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You bring up a good point. But the mask restrictions don’t work, and there is only one political group who follows them mindlessly and demeans those who think critically about the many absurd contradictions in enforcement: progressive liberals.

True of False: Covid restrictions led to a decrease in voting integrity in some states.

Not my party brotha. Nor are the Rs or the Ls or anyone else. I tend to fall left on more issues. Doesn’t mean I vote party line or subscribe to the drivel that both major parties use to attract and manipulate voters. I’m willing to bet that most of us here have made a majority of our recent voting decisions based on what we perceive to be the “least bad” choice. We should start directing more ire at the two party system we’ve been saddled with and less at one another.

I don't post here much (if at all mostly reading), but my family and I were there Friday night to see his night show and also stayed for Saturday's show. So tragic and honestly unbelievable witnessing something like that. Words cannot explain what we and the entire crowd witnessed and more importantly his family. Our prayers for the family have been spoken each night as this is such a hard time. It was nice to see the Battle Creek Field of Flight took donations for the family during the rest of the events over the weekend and last I saw they took in over $3,000. Sunday's air show started with the missing man formation with Rob Holland, Bill Stein, Nathan Hammond, and Ken Rieder. It was also ended with the missing man formation by the USAF Thunderbirds. The crowd was silent and it was very emotional, both times. May Chris Darnell rest in peace.

I like this post—and I agree with you on the two major parties. Where we often differ is on the actual issues themselves. One more point about the parties: They have both gone further left/right, respectively compared to years past, but if you compare the Dems of the 80s and 90s to today vs the GOP of the 80s and 90s to today, I think it’s safe to say one has definitely moved further than the other. Elon Musk pointed out the same issue not too long ago, and though the meme isn’t entirely accurate, it does make the point.

The way I read the last several posts, people expect mask mandates to be reinstituted sometime this fall or winter. Along with speculation about how the November elections play into the timing of reinstituting mask mandates. I think the unsaid implication is that Democrat politicians recognize they have an uphill battle in November, so they'll delay reinstituting mask mandates until after the election, since they know mask mandates are generally unpopular.

Where were the most oppressive restrictions? Who runs those states and cities? Are your far left friends anxious to get rid of folks like Newsom? They may say that they don't like the restrictions, but their actions say otherwise.

I’d go one step farther and say many left leaning people LOVE them. It lets them physically demonstrate their moral superiority

Lots of people like them in progressive states; never underestimate how many dumbasses live in this country.

Brian Deese referring to international relations theory, aka liberal vs realism vs constructivism. Not the same as American politics liberal vs conservative. He’s a career international politics and economics guy. This is a case of an academic being too smart for the audience rather than a vision of Drag Queen Story Time being mandated globally. https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/26/one-world-rival-theories/

Next variant release date

Well, it seems to me that the Republicans are quite adept at threatening liberties lately. Privacy, reproductive rights, and separation of church and state come to mind. Just depends on what liberties you value and for whom I guess. But I digress. Was actually trying to avoid a partisan fight. I guess a lot of you really do believe the whole party line and have never voted for anyone who didn’t fit your description of an ideal candidate for lack of better options. Good for you. Back in the real world there are probably around a couple hundred million Americans who don’t see things exactly the way you do. Parties want you to see them as the enemy. This isn’t because they want what’s best for the country. It’s because it’s what’s best for them.

So my post, from so long ago (previous page) in referring to another Covid variant, was not that Democrats would release the new variant, but that one would magically appear - which is the way some of these things seem to happen. It was also driven by POTUS, who said there would be another one (22 June). We'll just have to be prepared: So, I'm cheap, I'll throw down $5. that a new one will appear after the elections. Do you want me to guess the exact date (I won't be able to, but what the hay).

that EXACT attitude is coming from people who move AWAY from crazy states like WA and into TX, FL, and other republican run states. they end up voting THE SAME WAY due to this logic. mind blowing. copy you don't like the republican either, but the side you're casting your vote for is the side which believes in taking away MORE of your liberty. I just cannot understand how you "hold your nose" and vote for that.

You get the behavior you reward. Voters in the state of Washington rewarded Inslee's behavior by re-electing him...so expect to get more of the behavior that Inslee showed prior to the election.

you're missing the point. you support the party and politicians who are actively enforcing masking/other restrictions. we'd still have masks on planes if your party had it's choice YOU support that thinking.

sorry buddy. the main democrat line is all conservatives are racists. and all republicans are insurrectionists. the media is amplifying that message. and if you didn't want to get a vax or wear a mask you wanted people to die. unfortunately your party is actively encouraging this messaging. and the media is their messenger.

