pcola
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Posts posted by pcola
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CC's--Select your bottom 10% of Capt eligibles and write DNP PRFs.
The worst written 5% "win"
Done.
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I think I know what you mean, but I would clarify the contents of the message and animation. I thought the animation was well put together.
Yes, very well put together. Trying to relay how I felt after watching it w/out compromising any PI.
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Saw it today.... Twice.
Agreed.
The message is bad...the animation is horrific. Can't stop thinking about it. Godspeed to the crew, and heartfelt condolences to the families. I encourage every aviator on this forum to find a way to access both, share them w/your sq bros, talk about it, and most importantly, learn.
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Good to hear as I'm getting ready to PCS there!
And he'll most likely get qual'd in the C-21, which means you'll spend some time (as a new FP) in the jumpseat being a safety observer while he flies with an IP. I can remember several rather interesting conversations either as the IP or the jumpseater with a flying DV. Some of them really open up when they get to feel like a crewdog again. It can really be a unique opportunity, especially when the flying DVs are genuinely good dudes.
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Also, check and see if you can take them as carry ons. No shit, my PCS flight from Frankfurt to Ohare was on Lufthansa, and they told me I could bring the cats as carry on. I decided not to piss off everybody else around me so they got checked, but if your domestic flight is relatively short, it would be worth it to save the 400 bones. I'd check into it if I were you.
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I just pcs'd back to the States after 3 years flying Learjets at Ramstein. Congrats on the awesome job, you're going to love it.
About the cats. Yes, you are out the cash, but that's not all they are going to cost you. You need to talk to the base vet if you haven't already. They're going to need documentation of all their shots, and the rabies have to be current, but completed MORE THAN 14 days prior to your departure. You are also going to need to get them chipped if they aren't already, and lastly, you're going to have to get a letter of health from a vet written in English and Deutsch. The base vet will be able to help you with all of this. You are also going to need to find a place for them to stay while you house hunt. That may mean boarding them at 10 Euro/day. Ramstein TLF now has a limited number of pet friendly units. Call ASAP to reserve one if you haven't already. Odds are you are already too late, though, they fill up fast. And oh yeah, if you don't "lose" the cats w/in the next three years, plan to repeat the process (and the money spent) when you move back to the States. Cha-Ching, yeeeaah.
BTW, do you have a sponsor yet? Has he/she done anything for you? PM me and I can help grease the wheels, I just left there in June, so I'll know your sponsor. If you don't know yet, I can call over and find out. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
Man, I wish I had it all to do again. Oh well, time to pay my dues now as part of the AMC machine...
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I put my ID in one of my gloves and just pull it out when I get to the gate in the summer. In the winter, I fumble and make people wait.
I was thinking of taking the clear plastic part of one of those armband ID holders and somehow sticking it to the underside of the windscreen. Should make for easier access at the gate. Of course, its been 20 degrees, icy/snowy, and nasty here in Germany so I haven't ridden in awhile.
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Hilarious article. Thanks for the link
My favorites:
Erin wasn't the only special person who flew here today; she wasn't the only female, or the only person to crash into Pino's Pizza on Grove Avenue, or even the youngest. But, witnesses said, she displayed incredible grit and a can-do attitude to her classmates who were inside eating pizza when she tried to fly by and wave.Funny.
"He may have flunked the 'near-miss' part of the high-speed aerobatic pass, caused the death of a man with 17 years' flight experience when he sheared the wing off of Cmdr. Hickock's plane, vomited into his helmet, panicked, inverted the aircraft with the throttles maxed, and hit Mach 1 just before crashing into bleachers full of spectators with almost a full load of fuel," Blue Angels commanding officer Brock Saxon said. "But he nailed the steep climb and the steep dive, and he certainly had showmanship. If there's one thing I keep telling my cadets, it's that you can't teach enthusiasm. I think we all learned a little something about the power of raw enthusiasm here today."Sounds a lot like the write-up after my first form ride back in UPT.
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Well, I'm sure its only a matter of time until USAFE and ETAR follow suit with the long sleeve mandate. I'll be sure to have my clip-on ready to go.
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In all seriousness, is there any reg that outlines the type of reflective belt to be worn? Could a person (or crew, or entire squadron) take a bright orange/reflective motorcycle vest and wear it EVERYWHERE, with every uniform, all the time, just to be "extra reflective, and therefore, more safe?" Might make a point, if not, at least it will make a few shoe's heads spin.
