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We should save our money for more important things. Like buying quarterly vaccines and giving pallets of cash to bad guys. We are where we are because our leadership is incompetent.

Try this link: The Dark Century

concur...like "leadership" that spreads unfounded rumors around aviation incidents? you have less than 0 credibility.

Hopefully it's not the same one that's in the KC-46! 😲

good thing we have a strong leader in the WH to deter putin!

I am genuinely shocked and dismayed at the government reactions from governments I considered democratic and more liberal than us. Namely, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and somewhat the UK. I simply could not imagine the measures they've implemented at government whim, not population voting. I have always been supportive of the Second Amendment as one area where I can enjoy basic God-given rights, but I begin to understand the Founder's intent in specifically enumerating this right, perhaps.

This movie is actually fantastic and I recommend it to anyone interested in WW2 history.

Maybe he meant to post the one from yesterday?

If we (the Administration) are serious with the statement that the Russians are about to invade, why aren’t we surging this weekend for the inevitable refugee flows, reinforcing NATO members near Ukraine, etc… Put your money where your mouth is, this seems like Obama’s red line statement regarding chem weapons employment then no response after that when we said they used them on civilian targets deliberately Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I lied, can't believe I forgot about the AC-130A. Only two flights, one as as a gunner helping out the Duke bubbas and the other, years later, as an evaluator FE during an ASET. The ASET flight was on 129, the First Lady. 129 was the first C-130 the AF bought, it's a ''53 model.. It sits at the museum on Eglin.

I had removed when I was at Altus. I think the DNIF was a week? This was back in 2013, so I don't know if it's changed.

Buffs are back on the menu and in force! No longer are the bottom of the T-38 class guaranteed a viper which was becoming such a work ethic issue

They did it all for me cause I had Covid once a long time ago haha Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Concur. It is one thing to be a democracy, another to be both a democracy AND a super power with a powerful military and economy. Saying Europe should step into our shoes just isn't really a feasible option. To many different cultures, languages and tribal-ness all swirling around jam packed next to each other. To think they'd be able to collectively lead as we have I don't think is an option. That however does not free them from contributing their fair part and at least backing us up. Also the assumption that progress just happens, and would have happened without the US (ie somebody pushing it) is false. Dark ages anybody? Letting Ukraine slip without any resistance will be penny wise pound foolish. Putin is smart to capitalize on Americas aversion to conflict currently. The Ukranians are willing to fight for themselves it seems, they just need the hardware so they don't show up to a gun fight with a baseball bat. The amount of money well justify spending on our own weapons to counter "an expanding Russia" will far outweigh what we need to spend now to keep the border where it is. Why stop at Ukraine, lets say he gets all of it. Once it's part of Russia why not keep pushing West again in 5 years?

Any KC-135 crewmember knows the stories, or flew on, 58-0050 aka Spook 50. I once convinced an MCT student to make sure the ghost of Spook was annotated on the Form F when we flew on her. https://www.reddit.com/r/ChilluminatiPod/comments/hi50qs/the_time_i_flew_on_spook_50_the_haunted_kc135/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf https://www.macdill.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2002055952/ Spook even has a book on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Spook-Short-Story-David-Joseph-ebook/dp/B00EK3443W/ref=nodl_

I had 2200 hours on E model Hercs. They ranged from 61-2358 to various 64 models. I have time on 62-1787 which was the most decorated and easily has one of the most harrowing stories ever involving a C-130. It’s now on display at the AF Museum. https://www.troopcarrier.org/spare617.html

David Brooks' opinion piece in today's New York Times is worth a read. "Today, across left and right, millions of Americans see U.S. efforts abroad as little more than imperialism, “endless wars” and domination. They don’t believe in the postwar project and refuse to provide popular support for it. The real problem is in the seedbeds of democracy, the institutions that are supposed to mold a citizenry and make us qualified to practice democracy. To restore those seedbeds, we first have to relearn the wisdom of the founders: We are not as virtuous as we think we are. Americans are no better than anyone else. Democracy is not natural; it is an artificial accomplishment that takes enormous work." https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/opinion/liberalism-democracy-russia-ukraine.html

Yet almost everything you cited was overwhelmingly led or funded by the US. Also made possible by the umbrella of military security we provided as the sole non-imperial world power. To imply the world was headed this way is almost laughable. The world was literally headed in the opposite direction, that's why WWII happened.

Oblige him... https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12544300/michael-masi-replaced-as-f1-race-director-after-fia-review-of-2021-abu-dhabi-gp-finale Verstappen' championship forever has an *.

US power has always flowed from our economic power, including our military power/leadership, especially post-WWII. We are broke-ity-broke. Russia has a genetic fear of being invaded from Europe due to the successive devastating invasions from Europe. It has always wanted/needed buffer room from that and had it post-WWII. The break-up of the USSR took that warm fuzzy away. NATO expansion eastward to Russia-bordering nations was steps too far for Russia (not just Putin). Putin wants his blankie back and has the means, and more importantly, the will to get it. Both economically via gas withholding and by brute force. Old Europe does not. If they don't give a sh1t, why should we? Not our fight, not worth our blood and treasure. Did I mention we are broke and literally can't afford to be global cop anymore? Let someone else be the bad guy and we return to repairing our economy and institutions of liberty in order to become that beacon of hope as we were before. Now, we are largely loathed and/or taken for granted. I say again, not our problem.

