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We should. We’ve been invaded.

Gotta make sure that H model Herk gets out!

The post calling this forum/its members racist for disagreement of opinion has been removed. If people are wondering where the line is, here’s an example.

That’s fucking hilarious when the current immigration problem was largely caused by a far left political movement that believed that importing as many dark sinned people as possible was the ticket to winning elections. Because apparently skin color has everything to do with how you vote. Now tell me who’s racist? By the way, pulling the “you’re racist” card is the most clear way to know the person you’re arguing with is not someone worth spending time on.

It was planned in and programmed before he was elected president. The Army was always going to celebrate its 250th birthday. Clutch pearls harder and get outraged the next flyover you see while you’re at it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is that frowned upon now?

Two thoughts, equally important: What the Air Force is doing to you and, by extension, to the country, is a travesty, and the generals responsible should be fired publicly and shamed as examples of pathetic and impotent hubris for the remaining days of our nation's existence. Also Suck it up. You don't get to pick the path, only the destination, and sometimes not even that. If this mockery is how you become an Air Force pilot, so be it.

disaster seems like a strong word. at the end of the day it's just UPT. things could always be worse. first step is to immediately stop the bolded part from happening. stop the heavy drinking. start working out more. hang with the bros vs isolating. don't let professional frustrations derail your personal life. second step is to not quit. if air force flying is what you want, go get it. you'll be thankful you did later in life.

Don’t quit, shit sucks sometimes but usually gets better. This is 24 years of AF service from a 50 year old realistic optimist. I had some tough times at UPT too, but quitting is likely to lead to later in life regrets you can’t quantum leap back and fix. It also closes the door on what could be an awesome career. My assignment out of UPT was Grand Forks, not my first choice mind you but I just got off the phone with a bud I’ve been friends with now for 24 years, we flew tankers together and I still have friends from all my AD assignments I keep in touch with. The professional & personal satisfaction you’ll share with the guys you fly with and the camaraderie is something you can’t find anywhere else, I’m on year 3 at a legacy, I like my job but it’s not the same, not even close. My first assignment was my best even though it was damn near bottom of the list. I got to fly multiple aircraft, deploy and be part of historical events in some way and be part of an overall great organization. I was down at some points too but I tell you, your career in the flying business is like the stock market, if you consistently invest in it over time the trend is upwards. Finishing UPT is the best investment you can make in your aviation career in my opinion.

And, since we must make fun of everything...

Recent visit feedback: Leard can’t read a room, was tone def, and avoided answering most questions. My professional concerns: 1. We don’t have enough applicants for UPT. Forcing more USAFA/ROTC grads to UPT will just result in more DORs. Problem not solved. 2. USAF doesn’t recognize FAA ratings and doesn’t seem to plan to do so. So to drop critical things like instrument training/checks is a massive failure on leadership. It is a wild abdication of our training and qualification that is unacceptable. 3. MAJCOMs don’t have the ability to absorb more inexperienced pilots. FTUs are backed up. Training is being pushed to ops units with wild experience-inexperience ratios. 4. IPT is not faster, cheaper, or better. Nor will it produce the 1500 pilots/year that they think. But as already stated on here, they don’t want to hear that. There is no backup plan for when this doesn’t work. 5. I expect higher attrition rates. Is AETC going to lower CTS when IPT isn’t producing the magical number of pilots? When everything else changes, that is all that is left. Unacceptable. Finally, and we are already seeing this, Q3s and accident rates are already climbing (this is before IPT even started). We are not flying enough nor experiencing pilots at a sustainable rate. SIMs are not a 1:1 equivalent. People need to fly. Throwing more inexperienced pilots at the problem isn’t going to help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Like gun control, the restrictions you mention will only restrict lawful operators.

Obviously Contact Time……

Only a fighter pilot could make going to jail for banging a student worse by adding a second dick to the party. Even Biff knows better than that!

Those are just mostly peaceful protests!

I'm not thrilled with the idea of using the military to get this under control but the city, county, and state leadership are unable or unwilling to use law enforcement to prevent destruction of property and attacks on Federal personnel executing their lawful duties. Democrats have pandered to these people for so long, they think free speech is throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. FAFO.

Probably still not as dramatic as the T-38 commander who got caught tag teaming a student with a SIM instructor.

Make UPT Great Again! MUGA What on Earth have they done to UPT? It worked pretty good for several decades.

And where did both fatal 737 MAX accidents take place? It was an absolutely stupid software update for the trim to do that and Boeing was dump and culpable, but I don't think its a coincidence that both accidents happened in non-Western airlines despite the fact that the west was likely flying far more Max flights.

Generals who have probably never set foot in a GA aircraft, telling us what a good thing it is putting the Air Force’s future in the hands of a GA training pipeline, is hilarious to me. I’m not anti GA either; in fact I’m very active in the local GA scene. But GA flying, even the pilot mill schools, is a completely different culture and set up.

