Leaderboard

So the OG/CC won’t be there since he’s an ABM…

Well that's their mission, not training, which is what the sign is getting at. I agree in one sense because we won't even fly through a thunderstorm on a combat mission. We'll fly around it, but never through it. More on the subject in the context of this conversation. I've never shown up to work only to been told to go home and come back in 12 hours to go fly without being offered go/no-pills. If this training was important enough, then the docs would have given them the pills.

Lest it be missed in all the discussion. To that AC willing to stand up, stand by their decision, and get publicly shot in the lips:

Public health "experts" have been all over the map. They, nor the white house have any firm domination of the "truth". That trust capital was burned a long time ago. Hell your boy fauci ADMITTED on national TV to LYING to us! And now the executive branch has the god damn BALLS to tell me what's fucking true and whats false? Go fuck yourself (not you, "them" in general)

"Facebook needs to move more quickly to remove violative posts," Psaki said. https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-facebook-takes-too-long-when-removing-misinformation-2021-7?op=1 How much more clear could it get? The administration is literally demanding that Facebook act as their censorship arm.

Well he did a massive favor for the pilots on their future airline interviews by providing pure story-time gold! “TMAAT you disagreed with a superior/demonstrated leadership/upheld flight safety…”

🤦🏻‍♂️ No one is talking about the hurricane hunters. And I'm not sure what airmanship or proficiency you gain by flying into a thunderstorm. Sounds like a good way to damage your aircraft and thereby reduce the combat capability of your unit. The point of the sign is you shouldn't take unacceptable risks in training. Get-the-job-done-at-all-costs-itis kills more people at home station than combat does. People regularly lose sight of the fact that they are conducting training and push things well past the margin of safety. As for this instance, the OG has the right to be pissed. His people couldn't execute when the time came. But his anger is directed in entirely the wrong direction, with a big bag of AFI ignorance to boot. Something in the chain broke down between the exercise planning and the squadron level where the aircrew were given a garbage plan. A good commander would have gotten up there and asked his people how this broke down to the point aircrew were forced to make that decision. And how they should approach exercises as a wing in the future so this doesn't happen again. But he didn't do that, and seems like a pretty big twat. I'll be eagerly awaiting the crucifixion.

In the immediate, things will reset. The forces will start to flow back home and elsewhere. Training will uptick, missions will downtick - initially. Then the shit hits the fan. No Afghanistan means GREATLY reduced TWCF missions, and with it flying hours, seasoning, and funding dollars. AMC is in a bad spot. Commercial augmentation will also reduce, and airlift will start flying channel missions again, but not enough make good on the loss of FHP. Commercial cargo airlines will start beating Congress because USTC cuts commercial cargo flow to save the crew force (follow the money), and crews will start starving for ANY flying in about 8-12 months. And then the fun part - the FY23 budget is going to be a cut to the bone. Force reductions are coming because we can’t afford modernization, recapitalization, and people all at once. They’ll pay pilots to get out. Some wings are going to shutter. Some jets are going to the boneyard. And it’ll last for a couple years. And then the “new new new normal” will be set. Start looking at the mid-to-late 90s as the benchmark for what AMC flying will look like - just not as heavy (Balkans, ONW/OSW replaced by routine trips/deployments to Saudi/Kuwait/etc). Make your plans wisely. Unless there’s a pop up conflict, that’s what’s on the horizon. Chuck

You know why the flight doc denied them no-go's...because it's a fuckin exercise, they're not headed downtown, the OG can't seem to make the distinction. The quote I was reminded of while listening to that overly dramatic tantrum.

Not unless it was incitement. A directive to cause harm ("go out and punish the cops for killing minorities!") Is not protected. A lie that others use to justify harm ("police are murdering minorities for sport!") is protected. You should brush up on the precedent, you're off base on a lot of this stuff.

Enjoyed the sprint race qualifying format today way more than the traditional method. Except I'd make the "sprint" much shorter. They did 17 laps which made it a short race with the inevitable cars on parade dance. Make it 5 laps and it forces them to mix it up immediately and for the entire sprint.

Refresh my memory— why was Trump impeached by the house in 2019? Because I thought democrat arguments were that illegal WH influence was through implied rather than explicit statements. A fundamental problem in our country is political tribes that justify any behavior from “our” guy while condemning all behavior from “their” guy. This is why Hunter Biden isn’t in jail on felony gun charges. And why the obvious C19 lab leak was hidden, etc. The hypocrisy makes compromise impossible. Which is the goal; how do you guys think this ends?

