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I upvoted both comments just to stir the pot.

Good Old Lawman, such a jovial guy, finds a way to turn every conversation into some weird, unsolicited, dick measuring contest. I know an Air Force TACP who killed a bunch of guys with his rifle. That’s way more dead guys than a lot of Army Infantry dudes have killed…See how obnoxious that sounds? Anyway, always loved this story. Air America UH-1 with an air to air kill on an AN-2. https://theaviationgeekclub.com/incredible-story-air-america-uh-1d-huey-shot-north-vietnamese-2-colt-biplane/

Exactly! Throw in a couple more Chinese hot air balloons and you’ll be giving Dick Bong a run for his money.

Never heard Baltimore described as fancy before...

There are currently 2x US Apache pilots with air to air engagements against a type 3/4 UAS. That would be 1 more kill than a lot of guys flying things with pointy noses. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Step 1 after any mishap - eat your lineup card.

Was the 2020 election “stolen?” No, I don’t think so as there is no evidence of large scale, impactful voter fraud. But was it substantially skewed towards one candidate through a concerted effort at the fed and state level in collusion with media companies and big tech, fuck yeah it was. And that to me is just as big of a problem as “direct” voter fraud.

Sure, in a perfect world with tons of resources. But really high DA is more a flight planning emphasis than execution. In the end, while speeds are higher and distances are longer, pulling back on the stick at the correct speed and confirming positive rate of climb prior to moving the gear handle are the same actions regardless of DA. Edit: And maybe I’m just old now, but young guys, you are not cool for getting the gear up as low as possible. Don’t be an idiot and shine your ass trying to “max perform” your takeoff.

If they really believed it there would be martyrs. There aren't. It's just team sports. That means yes, they will cheat and lie and steal (just like in team sports), but until they are shedding blood all the talk of an existential risk to democracy is just political cheerleading.

In case anyone wants to know what @Biff_T was up to you while you were banging out wing standup slides… FullSizeRender.MOV

Guard bonus is out (now called EARI instead of AvB…OPR bullet!) Looks the same as last year at a quick glance.

This is the same thing as canceling IFR ASAP and coming back VFR and absolutely gumming up the radios because you have now screwed up everything for the major airports surrounding your base. We are getting old!

The 114th Fighter Squadron is holding a hiring board in June for the F-35 training pipeline. Please submit applications to the MilRecruiter link below. Due to the number of application packages we have received and the high ops tempo that we currently have, we are putting a hold on squadron visits. We will plan on extending invites to visit the squadron after your application has been received and reviewed. If you are invited, you can plan on attending a visit during the May drill from the 3rd-5th of May. We will attempt to get invites out as soon as possible. I realize this is not ideal for planning purposes but due to TDYs and the mission this is where we are at. app.milrecruiter.com/SquadronPage/613a553d60631a2cee9c520a Feel free to ask any additional questions here. Best of luck! Mighty Mighty

When I got my MFS email, they had the IFT instructions in there as well. LOA was the same for both. I would just make sure that your formal training sent your signed RIP up the chain if it gets any closer.

No, just making the point of having guys with an Acitve RF missile designed to kill tanks but “hey look it works on drones” isn’t a solution anybody wants. The prox fuse was put there for the FIAC mission over the Gulf. Air Defense of force isn’t in the METL, and nobody wants it there (except maybe Warren, but we all agree that guy is crazy). The fact they did it surprised everybody. It wasn’t planned for that either, there was desire to have something in the back pocket since the KA-52s had started carrying Archers. That ECAB commander was… special. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh he did wrong - rotated at 120 because that’s the arbitrary technique he picked up somewhere, with zero regard for actual rotate speed (in this case 136 on card, 143 actual conditions). He also raised the gear 1 sec after perceived takeoff. Both of those actions are completely wrong and if he ever had an IP tell him either, that guy deserved to have his IP qual taken away. This was more than a simple error on the lineup card. @BashiChuni It’s almost like you should confirm sustained, positive climb rate before raising the gear in any aircraft. Basic pilot shit…that i assume is still taught at UPT these days, or at least I hope so.

Not quite "pretty damn significant." While the ninth largest US port, there are plenty of alternatives which can reduce the impact while the channel is cleared of debris. There are also alternate HAZMAT routes but they either go through the city or a distance around it. It will have more impact locally, but nationally it shouldn't really be felt unless the market controllers wants to exploit the accident for gain (as it regularly does for gas prices following any incidents in the Middle East)...

Well if we’re counting UAS as shoot downs, guess I’m damn near an ace! (/sarcasm)

Pretty damn significant https://thedailyrecord.com/2024/03/26/bridge-collapse-likely-to-have-profound-impact-on-port-of-baltimore-operations/ The bridge was the only way for hazardous materials to get in and out of the city from what i've read also. Not allowed in the tunnels. https://www.fleetowner.com/safety/article/21285334/how-baltimores-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-affects-truck-traffic-and-fleet-operations

I’m a simple Midwesterner and don’t know much about your fancy Northeast liberal cities, but how big of a deal is that bridge coming down?

Yep, here's the AIB report from that one: https://www.pacaf.af.mil/Portals/6/180413-PACAF-JB Elmendorf-Richardson-Alaska-AIB NARRATIVE REPORT.pdf?ver=2018-11-15-200849-187 I never flew Raptors but somehow wound up on the FEB for the pilot involved. It mostly worked out okay for him because the error in his T/O TOLD came from a community-wide standard practice rather than anything he did wrong specifically. Given the procedures in place at the time, it was bound to happen to someone eventually at a high PA field... he was just the unlucky one.