You’re smart enough to see the point, you are probably just willfully acting like it doesn’t exist here to just act like you’re “right”: If it doesn’t bother the electorate enough to elect someone with different policies, then clearly they’re fine with the policies being enacted. That’s what they’re saying about which group has been in general instituted the most restrictive covid policies and why their voters must be ok with it.

This is what I was alluding to. The short attention span’s interest of the American public is fading away with regards to Ukraine…in need for another distraction prior to the election (not that Ukraine was intentional, just happenstance).

Wow happened a lot sooner than I thought! I believe it’s legit…just went to barksdales fb page. Incredible

I think the Democrats have also forgotten that The Revolution always eats its own, always.

I was at Nellis last week at a ceremony. Mask nazis out in full force including a fat shoe clerk that went out of her way to complain to management at the class six that I wasn’t masked when I walked in not knowing I needed one. Just insane. No mandates at Luke except in med group. If I need to wear a mask to work, I’ll work from home when not flying = pool day like all the shoe clerks during the pandemic.

There are two potential outcomes. 1. The progressive movement concentrates into a smaller and smaller core of activists who eventually get discarded from the Democratic party machinery. The more extreme they get, the smaller the coalition will be. I think they are very close to, or have already passed a point of no return. Their only power is in the asymmetrical advantage social media communication gives them, coupled with the disproportionate representation of progressives in media and academia. 2. If they are successful in holding the party hostage and maintaining their grip over the moderates (by scaring the liberal voters into believing conservatives are monsters that hate them), they will eventually trigger a fear response and humans will do what they've done really well for thousands of years: hate and harm people who act or look differently. I didn't think this was the prominent threat until they literally started going after the kids. Smart on the one hand, because societal changes are mostly generational, but much riskier on the other hand, because parents will get very brave very fast when their kids are at stake. I think they have taken for granted the victories of the past, but racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia have not been removed from the human heart, and they can spread faster than most think. It's going to boil down to the post-2022 election Democratic party. If they don't excise the progressive movement from their ranks and get back to their class-based roots, the second option becomes more likely.

I agree. While it might be a distinction without a difference, I'm trying to separate the tactical question of whether a new civilian cadre can teach T-6s and the strategic question of why do we need to create a new civilian cadre to teach T-6s. I think the first answer is yes. I think the answer to the second question is this, this, and this.

I wouldn’t call close formation and ET3 “fundamental flying skills”…and I’m pretty sure they don’t teach this in IFT. A civilian IP can definitely learn/be able to teach it, but it will take much more training since they’ve never seen it in UPT. Oh, and here’s a data point: Some T-1 trained FAIPs have gone through CRs at T-6 PIT (and some have even washed out) for lack of formation flying abilities due to the cuts in UPT. As far as being a military officer, UPT is centered around flight instruction based on the foundation of military bearing, integrity, etc. If this wasn’t necessary, then mil cap wouldn’t be a thing. It’s not to say that 23 year old civilian pilots can’t also have these qualities, but there’s no training program to weed those people out who aren’t a good fit. Just think about people you’ve met who said they’ve wanted to be a military pilot but just didn’t have the qualities we seek in a military officer…there’s a reason why we’re different. Also, unless they rewrite the rules, you can’t work a civilian more than 40 hours a week without permission, compensation, etc. This changes the ball game quite a bit. Rucker, Kirtland, and other programs have had civilian/contractor flight instructors, but I’m pretty sure the vast majority have been very experienced military pilots in the past, and their instruction has been more/less limited to contact/instrument flying…they leave the formation and other stuff to the mil IPs. That all being said, my biggest concern is with the comments on this page who think this will make a better IP than those graduating from PIT…and across the board, I just don’t see it. Do you agree with Jice that these young civilian CFIs with 50 hours of C172 IP time will be better than a UPT graduate going to PIT to be a FAIP?

Totally agree. This is a win… AS LONG AS it allows us to keep more folks in the CAF/MAF and be more selective about who we send to white jets. Fewer veteran aviators means fewer mentors, which means we can’t send the below average folks consistently and expect somebody else to pick up the slack. There’s a danger of fvking this up by not thinking beyond the next OPR closeout… so we probably will. This is basically a 1/2 priced FAIP who won’t care about the party planning to get ahead of peers. Write the job so the incentives align with quality production, and you’ve got somebody whose job is actually their job. None of these guys have to lie about wanting to be an officer first and fighter pilot second at 22 years old.