"safety is a driving factor" "and the procedures we have in place to triple check ourselves back up this assertion." ...like ORM and 11-202 crew rest requirements? ..That your OG just took a steaming shit on?

Someone transcribed the recording over on reddit. Colonel: I’ve won four phase 1/phase 2 exercises in my time here. This is the first time I’ve seen a failure happen. And I’ll be honest, when I woke up at 1 o’clock yesterday morning I checked Mattermost and I saw a slip for 1 o’clock today, thought “shit, the aircraft [inaudible].” At no point in my mind did I think I would walk in and find out that America’s [inaudible], the operational heartbeat of the command and control enterprise for the free world would show up and say “I can’t execute this mission.” Not once did that cross my mind. I can’t express to you the level of disappointment I have right now and the results tell me two things: either you didn’t take it serious, or I’m preparing [inaudible]. I hope it’s not the second one, but I think it probably is. When the mission calls on us to deploy, a [inaudible] by the President, approved through the Secretary of Defense, passed through Joint Staff, handed to the [inaudible] Chief of Staff of the Air Force, coordinated with the Secretary of the Air Force, sent to COMACC, and then handed to our Wing Commander. Everybody in that chain has said “this is the right thing to do for the best of Ameri- of, of the country.” You guys have got to figure out when to flip the switch. And I don’t mean going to Doppler. We aren’t going to Doppler. So I failed you, and I apologize for that. I failed to set the expectation so that you take this as serious as you do. I failed to set the expectation in the mindset of the leaders who are leading this ops group to make the decisions that need to be made, to understand there’s a different calculation when you’re flying a peacetime training sortie than when you’re preparing to go to war. I will lead you better. But we have a learned lesson. This is a critical point for us. We are being questioned. Our egos as warriors is being questioned. And I can’t stand that thought. That I’m leading people that don’t know the difference in responding to a national call for help and flying a T-sortie out of Oklahoma. Is this a realistic better believe it is. Chief can tell you all kinds of stories from his background. Chief: I can’t ever remember a time it wasn’t real. You know [inaudible] I’ve been sitting here thinking, [inaudible]. I’ve never seen a whole crew before sit down. [Inaudible]. And the bad things about it guys, this isn’t even the worst type of exercise you can ever see. [Inaudible] in 48 hours flying [inaudible] and spending the whole week and a half down there in MOPP 4, in and off the airplane. [Inaudible] in 10 degree weather — which is nothing [inaudible]. Is the time frames different from what you’re used to seeing? Yeah. It is. 48 versus 72 hours it was mentioned to me that way. It shifts. We got it in a [inaudible]. Before you got that [inaudible]. It looked like it was good, for real? That’s all the [inaudible] we had. There’s room to… you can’t ORM out. You have to walk up to the boss and say “yeah, I’m not going.” Did you go? Alright. And at some point — I think that’s what-what’s going through the most [inaudible] at some point I was reading you had time Friday at the squadron yet here you are, not to let you companions, not to let the rest of your flight crew down. This is the fastest way you get out the door. You fail. We fail. So when you [inaudible] these things after years of flying experience I can tell you’ve I’ve been there, I’ve done that. If you come in at 7 in the morning and hey, you’ve gotta be back at 7 at night, you go home… you go home and you find a way to get that little nap and whatever it is. You pack a bag, you’re good to go, whether it’s [inaudible] resting your eyes, conserving your energy, cause the next 48 hours are gonna be hell. But you find a way to get through it. Every time. Colonel: So I think we’ve learned a couple things. And I’ll tell you a couple things that I’ve picked up. One is to put the decision in the wrong person’s hand. We will change [cough in audience] if this is in support of a higher headquarters mission. This is not in your decision space. This is not in the [inaudible] decision space. I would barely leave it in the commander’s decision space. You’re gonna tell me you can’t execute that mission and I’m gonna understand you why? Why you didn’t understand the difference, why you can’t go through, why you can’t set a plan to get to “yes”, why you can’t put up over the time you’re gonna be airborne opportunities to take a nap so you need to make sure you fly safe this [inaudible]. I need to know that you guys are gonna be ready to execute this. I know by far you are the most prepared squadron I have seen this entire year I’ve been here [inaudible] phase 1/phase 2. I’ve never seen anybody more prepared than you guys. I applaud you for that. But I guess that why the [inaudible] is so big in my disappointment, because never did I thought I would walk in and hear “ops isn’t a go.” I could not process the words. So I need you to get focused, you’re gonna need to execute the phase 1 and phase 2, you guys are not flying today. Go get your mind right, go get reset, go get-go get yourselves prepared for what you’re gonna face through the phase 2 [inaudible]. Officers stay back, everybody else you’re dismissed.