Edit: Sweet. Been here 5 1/2 years and finally got my 500th post! This calls for a celebration (ok, I was going to open another beer anyway)
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I'll be headed to San Antonio this summer for C-5 initial qual and have a few questions that have been hinted at in other threads but I was hoping somebody had some Lackland/C5 specifics.
I know that Kelly Inn is never full, but assuming its aprox $30/day for lodging, can I take that $900/month and get a flexible 3 month lease on a furnished apartment? How does the voucher work when I won't have a hotel receipt for the $30/day. Can I get a receipt from the landlord for the monthly rent, divide that by the # of days in the month, and file that with the voucher, as long as its less than the daily rate at Kelly Inn? Since Kelly Inn is a billeting contract location, can I stay elsewhere without a Non-A slip? I've always stayed pretty much where ever I wanted on my C-21 missions without worrying about a Non-A, so I'm not 100% certain about the fine print.
Assuming that I can rent an apartment, is anybody familiar with Stoneybrook Apartments or Lodge at Westover Hills? I found both of them on Hotpads.com and they look like nice places (furnished corporate short-term apartments) for around the $900/month Kelly Inn price. I'm also open to suggestions if anybody knows of any other places around the area.
The reason I'm looking at renting an apartment is because I'm going TDY enroute from Ramstein to Travis and my daughter will be just turning 1 y/o at the time. I can't leave my family in Ramstein and I don't really want to move them out to Travis without me, so we're looking at having them go to San Antonio with me. That would be much more comfortable in an apartment. Also, I can't really find any info regarding the BAH situation. I understand that when PCSing with a TDY Enroute, you maintain your losing base BAH until checking in to your new base. Since my losing base is Ramstein, I'm currently receiving OHA. My OHA includes a contracted monthly rent rate (i.e. actual cost of apartment lease as approved by the housing office up to a monthly maximum decided by rank and dependents) converted from Euro to Dollars, plus a monthly utilities allowance. Right now my monthly rent is coincident with the maximum allowed for my rank and dependents. What happens when my family and I move out of the house and terminate the contract? Will I still receive the same OHA? Will I start receiving Travis BAH?
As to the actual training, from what I can gather from the prior C-5 guys around my squadron, it looks like all new initial quals are trained on AMP jets and will never fly the legacy jets. Is that right? Also, any update on the C-5M? Timeframe on when Travis is expected to start getting their jets modded?
Thanks to anybody willing to provide some answers.
Cheers
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"3" for the Royal Sun...some of the best strip clubs are in Souda...many, many Russion and Hungarian chicks with tits hard as a rock.
In the C-21, we seldom deploy, however, I've had the opportunity to RON at the following kick-ass locations OCONUS:
Mexico City (Mexico)
Rio De Janerio (Brazil)
La Paz (Bolivia)
Panama City (Panama)
Grand Caymen (Spain)
Lima (Peru)
Lajes (Portugal)
Rota (Spain)
Moron (Spain)
Barcelona (Spain)
Lisbon (Portugal)
Grand Canary (Spain)
Tunis (Tunisia)
Entebbe (Uganda)
Cairo (Egypt)
Souda Bay (Creete)
Athens (Greece)
Istanbul (turkey(
Bodo (Norway)
Stavanger (Norway)
Helsinki (Finland)
Casement (Dublin, Ireland)
Mildenhall (UK)
Lakenheath (UK)
RAF Waddington (UK)
RAF Lyneham (UK)
RAF Brascomb Down (UK - 3 miles fom Stonehenge)
Prestwick (Scotland)
Edinburgh (Scotland)
Prague (Czech Rep)
Krakow (Poland)
Vienna (Austria)
Bratislavia (Slovakia)
Riga (Latvia)
Vilinius (Lithuania)
Moscow (Russia)
St Petersberg (Russia)
Kiev (Ukraine)
Tel Aviv (Israel)
Tblisi (Georgia - brought back grenades used in Bush assasination attempt)
Budapest (Hungary)
Constanta (Romania)
Bucharest (Romania)
Burgas (Bulgaria)
Aviano (Italy)
Naples (Italy)
Pisa (Italy)
Palma De Mallorca (Spain)
Keflavik (Iceland)
St Johns (Canada)
Many other "standard" locations (Stuggart, Berlin, etc)....C-21 assignments have to be one of the best gigs in the AF. I'm gonna definately miss it!!
