's not about the money" but that's a load of bull. It may not ALL be about the money, but at some point, money talks. The AF should find solutions to most of the laundry list of reasons guys get out, but that is going to take years. Make the bonus jaw-dropping and you'll keep enough guys in to buy time to figure out how to fix the rest. I'd bet most of the guys getting hired by the majors right now are doing it for two reasons, money and work schedule. If the AF could figure out either (or both ideally), the exodus would be far more manageable.

In WWII the RAF did not consider shooting down the V-1s as typical aerial kills. Instead, they had their own separate list of victories, and even had "V1 Aces".

True! But there is usually a reason the mob is pissed in the first place. Many of us have been on this board since we were Lts just looking to make it through flight school. Now, many years later, we have spent entire careers either getting screwed or seeing our buddies get screwed (sts) by the AF, all the while watching the warrior ethos and camaraderie depart the fix as well. After suffering through poor leadership who spent decades treating us poorly and taking us for granted, we finally have other options. They (the generals) didn't earn or appreciate our loyalty when they had the chance, so why give it to them now? Fucking RUN fellas.

Former special ops... Future fighter pilot.... Does that make him a SpecOps-Fighter Pilot?

https://www.ncscooper.com/cascade-shores-family-cited-for-viking-funeral-at-scotts-flat-lake/#.WTnE4d1-NJ6.facebook Family Cited For Viking Funeral on Local Lake Chip Day 5-6 minutes Photo taken seconds after the explosion on Scotts Flat Lake. Cascade Shores, CA — A local family from the Cascade Shores housing development is in hot water for attempting to cremate a deceased relative on Scotts Flat Lake earlier today. The Barstad family recently suffered the loss of the family’s patriarch, Norman Barstad, who had lived with the family at their Spanish Lane home. The senior Barstad, who was 92 years old when he passed last week, requested that he receive a full Viking burial on the water. The family agreed to his last wish. Unfortunately, neither the Nevada County Health Department nor the Sheriff (who answered numerous 9-1-1 phone calls) seemed to think this was a good idea. “Generally, the burning of bodies on an open and public water space is frowned upon,” said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal in a prepared press statement. “And although there are no specific laws preventing a traditional Viking funeral on Scotts Flat, you can’t just set stuff on fire and send it off into the lake. Especially things as explosive as this.” According to witnesses at the lake, the Barstad family gathered on the shore of the Nevada Irrigation District-owned lake around 11 AM on Friday. A large Dodge truck was towing what appeared to be a homemade pontoon boat. There is some debate about the make-up of the boat. Some said that it looked like a pile of logs; others said it looked like a re-purposed pontoon boat covered in kindling. What is not in question is what happened once it arrived in the middle of the lake and detonated. “Yeah I was fishing,” said area handyman Hank Snow in a Scooper telephone interview. “I saw these guys lower this homemade pile of sticks down the boat launch ramp. I didn’t think much of it because, well, you know, this is Nevada County and I figured it was a back-to-nature type of thing. But when no one got on the boat and then about 200 yards out it exploded into flames, I was like, ‘holy [redacted]’ and I called 9-1-1. There was debris flying everywhere. I think I got hit with a detached finger.” Jimmie Barstad, the son of the incinerated father who organized and built the cremation boat, said that he may have “overstocked” the vessel with too much gasoline and surplus illegal fireworks from the last 4th of July. “Well, I wanted to make sure that it went off and worked,” said a somewhat proud and nervous Jimmie Barstad. “So I really stuffed that thing with everything flammable I could find. I just didn’t think gasoline would explode like that. I thought it would work more like the lighter fluid on my Weber grill. So the explosion scared the heck out of everyone. We’re still picking up pieces of Dad all over Cascade Shores.” Instead of engulfing the senior Barstad in gentle and majestic Viking flames, the homemade barge violently exploded, sending bits of the senior Barstad flying over Cascade Shores. While some of the remains of Mr. Barstad immediately disintegrated from the intense explosion, some body parts landed around the development. “I heard this explosion in the distance,” said Cascade Shores resident Sherry Smith. “I didn’t think much of it at first because we’re always hearing crap like that up here. You know, shotguns and whatnot. It wasn’t until I heard a thump on my metal roof. I went outside and right as I looked up, part of a leg slid down and whacked me in the head. It was pretty horrible.” Other neighbors reported mostly wood debris in, on, and around their properties. One local family was struck by flying fragments while using their powerboat. “We were out there with the family,” said Stacy Grant of Nevada City. “We had borrowed my Dad’s boat and were tooting around the lake. We didn’t see the explosion. We heard it. We were up by the dam, which was kinda far away. We still got showered with a bunch of sticks and things. I hope they were just things.” As for the Barstad family, they have no regrets about giving their patriarch a proper Viking burial. “It’s the Viking way,” said Jimmie Barstad describing the last wish of his now incinerated father. “We were happy to pay the fine to give Dad the burial he wanted. We knew there would be some risk, but this is Nevada County and we hoped that no one would notice or care that much. Turns out we were correct, except for the Sheriff and County officials. I hope to have my burial on Lake Tahoe someday. But that will be a trickier one for my kids to figure out. I’m glad they got to see their Grandpa leave us like this. It was a special day for everyone.”

Ask Holder?

Single mission air medal

I hope the tradition of GBU-12's for air to air kills continued!

Goldfein indeed went after said MC-12 pilot in a stupidly produced video that was mandatory queep for crews to watch who were coming into the AOR. Goldfein basically ripped the guy apart in that video, before that guy had is 'day in court' and was essentially cleared with mitigating factors. That just showed that Goldfein was a standard flag-level politico, same as when he was the 49th CC. He talks a good game of integrity, yet conveniently leaves out his brother's disgraceful involvement in the jumbotron contract scandal when he was the AWFC/CC at Nellis. He's as much a part of the problem as any other high ranking member of the AF corporation. Ive never much cared for flag-level dynasties. And yeah, said MC-12 pilot is doing just fine.