Throw all paperwork into the fireball!

Damnit @Biff_T if you’d stayed in, flying helos, you could’ve been an ace!! 3 or 4 times over, I’m guessing.

ORD was my first taxi out as an airline pilot. Dude, talk about a wake up call. Luckily I had a good captain who looked at me right before I called for clearance and said "wait, this is your first time ever taxing a commercial aircraft?" "Yep" "Ok, write this down" and proceeded to give me what he expected the taxi instructions to be. He was 95% correct and a huge help. He also said 'don't be surprised if they read off your taxi instructions and then go on to the next airplane without giving you a chance to read back'. I think I said "WTF, can they do that?" "This is Chicago, FAA regs are more like suggestions..."

Springer, now we are the Dinos that we talked about and with....In the early 70s, stationed in USAFE, I met an O-6 during NATO Crested Cap that asked me to help him plan a Low Level into France. As I recall, I think he was the CC of the "Tacos" (New Mexico ANG) flying A-7s. When asked the Route he wanted to fly and why, he told me he had flown P-51s and wanted to see his WW2 Airfield, even if it was no longer there. Flew three wars. I think he was probably about a young 55 or so!

That and what guard baby would want to deal with the metric shit ton of AD bullshit that comes with a demo team. The vast majority of fighter pilots want nothing to do with that bullshit, doubly so for a guard dude. I know several great dudes who have done T Birds or specific jet demo teams - this isn’t shitting on them personally, It was right for them, and that’s awesome. However, they are very much in the minority for wanting to do it.

Is there even a guard baby out there that would want to do that? I’d be a bit surprised if there was.

These 2 needed a good cleaning. It had been a while for both of them. Brownells BRN-180 10” in .300 Blk Alchemy Custom Weaponry Quantico HiCap

FFDO weapon has the Ameriglo sights. I added those to my personal Glocks since they worked so well.

I never understood the obsession with 1911s. They are gorgeous, and I have one, but every time someone tells me they carry one I have to question their thought process. Ancient tech, low capacity, and a super light trigger pull. Just doesn't make sense to me for most realistic use scenarios. They are thin, so I guess that counts for something, but it's not like it's a small gun. Glocks are fucking hideous, and I don't love the grips, but it's a phenomenal weapon for actual use. Edit: Obviously I'm assuming your friend is using a Kimber 1911.. That's all I ever see from them.

That's not true at all. If he can't afford to make the payments back of he loses it, for whatever reason, then his original idea is financially sound. Take the loan, put it into a high-yield savings account, and then pay the loan off using the savings account.

I put on Ameriglo night sights. Way better than stock. I can lay it on a nightstand with a surefire next to it and even in the dark I can easily find both from the glowing dots of the rear sight. Still way less than a Kimber😁

Glocks are great guns - simple, accurate and dependable as fuck. Their only crime is bland looks, but I don’t give a shit about that, especially on “purpose-driven” guns. Range toys are for fucking around with fancy shit. And if you can’t stand stock, a trigger, sights, barrels, springs, etc. are not expensive, easy to find, and easy to replace. I had a buddy give me shit once because I “had to” replace the trigger on my glocks, so that’s why they suck. Even with that and a aftermarket barrel on that particular Glock, I was still less money in than his malfunction trainer…I mean Kimber.

Back to a more adult conversation which I obviously struggle with at times. While I certainly like shotguns, I personally prefer my trusty Glock 19. I seem to shoot it better than any handgun I've ever owned. Certainly, preferable to the 92. I know a lot of SOCOM types have carried the Glock 19 since at least 2013 which says a lot.

While everyone is busy not giving you financial advice... Here's a thought, how about swinging for the fences toward financial independence? Did you have income in 2023? If so, start a Roth IRA, and while you're at it, contribute to 2024 as well. $6500 +$7000 = $13500. Use the remaining $11500 to budget for fully contributing to your Roth IRA on January 1st every year going forward. THEN, when you get promoted, take half of the promotion pay increase every month and put it in your Roth TSP. That's just a start; you should be thinking long term of how to budget so that you can fully contribute every year with your first few paychecks toward your Roth TSP; just takes having about $30k in cash to live off of, then you can set your Roth TSP to 100% at the beginning of the year for a few months. Once your paycheck comes back, save up the $30k over the rest of the year to get ready for next year. Front loading your Roth TSP is an O4 time horizon goal, don't rush it and get into a binge/purge financial cycle. And, for the love of all that is holy, this should be the LAST consumer debt, aside from a house, that you ever touch. You've got a good job and great career ahead of you, use it to live truly well. (hint: if you're single this whole exercise becomes exponentially easier)

That’s the secret you don’t really get until later in your career…you can’t do it by yourself. And every community needs studs so don’t think because someone is flying a Viper or Tanker instead of a Raptor that they are less than.

I get the curiosity, but this is the internet and you should not expect anyone who actually knows anything about these aircraft or missions to give the types of responses you’re hoping for (this also serves as a reminder to the bros out there). If you ever make it to any of these, you’ll love whichever it is and learn to appreciate the strengths of the others.