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Vetter

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Posts posted by Vetter

    Getting a Glider Pilots License?

    in Pilot Selection Process

    Posted

    I started flying gliders when I was 14. Soloed a glider before I could drive a car solo. Some of my best aviation memories where in gliders. In my opinion, there is no purer form of flying.

    Did it help me? I think so. I was a soaring instructor at the Academy. By the time I got to pilot training, I was more comfortable in the air than most places.

    Do it for the fun aspect. Almost nothing transfers from thermalling for hours in a glider to BFM or strafing in a fighter.

    Execs

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    It's a fucking waste of assets and talent. I know of guys who have Master's from MIT/Harvard/Yale who are relegated to proof reading OPRs/EPRs/Decs and throwing together the weekly staff meetings. What a waste! We are truly fucked.

    • Upvote 1

    Execs

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Why does a Group/CC or Wing/CC need 2 execs + a secretary + a deputy/vice? Our Squadron can't hardly function with people having upward of 4 additional duties, yet they still take people out of the Squadron to fill these roles. I am just wondering.

    Shoe Clerk Vol 3

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    There is a great way to blow off a Master's, become a tactician, and still get promoted. Go to WIC. They are the Air Force's tactical experts and are the only ones given leeway with respect to box-checking (at least as a Captain)...as it should be. If your timing doesn't work out, you don't wanna work 12-16 hour days, or you just aren't good enough to get selected, then do your Master's or plan to get out at the end of your commitment. Simple as that.

    F-22 Raptor info

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    There were also time restraints on Libya. Literally, everything was business as usual on Wednesday, then Thursday comes around and all of a sudden, our civilian leadership wants bombs on target and a no-fly zone ASAP. There was an amazing lack of foresight from most of the upper echelons on both the civilian and military side. To tell the truth, I don't even think Raptors were considered. Just like no one thought about CSAR. For the ball of shit given to a few fighter squadron in USAFE, we got it done. But it wasn't pretty.

    I think Raptors would have done fine. They just weren't at the right place at the right time.

    F-22 Raptor info

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    If there are not enough tankers to support X amount of OCA Caps, SEAD Caps (yes, I know SEAD is technically OCA), and Interdiction, then one of them must fall out. When both the CJs and Strike Eagles can do the swing role, the Eagles are left on the side lines again.

    Lack of Flight Discipline

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The punishment should be situationally dependent. First time for a high performer is different than the second time for a douchebag. It's a judgement call and it should be handled at the lowest level (Flt/CC or SQ/DO) if possible.

    While I agree with this, this is a balancing act most commanders can't pull off. If one guy does something and it gets swept under the rug (because he's "good", is being molded for WIC, is an ass-kisser, whatever) and another guy gets hammered, it will rip a squadron apart.

    We had a few issues with guys shooting below abort on our last deployment...nothing heinous, but still below abort. Well, a few guys got sat down for a week or two by the Squadron Commander on the recommendation from the patches. While grounded, those guys had plenty of time to review tape as directed by the patches. They found numerous examples of the patches and Squadron Commander shooting below abort. After that, an A-team/B-team mentality emerged that plagued the squadron for the rest of the deployment.

    Double standards have no place in issues involving flight discipline, safety, and weapons employment. If the CC is going to hammer someone, it should be even across the board.

    Rated pipeline.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    This was all confirmed by Gen Welsh on Monday to some USAFE fighter pilots. The biggest thing he said was that after looking at all the information he recieved about the looming fighter pilot shortage, it was a production problem, not a retention problem that was causing the shortage. While that may be true at this time, once we open the flood gates for the inexperienced guys, we are going to have to send those experienced dudes somewhere else. That's going to turn it into a retention problem when all the experienced dudes no longer have cockpits to fill and decided to leave. Am I totally off base here?

    A-10 crash at moody

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Actually, I heard he failed to confirm the ROE, CDE, and PID were all met before rolling in dry during the scenerio. He just didn't want to sit through the inquisition (debreif) with his patch wingman. Fortunately, he remembered his wife and kids a split second before reaching controlled bailout altitude and pulled the handles.

    Classic Thread - Security Forces (SFS) Tales

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Vetter

    DFP: Why did SF let me down by not giving me jumper cables?

    CF: Made decision to call SF.

    CF: Regulations don't allow SF to help.

    CF: No jumper cables in car. (Root cause)

    ......IF: Carry jumper cables in car.

    LL: In order to not be let down by SF in the future when I need jumper cables, I will carry jumper cables in my car.

    Debriefed. Caveat = there were many other CFs...but you get the idea.

    DFP = Debrief Focal Point

    CF = Contributing Factor

    IF = Instructional Fix

    LL = Lesson Learned

    ADP (Airman Development Plan)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The reason Quals are important is some jobs require certain quals. For example, you must be a 4-ship to go to the FTU. You must be an IP to go to Test. Certain assignments may request specific quals such as FAC(A) or Sandy. The only locations this information is located is in my gradebook, the LOX, and PEX. So Quals are important on the ADP...but not as much as your leadership looking out for you. Caveat-CAF standard.

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