Call it what you want. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII. I was always a history buff and spoke to both of them at length over the years about their own experiences, and the American experience as a whole during the pre-war, at-war, and post-war years. They both strongly held the viewpoint that an isolationist United States was a colossal mistake and that their generation's sacrifices forged this country's role as the leader of the free world. Now that most of that generation has died off and today's young adults are several generations removed from that experience, I fear we're losing the plot. I understand there are some who disagree, but I think it would be a disservice to the WWII generation if the U.S. were to return to it's isolationist ways.

Insane live stream from LHR with hilarious commentary as Storm Eunice hits the UK and the London area.

Another Air Force legend has gone west!

I think we can go pointier

Not a movie, but if you have Amazon Prime, I’d recommend checking out Counterpart. It premiered on Starz back in 2017; interesting concept and really entertaining. And yeah, boo China. They’re the worst. This shit didn’t fly when Harvey Weinstein ran Hollywood. #justsayin /s

holyfuckballs I deeply admire your honesty and trust. Welcome to the Thunderdome. We have some expectations to readjust. I've recently gone through it, so I'll gladly help. PM me, we can sort this out for you. Short answer: Yes you need a Flying Class 1 (FC1) and a FCC radio operators permit. Schedule a flying class one with a civilian AME in your local area ASAP to find out if you've got any hang-ups. If you have major medical issues such as PTSD, Heart murmer, etc...I don't recommend trying to hide...other opinions may differ. If you're comfortable and it's major, bring it up with the AME. If it requires a waiver, expect 8-12 months to get an waivered FAA FC1...so extra time is good. The FCC permit can be completely done online. Google it. Longer answer: Congratulations, you are a USAF pilot. That entitles you to be...a USAF pilot. If you're a Colonel or higher, I highly recommend re-learning how to do things for yourself again. I say that only half-joking, as I've seen how those ranks get treated. In the civilian world: no-one cares who you were. FAA has a COMPLETELY different grid of evaluating pilots. Respect that fact, as they are the ones who issue the license. Example: My instructor for the next week had over 10,000 flying hours BEFORE he was 26 and then hired by my current employer. Think about that for a minute. You're in a whole new world. You are now a UPT graduate again who needs to figure out all the new rules of the road. At core, yes, you've got what it takes. The USAF and the FAA do not like each other. Get over it right now. FAA says you need FCC Radio permit. Go get it. (seriously it took 2 minutes of googling and something like 65 bucks, online don't be that guy) FAA says you need FC1. Go get it. The worst thing you can do is foster the mental habit of "but in the air force I..." Just don't. The background you came from has remarkably thin impact on your aviation future beyond how well it prepared you to be evaluated on your ability to fly airplanes...which will rapidly become self evident if you get hired. Seriously. PM me. I've current on the hiring world right now. We'll get you sorted.

Newsflash to TFL at age 65. You MUST take Medicare Part B or you lose your TF”L”. Three things happen to your TFL at age 65, all three fairly significant: 1. Effective your 65th Birthday, you will no longer be seen by a PCP on base. You can continue to use emergency services at military hospitals however all of your health, clinic care providers will be on the market (Medicare providers). You can still fill your prescriptions on base so you won’t need Medicare Part D plan. 2. When you elect Medicare Part B (required or you lose TFL), Medicare becomes your primary insurance and Tricare becomes your wraparound coverage for anything Medicare doesn’t cover (still a good deal, sorta). 3. The standard Part B premium amount in 2022 is $170.10, so yeah you now start paying. In addition to the “standard cost” of $170.10, Social Security takes your PREVIOUS two tax returns (from the IRS) and, depending on your income from those two PREVIOUS years, you pay an additional amount of premium added to your monthly Medicare cost. The “holy grail” TFL just got tarnished. Personal experience: my “forever” TFL deduction of $50/mo for family coverage, has just turned into $544/mo for Medicare coverage for JUST ME at 65. But gee, I get to keep my TFL, which gets me prescriptions, SAAMC, VA, options still available. BLUF: for those of you chasing that airline final hi 2-3 yrs, at age 65 your MEDICARE premiums will be determined on your “previous” two years AGI “If your modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount, you'll pay the standard premium amount and an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to your premium.” Thank your local politicians if you agree with this law- bastardz… jus sayin~ https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs

Frontier and Spirit pilots are both represented by ALPA... so the seniority integration should go silky smooth.

Yes, I know this is in jest, but all intra-airframe cock-measuring aside, and totally divorced from whatever we individually feel about the concept of "what type of hours", remember that it is the airline hiring departments that tell us this based on who they hire and with what experience. For guys who have less than 1000 hours of MTPIC it is a relevant metric. The good news is that today it is trending toward being less and less relevant, with the post-COVID hiring boom starting to spin up. All of the major airlines are lowering their qualifications for interviews, and essentially any USAF pilot who is nearing the end of their ADSC and has an average record (e.g. with normal aviation career progression and maybe a blemish or two) is going to likely get the call. Regarding the "this or that" airline choice, I thought I'd throw in the wisdom of one of my mentors, a Desert Storm vet who is now a widebody Capt nearing retirement at a legacy airline. After I didn't get a job offer at the legacy airline I really thought I wanted to work for, and subsequently being hired where I am flying now, he said: "Sometimes the airlines do a much better job of choosing us than we do them. They know their culture a lot better than you do, and even the one you might not have thought was a good fit for you knew you were a good fit for them." So, back to the advice given many times in this thread: put in your apps everywhere, interview at every one that invites you, take the first job offer you get, and then when you have options to go somewhere better, do that until you're where you want to be.

You have less than zero ability to read a thread that started out as stating it was a rumor, and then proceeded to say, “thoughts?”