Agreed, there's a weird sentiment in some communities that go/no go's are like a break glass kind of thing or only restricted to combat ops, and it makes zero sense. Getting adequate crew rest is a concern no matter what type of mission it is.

For discussion purposes only: I don’t agree with that sign. As a practical matter, ask the WC-130s. As a philosophical matter: How can you know where the real edges are in combat if you never explore them in training? Lot of people out there unwilling to approach a training limit who are simultaneously certain they can react like pros if contingency circumstances required it. They’re wrong.

Pure speculation, but for tanker bubbas it may involve ‘deployments’ to other areas. EUCOM and PACOM haven’t slowed down so from the AR side of AMC, it’ll still be busy. Just not hours over suckistan busy.

Yeah, that's called normalization of deviance. I used to wonder why TACC is always so shocked when I tell them to fuck off after they pitch me some ridiculous schedule. Eventually, I realized that it's because most PIC's normalize bad operational scheduling practices.

I mean, that seemed to be the C-17 standard during my time actively flying the line... (Not saying it's right, especially for an exercise) Nothing like waking up after a good sleep while on Charlie alert and getting the call to go into crew rest for an alert in 13 hours with a basic crew. Fun times.

Nope. If you think Facebook is public space, you are wrong. Period.

https://nypost.com/2021/07/15/white-house-flagging-posts-for-facebook-to-censor-due-to-covid-19-misinformation/ Also, see the removal of the ability to post about the Hunter Biden laptop from Twitter and Facebook. Is legislation necessary in your view? Or are the threats levied against these companies (previously cited) enough? What about the fact that it is actually happening? Like, right now. Again, there is established legal precedent that has found that the government threat of legal action against a book publisher constituted a violation of the first amendment. Now, back to my question. Do you understand the distinction being made?

Been racking my brain for a bit trying to classify Sua Sponte’s posts. You nailed it. I give it a 10.

Hard to refute? You refuted it yourself. Examples of past censorship are exactly why we shouldn't be doing it now. You think propaganda and racist policy is why the US is a global superpower? Not personal and economic freedom? Let's do a little comparison... Which countries have racism and propaganda? All of them. So that's obviously not what made us different. But our system of limited government and unique conception of individual liberty are quite different. As for your many dodges, we can start with your fixed-wealth formulation for billionaire economics. You might have to go back a few pages since Sua Sponte vomited all over the thread.

You mean like gun laws?!? C'mon, be smarter than that!

There's some furnished houses out there specifically as family PIT pads where it'd be just your house for the time. They are few but exist on the Facebooks as your best source

Hope this blows up on social media and this OG/CC gets publicly raked across the coals and fired by ACC leadership backed up by the CSAF. No offense to my ABM bros but is this OG/CC an ABM that has zero concept of aviation hazards and fatigue? Unless you’re in combat, an ABM not being able to do their job doesn’t kill lives.

Well, it would appear AAL is bringing me on to hack a line number (no pay date). I had a CJO from back in March of 2020 that got COVID'd. I'm still on AD and I signed the 3 year bonus a year back. So pretty pumped they are doing this...and smart on their part since I was planning on shopping around with SWA and UAL when I eventually got out (again), but not anymore. 2 years of seniority on day 1 is pretty appealing.

We can't solve the gang violence problem in any major U.S. city, but sure, let's go try to remake Afghanistan into a functioning country though we don't understand the language, culture, history, who is who, the centuries old feuds, etc. with a population who have an average IQ of 85 and most of whom probably have PTSD from the decades of war, UXOs, child rape, complete lack of safety culture, banditry, etc. FFS.

After retiring from airline flying @59, I consider flying my RV-8 3 times a week the pinnacle of my flying career.