Right, I didn't mean "Contact only" by stalls and falls. I just mean it's all very basic stuff, especially after the CAIP goes through a multi-year training pipeline. If a tanker bubba can teach low level nav and a C-5 bubba can teach form (one of my best form instructors was a C-5 guy. Super chill), there's no reason to write these CFIs off. They're not teaching 4 ship tactics against SA-69s. If we're ok with FAIPs, I don't see any reason to worry about CAIPs.

I’m not sure it will. 50 hours of instruction is more than a FAIP has when they’re “hired.” As much as we want to think mil aviation is special, it’s simply not at the T-6 level. It’s a Hershey bar wing with easy stall characteristics, forgiving landings, and no mission. As long as these CAIPs stay in their lane and teach stalls, falls, and landings and leave the Blue-ing to the MAF and CAF bros, they’ll be an asset. The airlines use instructors that have never flown an airliner. Certainly isn’t the same as a line pilot teaching you, but as long as they stay in their lane and teach the books, a wise student learns from them, too.

I'm not worried about anything. What I am saying is that these guys are not going to be expected to just be wingmen and learn the jet, which is the right way to do this. They are going to have to take jobs equal to their rank for the sake of "progression". My question for you all is why? Why would Big Blue do this? I can guarantee you it has nothing to do with "for the good of the pilot". Realistically, you are getting a 2d Lt Wingman in a Major/or soon to be. They aren't going to have the credibility to be the old guy in the squadron, so what is the best way Big Blue can use them? 11F required billets not requiring flying. Sure you will get your 200-300 hours, just in time to be an "experienced" dude. Then wham off to do all those second/third tier jobs/staff that would be wasted on dudes that have spent 4-6 more years in your Fighter. I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, but I would just say think critically about this. I am also not trying to discourage anyone. Hell, 4 years ago, I would have jumped on this like BQZip's mom. The right time to divert these guys from their MWS is not when they are mid-level/senior Capts (Which is where most of the dudes who went through UPT during the drawdown are now) but really within 2 years of them getting to their heavy MWS. So standard AF: too little. Too late.

di1630s post is pretty spot on. If you don't really want to be there, the workload will probably make you miserable, especially as a new guy in the fighter world that probably performed well in his/her previous airframe, and now is getting his/her nuts crushed learning the new mission. Flying the jet, at least the Viper, is relatively simple and ing awesome. Managing formations, weapons, sensors, timelines, etc. can be very task saturating depending on the mission and mostly a function of your ability to multi task, prioritize, and your brains ability to operate under pressure and faster than you could ever imagine. I agree that anyone who ever wanted to fly fighters should give it a shot. I also agree that just about anyone with a good attitude and willingness to work their butt off will fit in just fine. The last thing I would say is that this job is ing dangerous. Just flying formation and trying to employ tactically can turn bad very quick if you don't prioritize your task. And keep in mind, our job is to kill shit, while other shit is trying to kill us. You gotta be cool with that. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

If your lifelong dream is to fly a fighter and it didn't work out for you in UPT for whatever reason, I say jump at it. I flew Eagles for a much shorter time than I flew U-28's and I look back on that time very fondly. Don't give into the Baseops "everything sucks" mantra, and make your own decision. Trust me, the first time you strap on a fighter and go rage around, it will be worth it. If you don't go for it because of whatever reason, you'll regret it and have that "what if" thing. And if you want to be successful in fighters/tactical military aviation, you've got to be confident. To become confident, you better work your ass off. If you don't work for it and still think you're the best, you're out to lunch and are a joke. Fortune favors the prepared.

IMHO: Cockiness. You have to believe you can win and you will win because the other guy(s) suck. Controlled aggressiveness. Push the rules and the jet right up to, and maybe a smidgen over, limits. Go full throttle. You have to go "all in." There is no room for half hearted efforts on the range, in theater, or in the books. This can and does get carried over into life outside the squadron which "The Right Stuff" does capture well.

Everyone is hung up on flying "aptitude" when the real focus needs to be "attitude". Give me a MAF guy who really wants to fly fighters and has a kickass aggressive attitude and he/she will do fine. I've known guys in almost every fighter who cross flowed back in the day. A lot of them were badass dudes. I saw some great potential students end up in T-1s or others because of bad luck/timing. Get some of them cross flowed and they'll do just fine after some experience.