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RM math isn’t anywhere near perfect, but it also never will be. Sometimes a risk assessment just comes down to gut feeling. Hairs on the back of the neck and all that. If a dude one day isn’t comfortable with 300/1 and he wants to cancel, sure go ahead. If a dude will never be comfortable with 300/1, that’s a different problem.

Yes. Snort died in his L-1019 up in Lewiston. Got the word from my warbird / airshow buds. He was heading back to Ft Snort when he crashed. Quite the character, and there are a lot of opinions about him. But Snort was part of the dying breed of old school fighter pilots that the current military really doesn't want around much anymore. My Tomcat buds that flew with him and worked for him think the world of him. Even the ones that didn't care for him! The fact he flew the way he did, and was able to live as long as he did... well, that's quite a feat. Snort was a Brother in Arms, and I raise a glass for him tonight. edit: for those not aware, Snort was the pilot of the famous knife-edge Tomcat pass. https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-and-video-behind-dale-snort-snodgrass-legendary-super-low-banana-pass/

Should be a great time. The people at Oshkosh generally aren't the woke, virtual signaling part of the American public. Looking forward to getting back after being gone for a few years.

So in Danger’s situation...weather is above mins. Low, but above mins...go fly the damn airplane. If the dude isn’t comfortable shooting an approach to mins, there’s something amiss with him, IMHO.

Seems like valid questions to me. Were there any extenuating circumstances? Long story, but as an OPS SUP on a recent deployment, I found myself cancelling lines when the weather was "technically" legal. Things like lack of reliable weather reporting, lack of support at diverts, PR grounded for weather, zero Americans outside the wire, all lead to those decisions. We were never questioned by anyone in our chain of command...well anyone with wings on their chest and AF on their name tag.

When I canceled a sortie, I fully expected to have to explain the decision with actual facts in addition to my general intuition of the situation…sounds reasonable to me.

I’ve never understood the reluctance to use medicine to improve performance. If I have an infection that makes me DNIF, I take antibiotics. If I have a sleep schedule that needs to be shifted to operate safely, I take ambien. Need to be awake? Go pills. (Edit to be clear for OSI: I’m describing the ideal, not what I do or current practice. Also to be clear for OSI: get fvcked.) You’re asking me to strap into a fuel-laden tube, filled with fire but balk at altering body chemistry? Thanks Nancy. Smarter, stronger, and better at our job… of killing and not getting killed. Give us the pills. Can you imagine how great the MPF could be if we gave them Dex and locked them in for 12 hour days twice a month?

Too bad we can't trust the unvaccinated people to wear a mask without screaming "HIPAA" at everyone who asks.

No, def not toxic. I’ve been in shoes similar to you in a deployed environment. At a certain point we are appointed with executing the mission. I’d look at any of my ACs sideways if they cancelled due to WX being 300-3/4 when mins are 200-1/2. Just go out there and get er done dude. However, like you, I was sensitive about having my AC’s backs if they did make the tough call even if I disagreed with said decision. Tinker, different story. Crews were not safe to fly and got their butts chewed for ORM. Not to mention it was a training environment. That’s a huge foul on part of said OG. Let’s cultivate a climate where ACs are empowered but at the same time are willing to lean forward and get the mission done in the grey zone.

Agreed. As a U-28 guy we regularly launched just because. Then after many years a great sq/cc stopped that. Why the hell are we launching above a solid IMC layer with no troops on the ground? And why are we doing it when we can’t even see where we would glide if our one and only engine went out? That guy was worth his salt and a tremendous leader who took shit for that decision but at the time the weather was completely good enough to takeoff and land with minimums. Some things you can’t describe in the 202-V3. And for what it’s worth he was a former F15 guy who would absolutely want to lead his guys into battle on night one. You are right Scooter though, we can’t learn if we don’t talk about it and thus yes. Absolutely great discourse on here the last few days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of the reasons I love coming here is the different perspectives I get to see that I don’t otherwise get to experience. For example, from SocialD’s post...PR grounded for wx. As a tanker guy I don’t think anyone would even think to ask that question. If the wx sucks in country, they just launch the tankers “just in case”. Plenty of times I’ve flown above hard IMC below me for literally hours, no receivers, just turning gas into noise. We have a problem, we head home on most of our four engines. If it’s catastrophic, there isn’t a PR force in the world that can help us. Looking at Danger’s situation through my lens is somewhat different than SocialD’s lens. It’s interesting to see what goes into everyone’s calculus.

What truly is the difference between toxic and intrusive? Putting my former CC hat on I’m sure that the OG was assured thru multiple briefings that there was no cause for alert or concern on the part of anybody for the inbrief for the exercise. Roll around to the next day and he is completely flabbergasted by the reality of cancelled sorties. I’m sure he was disappointed. He was disappointed in the wrong folks. In no time in my 17+ years was I denied no go pills to meet an operational need. If I am him I am asking why the med group denied ambien for the crews? If you want folks to act like it’s night one of world war 3 you have to organize, train and equip them as such including giving them an ambien to switch their sleep cycle so they can fly around the flag pole. In the meantime. Let this be a reminder that anyone can record anything outside of a Vault and take the time you need to talk to your squadron commanders about what happened and do so from a humble place. If your convo is nothing but venting you are not ready. No bad situation gets solved thru frustration. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Every WO returning from WIC