Leaderboard

Most importantly, it doesn't leave a visible mark on someone's FEF/record.

MANPAD rips tail off MI-28

Why’d you have to shit all over my happy rumor?

15 years and the only Q-3 I've heard of was my B-Course roommate who Q-3d his inst check in the B-Course (by a serious reserve Santa Claus...funny story)...he later became a patch. I'm sure if I dug through the squadron FEFs, I might find one or two, but probably not more than that. For the most part, we've always viewed checkrides as just another ride. I know I've had a few downgrades and probably deserved a few more, but I couldn't tell you what they were. They were likely debriefed by myself anyway. I've heard ridiculous stories from my MAF bros about how a Q-3 is used as a punishment for buffonery. This is foreign to us, we just use the ole fear, sarcasm and ridicule method. Temp groundings, blues briefings during academics...stand up in front of the bros and explain how I fucked up. Everyone learns and the point is usually driven home.

His quals are court-martialed for unprofessional relationships, that’s the highest on the LOX Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always said during my career that if you treated every ride like a checkride then the checkride wasn’t an issue. Fly every day like you’re being graded. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

From a guy who is not an ANG pilot, answering #2 with my past experience: Do your own research, learn as much as possible about the airframe, unit, and mission on your own. Then ask the questions. Your questions will be more educated, genuine, and ultimately peak your own interest; therefore, likely to lead to more meaningful conversations and connections. Telling you what to ask is not you being yourself. The quickest way for them to turn you down, is for you to ask some BS questions with the sole purpose of leaving a lasting impression to get an interview. They will see any hubris or mock version of you. Just be yourself and you will be perfectly fine. Good luck!

EQ = Exceptionally qualified Q1 = fully qualified Q2 = remedial training Q3 = unqualified These are the overall evaluation qual level. Downgrades are for individual tasks not meeting the criteria outlined in the vol 2 for Qual. For each task, you can be evaluated at Qual (Q), Qual - (Q-), or Unqual (U). Q and Q- have specific criteria. Want to stay clear of Q3 and U's.

What are these downgrades and Q1, 2, and 3?

BTW, for anyone concerned about the longer-term flying career implications of downgrades on USAF checkrides.... ...nobody cares at the airlines. They won't know, and won't ask. Even Q-2s and Q-3s are not a big deal, so long as they are not trend items or repeat performances.

Admittedly, my data is now going on 10 years old, but... Q-3s and Q-2s are unusual unless the examiner's hands are tied. Q-1s are the standard. Single item downgrades are not unheard of on Q-1s, but not the standard by a longshot.

There is no guarantee. Figure out what you want your end goal to be. Figure out what paths it takes to get there. Choose one that suits you best. Work your butt off to get it. Make people tell you no.

Had a friend who left the AF as a Major with 15 yrs service due to the Anthrax vaccine issue. A few years later he was able to return to the Air Force as a seargent in the Air Guard. So he was enlisted with Pilot wings. His unit called him Seargent -Major!

I didn’t see one person fat enough to pass for Navy in that whole trailer. Every Key West dive school support mission 3/160 does they walk into the base gym like we are the first ones to have ever found it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Viper SEFE. Never given a Q3 to a US pilot. I've seen only 2 Q3's in my 19 years - both FTU students. Q1 no hits is by far the norm. Probably because our community is made of pretty awesome pilots...

Q1 with some downgrades are not uncommon. Downgrades are not a big deal and as alluded to earlier are important, IMO, to capture trend data. I've seen more commander directed Q3 for shenanigans than Q3s resulting from a scheduled checkride. Both circumstances still very rare. I personally take a big picture approach to evals. I'm not going to curb stomp a dude/dudette with a Q3 for a single bad day. Other than a "big three" area, nearly everything is debrief-able. But errors in those areas would probably warrant a Q3 independent of a scheduled checkride.

The only advice I have for evaluators out there is to honor the booze bribe, you dumbasses. I was going to downgrade a dude one time (and I’m a huge Santa Claus evaluator so it was bad) and he produced a nice bottle of bourbon at the end. Q-1, no downgrades!

This morning CNN did a panel with a legal "expert" and one of their White House reporters. They discussed the investigation and they insisted "there is ZERO evidence" that President Biden did anything wrong. How would they know? Is the DOJ sharing all the evidence with CNN? For the first time ion months CNN mentioned the laptop but insisted that while the FBI has the laptop and it is in fact Hunter Biden's, it is a product of the right wing, then they did a pivot to attack Donald Trump. Can we just stick to the facts....If Trump's kids did something illegal, investigate it and prosecute EVERYONE including Trump if you have evidence. For God's Sake do the same for the Bidens...Does anyone on the left think we shouldn't at least take a look? 10% for the Big Guy is a HUGE deal...I just want the truth...if Joe did nothing, great lets move on but have the integrity to at least have a look.

I mean, you can’t be a military pilot and ‘not’ see Top Gun 2. I’m old enough that I remember seeing the original when it first hit the theaters. Hindsight, it wasn’t really appropriate for a young middle-school kid to hear all the swearing and see Tom Cruise thrusting and french kissing Kelly McGillis. I heard Cleared Hot and M2 saw the original as well when it first hit the theaters…right after they both retired from the Air Force, so it probably brought them back some good memories of being in the military.

Admiral Kazansky reference was a nice touch too. As cheesy and rehashed as I expect this movie to be, I’m not ashamed to say I’m really, really looking forward to it.

You guys keep calling it propaganda when they’re actually quotes the President said. Quotes. Not made up. Quoted on video.

All doable, depends on needs of the unit you want to go to. Hopefully your current CC is supportive and will go to bat for you with the other CC. A dude from another jet is coming to us, decision made about 3-4 months out from TX date. It will be a tough battle to go from heavy to fighter, but it’s not impossible. Can’t comment personally on the difficulty of the other direction, but I do know two guys who left fighters and didn’t have problems getting hired.

Another such moment: a Russian APC intentionally targeting & needlessly destroying an obviously civilian vehicle & killing the elderly couple inside. Warning: video is disturbing.