That dog don't hunt in Texas! Our governor has already given the order for the National Guard to deploy in advance of upcoming protests expected here, especially in San Antonio. The Austin liberals are shitting squares about it, but it's well within his rights to do so! Some gender-confused misfit toys with rainbow hair will show up, flanked by Mexican flags; but as soon as they start transitioning from "peaceful protests" to rioters there will be enough bubbas around to squash that shit quickly!! We don't put up with that crap for long down here in the Alamo City!

Just one AC-130 would solve this.

Surely you mean “mostly peaceful protest” my good sir.

He made a visit awhile back and had a 30 minute diatribe about the definition of quality in relation to UPT grads. At the end of it he said, "I mean do you want more pilots or what?" No, no I would prefer good pilots to lower quality/high quantity pilots. He could run for office tomorrow with how slippery he attempted to be not answering a direct question. What's comical is, if he and the rest of management are so confident this is the right way to produce pilots, why don't they have the balls to say, "yes we're going to produce as many as we can and quality will suffer."? Idk what he was like previously, but I can tell you a room full of crusty old IPs all thought he was completely full of shit.

I don't think Biff is an Eagle driver

Crazy video! Israeli 🇮🇱 surface to air interceptors trying to take out incoming Iranian 🇮🇷 ballistic missiles in downtown Tel Aviv. They miss one and it nearly takes out their launch site. TBM.mp4

Shout out to the herbs: NKAWTG

Honest take: I understand you omitted a fair amount of information to protect your identity (smart) which may change my take.. but from what you wrote, you sound selfish as hell. If you’re willing to quit on this, go ahead. It sounds like a future airline career is driving your decision making; my opinion, that shouldn’t even be in the equation. All I ever wanted to do, was fly AF fighters growing up, I can’t imagine throwing that chance away because of UPT reindeer games (I’ll obviously concede these aren’t minor games). I went through UPT when one or two guys got fighters and a large portion were sent to RPAs. It would’ve been easy to be down and depressed, but most guys and gals weren’t, they kept positive attitudes, ate the shit sandwiches, and pressed. It’s cliche, but I think there should be a little bit of Service Before Self.. I got lucky, although I didn’t get -38s, I still got to fly some incredible missions to interesting places that made differences in peoples lives—not all the time certainly, and often only at the tactical/operational level, but a handful of strategic impacts as well. I would not think of quitting over UPT syllabus and timeline shenanigans.

Iran's CJCS reportedly taken out.

Expected you to say “dibs”

that's the fix. wish a general would have had the balls to do that during the 20 year GWOT disaster and wish a general had the balls integrity to say so now with the UPT disaster playing out in slow motion. if you can't do it and the plan being shoved down the throats of line IPs is bull shit, then you should resign in protest. don't be a yes man simply to push a square peg in a round hole sts

It was SUPT until 5-6 ish years ago. I don’t know when Doss started but you did that before UPT if you didn’t have a PPL. That was referred to as IFS, and 2018/19? it changed from IFS (initial flight screening) to IFT (Initial Flight Training) from what I told it was the same but changed from a screening program to a “training” program. 2018/19 is when the SUPT most of us know started its change to the disaster we have now. I’m not super smart on the timeline, but I believe UPT next was a small and short program at Randolf/Austin, T-6 only, straight to a FTU. I think it only produced 20-40 grads. 2021 ish started the 2.0/2.5 and several other syllabus re writes. 22-24 The T-1 started sunsetting, and heavy folks started doing T-1 sim only programs. 2024 the T-1 sim only program sunset. They were not the regular T-1 sims, and while I’ve never been in one, from what I was told tbeh sucked. 2025 -IPT/FUPT. IPT is the training program at civilian schools to get studs a PPL/Inst/multi rating. The “legacy” syllabus being referred to was similar to the 2.0/2.5 but had changes in when checkrides and how the mission phase was executed. (Honestly it might be the 2.5 syllabus, I can’t remember which was which, I started ram dumping that info when I left AD) it’s 20 ish more hours in the T-6 than FUPT. I believe the “legacy” syllabus is still being executed at several UPT bases. To sum that up. legacy = Doss IFT (or PPL) + trans/nav-inst/form/mission in the T-6. FUPT = civilian school, FAA grading standards, time building CFI instructors, FAA checkride PPL/inst Multi, and then 50 hours in the T-6 with no real dedicated nav/inst rides. That being said the “legacy” being referred to is totally different than what most of us went though, and is really only a year or so old.

Your error is the reference to “legacy”. He referring the syllabus before IPT was thing. In that syllabus they got 70? Ish T-6 hours and then straight to the FTU if they didn’t get 38s. I flew with many of the initial IPT studs at CBM, the program is trash.