Multiple thoughts on this topic. I'll go objective to subjective. Financially: the 'bonus' is still 25,000 to 35,000 dollars. It was introduced in the 1990s, yet has not substantially changed since then. in 2015 when I took mine (25,000 for 5 years), it should have been at least 37,000 to account for inflation alone. I didn't do my homework. I recommend others do theirs before deciding. By comparison, if you separate at 12 years of service and join an airline, a part 135 operator (think flying twin otters or -8's in hot places), a cargo carrier, or even a cargo carrier feeder to a major cargo carrier, you will make more money in the following 8 years than you would have in the Air Force. Moreover, the Air Force continues to insult their pilots with the need for a bonus and the option to take it...and sometimes no bonus at all...while GIVING doctors, surgeons, and dentists professional pay that exceeds the aviation bonus while not requiring a "take"...in the AIR FORCE. Not the dental force, or the medical force, the Air Force. This year, as a reservist pilot, I will not get an aviation bonus because it was not offered to pilots in my air frame at my base, because clearly the air force is good on pilots...while medical professionals get an automatic bump to account for the money they aren't making on the outside. Objectively the USAF demonstrates that it does not value it's pilots and is unwilling to truly push for retention improvements. The fellas at RAND have routinely updated their data that shows retaining a USAF pilot at 12-15 years for another 3 years using a $100,000 per year bonus is more cost effective than producing new pilots. Just like big blue, we'll completely ignore the safety improvements of retaining experienced pilots in one of the most complicated and dangerous corners of the aviation world. No, the USAF simply continues to accept the shackles that congress places on it regarding the restricted pilot bonus instead of pushing HARD for a professional pay similar to the medical career fields. That lack of effort shows me all I need to see. However that financial analysis ignores the quality of life items, right? Unfortunately a QoL analysis only puts more nails in the coffin. For example, pilots are likely to marry spouses in a like-status, like-education-level, and like-earning potential bracket. In short, we choose to partner within our peer group. Yet the Air Force completely ignores this fact and continues to move us every three years, thereby negating our life partners the opportunity to professionally put down roots and create a career, thereby stifling their earning potential. Yes, the air force has claimed new programs to improve this problem by letting pilot homestead, but they are largely lip service programs that have shown to kill career progression. Take a look at how well the career pilot program went...for the four individuals that got accepted. Or perhaps AFPAK HANDS, which I watched get used as a "force shaping tool" to force 8 senior MAF MWS IPs decide to separate instead of taking that as their next assignment (circa 2016). That trend has not changed. The senior leaders of the USAF refuse to force the middle leadership to abide by the simple rules of organizational excellence: Train and equip and prepare your people so well that they could leave and be hired by any other organization immediately, and treat them in such a manner that they don't want to. My own story included an advisory that my last three years before hitting 20 would include a PCS (I'd been in my API-6 'flying' non-flying desk job for 2 years) and a 1 year deployment...because 2.5 years in the desert and 4.5 years total gone from home in 17 years wasn't enough. When I asked for special consideration as the job I was filling is difficult to fill, I was flatly told no. So I voted with my feet. Then the USAF promoted me 3 months before my separation date...and I still separated (promotion carries no ADSC). But let's shift gears and assume I decided to apply to be commander a staffer or whatever career progression track big blue would advise me to take. The peek behind that curtain reveals nothing but another curtain. I've been close personal friends with enough commanders to have learned that becoming a commander, an aide de camp, or attaining some other advancement position does not actually allow you access to change, fix, or improve the system as we all secretly hope to do if given that opportunity. Instead, you are rewarded with a PCS, school, or lateral move every 1-2 years. Moreover, you get the exposure to discover that the senior GS and SES community as well as the bad O-7s (there are good ones, but the bad ones abuse their influence and tend to poison the well far beyond the abilities of the good ones to fix) and their staff sycophants continue to perpetuate the self-promoting trend of the USAF. That leaves the hard working 'good guy' O-6s and O-7s swimming very much upstream if they want to institute sincere and good changes. I know several of these excellent men and women, and I pray their influence changes the USAF. I realized that fighting that battle was not in my blood, so I couldn't continue on that road. What's that have to do with the bonus? In short, those who were going to stay would have done so anyways. Those taking it for the money factor only may not have done their homework to realize they could make much more elsewhere. So it's not really a retention bonus, it's a 'thanks for staying, we want to lock you in and take away your power to say "no" pay'. Hence I say, unless you know you and your family want to stay at the whim of the you-are-nothing-but-a-number AFPC assignment process until the end of whatever commitment you are 'offered', don't take the bonus.

Cannot speak to Stratux but highly recommend Stratus. My unit bought them the minute they were approved and it is a huge SA tool paired with ForeFlight on the EFBs. We use the Stratux on every sortie unless our profile won't allow it. It works in the low-level environment up to FL410+. Can't believe the AF hasn't embraced this more.

Ok. I’ll ask you the same question I asked ratner: how exactly is the federal government compelling social media platforms to do its bidding? Can you point to any legislation or lawsuit that would compel Facebook to suppress anyone’s opinion?