-Cheers
Agree, it doesn't count as a "deployed location" topic, but I've been flying the lear out of ETAR for 2 1/2 years now and I can vouch for 90% of those locations (minus the South America stuff), plus some equally as interesting (Rome; Chisnau, Moldova; Izmir, Turkey; Ankara, Turkey; Geneva, Munich, Brussels, Paris, Oslo; Bahrain; Goose Bay, Canada; Sicily; Cyprus; Amsterdam, etc.) The list goes on. Flying the Lear in Germany is an awesome assignment and I recommend it to any of you heavy drivers out there. Consider putting it on your ADP, you know what they say, you definitely WONT get it if you dont put ask. We've got people from all backgrounds (C-5s, C-17s, C-130s, KC-135s, KC-10s.) If you and/or your spouse likes to travel, it beats the hell out of any other white jet tour I've heard of.
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There are starting to be more and more Prior Qualed pilots from other MWS's, and less and less first assignment guys in the C-21. So yes, that is currently an option. However, life in C-21s is much better as a first assignment guy than a prior qualed guy. The prior qualed pilots are showing up to squadron, getting pushed through a 3 month upgrade to Aircraft Commander (where they have to get 100 hours and finish their upgrade), and then typically, not always, but typically getting sent out the door for a 4 month non-flying CAOC gig. What appeared to be a good deal ends up w/ them showing up, flying enough that they can't spend much time w/ the family, and then getting shoved out the door...all in their first 7 months. When they get back they usually hold a flight commander spot where they work on awards packages/OPRs and get tasked w/ stuff like heading up the airshow or putting other major events together. As a first assignment pilot, you will show up, get mission qualed, fly 2 or 3 times a week and start out w/ only a few additional duties. You can expect to do a 90 day flying deployment in your first year, and once a year after that. A handful of first assignment pilots are getting the 4 month non flying CAOC tours towards the end of their 3 year tour. If you are considering the C-21 at all, I'd recommend doing it as a first assignment. Just my personal opinion.
This is the case for the stateside C-21 PQPs and is definitely NOT the case for our PQPs at Ramstein. C-21s at Ramstein: you will only deploy if you volunteer. You will do at least 50% of the cool shit that C-21 Pilot talked about. Our PQPs still typically take 6 months or more to upgrade and they still get lots of time/opportunity to travel Europe with the family. I would recommend C-21s at Ramstein to anybody. I don't know a single person who regrets it, and I also don't know a single person who could have anticipated how fun/challenging/rewarding flying the lear in Europe is.
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I have one computer logbook that I keep pretty well updated with all my civ and mil time, and I want to log it properly day to day (ie - as a co, even if my sortie is 9 hours long, I only log the 4 hours that I have access to the controls) so I don't have to go back through years and years of data to un-f*** it.
I'd much rather have an accurate/conservative log and have to wait 6 more months than try to push through something sketchy and get bent over.
On a side note, does anybody have/know where to get a decent excel spreadsheet electronic logbook they'd be willing to give up? I just want something simple, I thought about making one, but I'm not very good with excel so I decided to not reinvent the wheel if there's already some decent freeware out there. Thanks
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The mother had told company officials that the girl's father died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq, company spokeswoman Robyn Caulfield said.
"We did the essay and that's what we did to win," Priscilla Ceballos, the mother, said in an interview with Dallas TV station KDFW. "We did whatever we could do to win."
Seriously? This bitch decides that scamming tickets to a concert is more important than teaching her kids about integrity? And then she gives her kid part of the blame by saying "WE did whatever WE could do to win." She doesn't deserve to be a mother.
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Another Air Force poster. Not about LT's but still funny. Check out the guys boots in the front. Somebody should make a motivational poster out of the picture from the other thread with the Colonels hands in her pockets.
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OK, I realize that the dude that started this thread has probably already purchased his rock. Hopefully he followed Rainman's advice. For those that will read this thread in the future, my advice:
1. Don't buy your wife's ring at the mall. You will get ripped off. Mall jewelery stores have to pay the rent. Idiots that shop there do it for them. Like others have mentioned, buy online. Do your homework, buy something with a certificate or some sort of guarantee. It may sound cheesy, but overstock.com has good prices and a reputation. Buy online from someone that has to sell what they advertise in order to maintain their reputation.
2. Learn how big of a ring your wife would LOVE, then buy one a little bit bigger. As Rainman said, it will pay dividends long after it is paid off. And all of her friends that got ripped off at the mall will think it cost a ton more than it really did.
