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I have a hard time believing no ELP because that’s not how you do it in the Viper. The Viper flies loops different than a T-6 too. Lands different too. PA to Viper? Having never flown the Fighting Falcon, I feel confident that the ELP requires energy management similar to a C-130 Assault landing, an F-15 BFM set, and a 60 autorotation. It’s npt the maneuver, it’s the principle that applies to all airplanes.

I give it a solid well below slightly above average.

I pulled out of the base gas station one day and TSgt Snuffy passes me going the opposite direction as I took a drink from the bottle I just purchased at the shopette. I immediately hear a siren and look back to see him powerslide his patrol car, fishtail his cruiser on the shoulder with dirt, rocks, and grass flying everywhere. Lights blazing he comes raging up behind me so I pull over. He nearly runs to my side of the car and starts yelling, "I got you Sirrrrrr, I got you!" Ummmm Huh? You got me doing what TSgt? "I got you drinking and driving Sirrrrrrrr, I saw you drinking that beer you have in your lap!!#%^$*" I take a deep breath and reply "Hey Sargeeeeee, do you mean this ROOT beer? He looked at the bottle three times, his head rocking sideways like a confused dog. He didn't say another work, he just walked away.

Yup. Used to be year 4-5 that you'd start losing money. Now it's year 2.

This is the part where regAF guys don't have the full picture when it comes to retention. See, when 19th went to HAF and told them to carve AETC out of the bullshit make-work so-called deployments that the USAF historically and institutionally has used to justify its money-footprint and existence to the Joint Chiefs and the Congress, they scored a win for their fiefdom. But there isn't much understanding around regAF low level circles as to where that pound of flesh was gonna be taken from. As you're finding out, that's coming out of ARC, which you folks commonly know as the AFRC and ANGB Command/Bureau. Picture this little happy Bob Ross winter scene for a second: You're a regAF dude. You're happy to get paid O-3/4 money with tax free 25% of your check on the 15th and 30th and get free medical, plus 30 days vaction a year you can't use but at least you're banking. Then regAF grinds you to a pulp. You try to hold on to the end of the commitment but say fuck it, I'm out. So you look up the hill to the AFRC/ANG. While you're tripping over yourself to submit that palace chase application to the Dementors at AFPC, 19th is scoring a big win on the QOL by shielding their boys from CENTCOM's rent-seeking combat desk 179s/364s non-flyings' to Bullshitstan. But by the time you get out it's ripe time for AFRC to get hit with the new word of the day: involuntary individual mobs for all TRs. Coincidence? If only. So now here you are, happy wife happy life, never gonna do that again and wham! You get hit with the very tasker you quit Active Duty over in the first place, while the peers you literally left behind in Active Duty are shielded from it. Which is noted, you're going in their place after all. And you potentially lose your CJO at Delta for all your troubles. How you like them apples? Think I'm kidding? Like you said yourself, "not asked, but fvcking handed". Try hiring folks in that environment, plus a double commute. So that's what's going on right now in the ARC. Caveat emptor.

You should look to pilot network to see just how well the community at large regards your DO. He is a special child.

Had my work laptop on the passenger seat when I got stopped once. Amn Snuffy reading from his clipboard "Sir, the reason we stopped you [lots of words] searching for contraband, government property...[more words]...do you understand the briefing?" Yes, go bananas {while I stand there checking FB on my phone}. Search over. "Sir you are free to go." Uuuuuhhhhh, can you read me that part about what you're looking for again? "[words]...government property...[words]" . Ok, so...nuthin? No? You sure? Final answer? Hokay then, deuces! No shit. Bradley Manning could have been driving off base with the motherload. Theater.

Had that happen to me once at Bitburg back about 1986ish. Dead ass tired after working mid-shift getting jets ready to fly finally headed home and got tagged for an exit inspection at the gate. So sky cop with his big-ass dog start ‘inspecting’ my vehicle. Fido alerts on something under the driver’s seat and the cop has one of those “got ya’ looks on his face for his first ‘kill’ of the day. I’m freaking out. Cop reaches under the seat and finds… a half-eaten bag of Oreo’s. The now pissed-off and hugely disappointed cop slaps his faithful K-9 on its nugget and cuts me lose… Good times.

I always viewed the ELP as an energy management maneuver, which is what it is. It is also a judgment test as well as stick and rudder skills. Sad that they want to take that out.

