Right Seat Driver

Serious question. What rank are his execs and are they flyers?

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.

I think the leadership had faith a CR would get passed because it seems to be standard ops now. IIRC, the DoD had guidance in-place prior to the 2013 shut down so everyone was prepared when congress failed to act.

I'd say Mardon pre-2011 made quality patches. I've had both leather backed and non-leather backed patches since then that were not quality products. My current leather backed nametag's edge threading started to unravel after the first few months of wearing them.

That is a great question. AFAIK, SOS and FTU guys are good. Unknown about contract maintainers. Some were furloughed in 2013. The DoD did not seem prepared for this shut down based on the vague guidance they've released.

It depends on what the TDY is. There is amplifying information released by the DoD outlining what TDYs will proceed or be cancelled. Bottomline, if it is mission essential expect to press. If it isn't, the TDY will probably be cancelled. I know a couple of people being recalled from TDY IAW the DoD guidance detailing TDY actions in the shut down.

You give Mardon too much credit.

Command Relationships. Think OPCON, TACON etc. Rumor is Mother AMC is looking to drastically change the way heavy units are tasked, to include the ANG and AFRC.

The local SARM shop just kicked out the due dates based on the reg change.

I stand corrected.

IIRC July of 2017 was when the new AFI was published directing the 17 months for IRC.

There is plenty of airspace in central Washington all the way to the eastern side of Montana. AMC should have flown the majority of the iron from another location other than TCM, such as Moses Lake. Moses Lake would have loved the extra business and it would keep everyone out of Seattle's busy airspace. The MPC should only spend .69% of their time on flight plans.

You can thank the Air Force for that one.

Hah, I am sure DFAS could handle that.

The 135 has landed with the nose gear retracted twice without any major damage. It is entirely different if a 135 hits a bunch of cows with the nose gear on a touch and go.

Perhaps, that would be par for the MAF course. However, my previous Wg/CC didn't look at what job dudes had. He wanted to see how good they were as pilots and bros and what kind of attitudes they had. One can hope that happened in other MAF wings as well.

That was a rumor I heard two years ago from some senior leaders but have yet to see anything in writing. BTW, two years ago a few MAJCOM/CCs were flipping out because their Patches that happened to be school selects were leaving in droves.

Yes.

The word I got from AAFES is the contractor that made the flight suit/BDU rank went TU, and AAFES is looking for a new contractor now. I had to order my rank from Vanguard. It is a lot more expensive than the AAFES brand. O-4 Vanguard runs $3.55 versus the AAFES $0.95. Good luck.

Expect the KC-46 to CHOP.

A toast...

Showed up to my first operational KC-135 unit in May 2009 and was an AC by April 2011. But I volunteered to go TDY, deploy, and took weekend lines and flew my ass off. Also sought out SOAR and RT co certs to experience the other mission sets of the 135.

$.05, him, him.

Looked today and couldn't find the most recent take rates. Anyone else have the same issue?