3. Once you know what size to buy, look at the rest of the details, the cut, the color, and the clarity. Look around online. Don't waste your money on a flawless or even near flawless diamond. Get one that is "eye clean." That means that it looks like a top notch diamond to the naked eye, but has some noticable imperfections under 10x magnification. You'll save a ton, and unless any of your wives girlfriends bust out their eye piece and examine the ring, it will look spectacular. IMO, the cut and clarity are a tie for the second most important aspects (after you've decided on what size you want.) The cut is very important, it is what will make the diamond sparkle. Too shallow and the diamond looks bigger, but doesn't sparkle. Too deep and the diamond looks smaller and still doesn't sparkle. Make sure the cut is ideal or pretty close to it to get that much sought after "fire." Then the color. Get one anywhere in the near colorless range. Don't go for the colorless range, they cost too much. Anything less than a "J" and it will be noticably yellowish. Get one in preferably in the H to I range and they look great as a standalone. When you put a near colorless diamond under a UV light next to a colorless diamond, the difference is apparent. However, by itself, a near colorless diamond is impressive (assuming a good cut.) Your last consideration should be the clarity. That being said, do not get anything less than an SI1 or maybe SI2 if you can return the diamond after inspection. Any rock graded as I or worse will have visible defects. If it is an VS or SI grade, the defects should not be visible without magnification. If you want a pretty stone for a good deal, that is very important.
If you want the most beautiful stone for the money, I'd go with a round, .98 carat, Ideal cut, H color, VS2-SI1 diamond. Round diamonds ideal cut produce the most fire. Most diamond sellers know that men looking for an engagement ring will pay the extra money for the 1 carat bragging rights, thats why you can typically get the .95-.99 carat diamonds for a few hundred cheaper, even though they are visually identical to the 1.0 carats. And finally, if you have tons of cash, buy a flawless diamond, it will hold its value. If you are on a budget but still want to spoil your wife, buy a beautiful, slightly included, diamond.
But always, always, refer to rule number 1. Dont buy your diamonds from the mall!
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I got issued the orange switchblade too, but AFAIK, it was a Whiting only thing. None of the guys in the class I joined at Vance were issued a knife.
I'm pretty sure if the AF made carrying a knife mandatory, they'd have to issue you one. As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, there is a Benchmade switchblade included in the MSK onboard the C-21. I'd be willing to bet there is a similar knife included in the survival kit on every USAF jet.
We carry the M9 with hollow points on every flight (except local trainers) in the C-21. Never know when the General is gonna want to hop in the seat and "take her for a spin" and just won't take no for an answer.
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Jets??
Technically speaking, the T6 has a jet engine.
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People still pick the C-17 because it's the C-17. No way in hell would I want that lifestyle (no offense) but no matter how much people talked about how you are away all the time and constantly hopping from place to place, people still put it #1. The same think will happen here.
C-17 is a nice aircraft with nice avionics and great locations. They are also not gone all that much anymore. I dont see a lot of T-1 studs pining after the B-52. The B-2 on the other hand...
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The way he shamelessly shows off his car and bike makes it look like a cry-for-help dating service video.
(Link to ebaumsworld)
HD
Not to derail an already funny thread, but did anybody read any of the comments posted on HD's link? Thats some funny shit.
"Hey guys, he's warm and sensshshiv. His favorite type of woman is one who won't mace him and run away screaming."
" 'And I will make a lady laugh, once she gets to know me'...shit, dude, I don't even know you and I'm laughing right now!!!"
And this one belongs on the acronyms thread:
"Rolling on the floor and laughing my fucking ass off while simultaneously masturbating to incriminating photos of David Hasselhoff:
ROFLMFAOWSMTIPODH!"
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when I did 37 tons x 2 on my E6B it came out to 64,000 lbs. I called my Nav buddy, and he explained to me that 37 x 2 = 74.
Gotta love tying in the thread debating the usefulness of the E6B.
Well done. And very funny.
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Man, if more than one segmant of that sentence is true at any given time....someone has officially made you their bitch...actually, a number of people. I hope it was more sarcastic. :)
I guess you could say that...I'm an exec. And yes, the job sucks.
What's wrong with the Air Force?
in General Discussion
Posted
Shack. Worthless fucking degrees from diploma mills are a waste of taxpayer money and of no benefit to anyone other than the diploma mill. Some people get decent degrees that will benefit the Air Force. Most do the quickest, easiest to check the box and get nothing out of it. I've no shit talked to dudes with a Masters that couldn't even tell me what the degree was called. That's what our current system encourages. My boss told me that I should put my EE Masters on hold and do one that I can finish before my Major's board because a completed basket weaving degree is better than a 90% complete EE Masters from Illinois. I didn't listen...and I probably won't be a school select because of it. Oh well.