Yeah, this is concerning. "In the new model, pilots will earn a private pilot certificate, instrument, and multi-engine ratings in approximately 120 flying hours within a maximum of 139 calendar days. Pilots then complete military specific flight training, earning wings after 108 days—55 hours in the T-6A and 50 hours in simulators. Leard explained, 'Prior to implementing this new program, our fundamental challenge was getting enough flying hours in the T-6A to meet our goal. This new program ultimately provides our pilots with more flight time than the legacy system while exposing them to a greater number of aviation competencies.'" There's a lot in that little snippet that I'm not even sure is factually true. I graduated UPT (technically SUPT) with over 200 hours - most of them were in the T-38. These guys are going to graduate with 175 hours with most of them in some combination of Cessnas and Pilatuses? Hmmm. Not sure they're getting more flight time. Certainly they're not getting more relevant flight time. Maybe he was referring to the T-1 track? Can't speak to what the T-1 guys graduated SUPT with, hours-wise. Does anyone know approximately? My top concern is that this just seems to be trading quality for quantity. Instead of wings with a star on top, can we begin issuing wings with an asterisk? Also, I would like the statement "exposing them to a greater number of aviation competencies" to be substantiated. I doubt this is true. And if it is, what competency did we just discover in the year of our lord 2025 to which I have not been exposed?

FUPA https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKut95ePnUJ/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== What have they done to UPT?

They should have called it FUPA.

Yup. But since not everything in the universe is correlated to everything else in the universe, I'll need you to expand a little bit more. There are also examples of countries that severely punish drug use, and as such have wildly lower usage rates. Again, that's not me endorsing the punishment, but to deny the reality that it *can* be controlled is silly. And there's a whole separate conversation about whether or not something becomes pointless just because it cannot be pursued to perfection. Just because you *can* get meth doesn't mean we should legalize it. Fewer meth heads is a societal good. But we can start another thread on the inanity of libertarian purism if we want to continue that discussion.

My solution

I guess I don't understand the political motivation for deploying the national guard in Los Angeles. The Democrats have almost entirely been responsible for Republicans winning the last few cycles, because their governance inevitably blows up in the faces of their constituencies. California and specifically San Francisco are good examples. Illegal immigration and the trans stuff is another good example. So why save the day when the governor and mayor are protesting your involvement? I feel like a better strategy would be to continue doing what the people elected Trump to do, which is beef up immigration enforcement, and if there's a riot in Los Angeles every time and an illegal is detained, so be it. Wait for the riot to end, then go back in and detain another illegal. It should only take two or three of these riots before Los Angeles is brought to its knees, and then they can request the national guard from the president and allow Trump to swoop in and save the day. I have no love for these "protestors," but California clearly does, so why not let them reap what they sow? If the fear is damage to Federal facilities, use it as justification to move as many federal facilities out of California as possible. Part of the reason the swamp exists is because all of the federal infrastructure is in the most liberal parts of the country. This would be a great excuse for bringing in some more balance.

Reminds me of laws or signs stating "Gun Free Zone.". Yeah, right. I'm sure some criminal type bent on criminal activity came across one of those signs and turned around because the sign said no guns. If someone is going to do something war or terrorist like with a drone, they don't care about your laws, signs, etc.

Every unit that did this is a T in “perform expeditionary operations,” on the METL…. We actually executed work at transcom and locally doing rail head ops…. You understand we are demonstrating the ability to move our heaviest ground forces and have them execute on the other end of that move right? 1-17 Cav is one of the flyover units, and that is literally their last hurrah before casing the colors and disbanding, so what did that really cost us? Look if I can March in the Dothan peanut festival parade, we can damn sure put some effort into celebrating the Army’s 250s birthday. Let’s compare the price tag on Tdy and equipment movement of this to say, the Dayton Air Show. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Cool. Now do Covid circa 2021 Or speaking at school board meetings, same time frame. And numerous other free speech actions, not twitter spats, but government actions taken to thwart free speech. I'll take Trump blustering and https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ice-arrests-top-100000-under-trump-as-officials-expand-detention-efforts/ar-AA1GayKQ?ocid=BingNewsSerp for $200, please... Not high enough numbers, but a start combined with record low border crossings. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/25/trump-southern-border-crackdown-impact/83733347007/ And I'll put another $200 on that high horse you ride to win/place/show.

Come on, it’s not like we let our adversary buy large plots of land adjacent to our military facilities… wait… it appears new information has just been handed to me. Fuck.

This is a stupid argument. It's like arguing that amusement parks are a waste or zoos are cruel. Humans are not machines. They need entertainment and fanfare and first person contact with something for it to matter in their lives. Parades bring the military to the people we desperately need to support us. This type of thinking is why so many utopians and central planners keep failing over and over in their attempts to "improve" society. It may seem better to spend money on a hospital instead of a parade, just like a base theater is a "waste" of money when the runways needs new lighting. But entertainment is not optional; it's human nature.

Nonsense...I'll take Oct 2001-August 2002. "Reaper 69 - Killbox 175B is yours, Cleared Hot!"

If you have any chance of using the GI Bill for higher education, for you or a dependent, save it for that. Right now my daughter is getting just over 90k a year for school from the GI Bill. So when I got my ATP, I bit the bullet and paid for it all out of pocket.

I'm fairly confident even AETC doesn't know the answer to that question...