Here's what we know: 1) The AF has publicly stated that they want more women/minorities in the officer/pilot corps, which mathematically equates to fewer white males. 2) The AF has publicly stated that they have been looking at ways to promote more women/minorities, which mathematically equates to wanting fewer whites males being promoted. 3) The Air Force has publicly stated that we have a "pilot crisis", yet they are not putting all their resources behind retention and/or recruiting people solely based off merit, as they are now focusing at least some recruitment efforts specifically on women/minorities. If there's a "crisis" why is the AF then focusing on anything but retention and recruiting the best people you can get, regardless of gender/skin color? 4) Systemstic racism/sexism does not exist in the AF when it comes to recruiting/training pilots and covert racism/sexism in the AF to keep women/minorities from becoming pilots is few and far between, and when alleged is taken very seriously and if proven is dealt with quickly and harshly. This goes for promotion as well. So again, if we're in a "pilot crisis", why is the Air Force focusing on anything but promoting/retaining our best (regardless of gender/skin color) and recruiting the best/most qualified (regardless of gender/skin color)? I suppose if one believes that having greater diversity of gender/skin color by itself is more important than just merit, then I suppose you'll support the initiatives started by SecAF James/Gen Welsh and continued now by SecAF Wilson/Gen Goldfien. I have flown/served with many outstanding women/non-white males, and I would hate to believe that they were selected by anything other than their merit...they would probably hate to believe it as well. They were able to figure out how to go to the Academy/join ROTC/apply to OTS and become pilots, so as I mentioned, I don't think there's a program to keep women/minorities from becoming pilots. So that's where I'm at with this issue--perhaps you can answer the question in the paragraph above and explain to me in a way I can understand where I am going wrong. Right now, all I understand is that the AF wants to recruit/promote more women/minorities...instead of solely basing it by merit. Which is a shame, because over the last 10-15 years we've recruited/trained some pretty damn good awesome people who were women, minorities, and yes of course, white males...

Well, that's kind of orange and apples. The decision matrix question only exists because you have the seat available in the first place. In its absence you're expected to dead stick it obviously, so the question is moot. Actually in the -135 I heard they used to carry spare chutes for a manual bailout, but took them out. So there's that I suppose. As to T-6s. I disagree with the dilution of the syllabus, but it's always been understood that it is preferable for the student to punch himself out than mishandle a forced land recovery and mort himself. the Air Force has also officially codified the lack of emphasis of single engine aircraft recovery with total power loss. That certainly has always been the imparted standard on our illustrious middle eastern "partners" to say the least, and they still manage to mort themselves stateside. So the practical application on the question of solos hasn't really changed, but the dilution of the syllabus and training is truly something I can't endorse as reasonable, if we're trying to remain leaders in military aviation that is.

I'm assuming the mission required an augmented crew, meaning 3 pilots for up to a 24 hr flight duty period (C-17 world). I believe the original intent was to have 2 ACs and one FP (first pilot), but there isn't enough ACs. Solution was to allow an experience FP serve as the augmenting pilot with Sq/CC approval. Anyone with an ounce of integrity wouldn't allow a 200 hr pilot to serve as an augmenting FP. edit: typos corrected

Read that this morning. I think the O-6 coordinating it was trying to be subtle, but I still interpreted the preface as "we're not really going to try and improve compensation, just work on additional duties. " The AF would rather spend $20M and waste years to create a new IP than spend $100K to retain one. My prediction is we'll see no increase to flight pay or an introduced professional pay like docs. The bonus amounts/structures will essentially go unchanged.

It's not great right now as it is, we are thin all around but we are really missing experienced IPs. The few that are left from the RIFs/VSPs or those that bailed for Airlines are heading to staff/school and the year groups behind those have been decimated by years of Non-vols.

why not both?

I taught your mom all about apotheosis.

I'm applying for PC tomorrow on vMPF, with the intention of going to UPT with the ANG. Quick question, is there anything specific that should be in the intent to hire letter which could help with chances / speed of a decision being made? It looks like I have to apply for a separation date 180 days out, but normally hear of a decision ~3 months after submission? I need to do it right the first time because if this doesn't get approved, I'll have to wait until my ADSC is up and then I'll be 30+ (another waiver). @I don't exist, who are the signatures / contacts that I should periodically query to push things along? Looks like you found a way to chunk 8-12 weeks down to one day... Thanks.