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Hodor

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Posts posted by Hodor

    B-21 Raider

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Hodor

    Wasnt there a program in the 70s or 80s that had the 747 basically being a cruise missile dump truck? With a good launch system I wonder how many missiles a 747-8 can carry? Probably between a ton and shitload. 

    Edit: Cant say the word Duck

    Pilot Shortage Deepens, USAF is SCREWED.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    3 hours ago, SCRIMP said:

    They could also just stop making helicopter pilots. Can the W buy, turn all SMAs into sensor operators, etc and all the pilots go fly the new AT-6, etc since we have been qualified on same or like aircraft. Solves the AF’s lack of give a shit.

     

    UHT is a joke and should be aborted. Quickly. The again, I’m getting out...who knows, maybe I will find a financial backer and make a bid myself. I’m gunna be Oprah rich!!

     

    CH, thanks for the updates!

    Yeah, just skip 3rd and take this to the eventual conclusion if they aren't going to be serious about keeping PR relevant or having the missile field mission be owned in house. The Whiskey is great and all but at some point flying a traditional helicopter into war turns into charging tanks with cavalry. I love CSAR, but the USAF showed how much it mattered when they canned CSAR-X and chose the W. 

    Pilot Shortage Deepens, USAF is SCREWED.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So... to "save" 50 slots a year for guys who want fixed wing they are going to spend millions of dollars to stand up a totally new training program, find a contractor (Probably DOSS), and pump an extra 15-20 new LTs a year into the pipeline. Okay sure, why not? There are some ways they can salvage this to make good Helo pilots.

    If this was out in the South West or Rockies, the High/Hot exposure could make up for it, but getting real IFR time would be rough. You could put it at Kirtland to save the cost of moving guys across the country, and ABQ isn't terrible. Beats Enid for sure, and opens up some nice IP slots for the like 6-9 USAF dudes running this thing. Forget the fact that you're closing the 23d down and finding somewhere to put 20 or some odd guys that probably chose to go there for good reasons like 60 guys that are smoked from Ops, Huey peeps that need a couple years to thaw out. The type rating is kinda nice. It would have been cool to get a Bell 212 rating out of Rucker for all the TH-1 hours. 

    Downsides I can think of include shutting down Rucker for the reason above plus it's already there, churning out pilots at an awesome rate and is a great program. The first time guys get a 100% blue experience will be at the 512th, which already has trouble producing a qualified student that the line units can use. So that'll increase that strain, maybe it'll be better with new helos. Choosing a Huey as the other type rating is sort of short sighted, since it's set up to be replaced as this comes online. I can't really formulate an objective reason but I feel like this is just going to turn into a year at Doss for the studs going through this. 

    Having said all that I'd totally apply to instruct if it's in a cool place and doesnt pay poorly. This is gunna be in Pecos, TX though, run by out of touch contractors doing exactly what Uncle Sugar tells them to do, nothing more. 

    Pilot Shortage Deepens, USAF is SCREWED.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The CSAR/Helo numbers look good now, but there are a huge number of guys getting out now at the end of their ADSCs or 100% set on doing it. Many are leaving to do jobs totally not flying related. A few are using the Rotary to Airline route, but they're older dudes that had 20 years in already. 

    I can't begin to imagine what will happen when the contractors totally take over SUPT-H. Without having USAF dudes there to balance out the old contractors its gunna get weird. UPT by just sim instructors. 

     

    Upping the flow of new dudes is going to do F all. We can't even train the Co-pilots we get now. Moody is a great case study. Brand new Lts are getting 45-60 hrs a year, getting passed around to guard units for any experience they can scrape up, or deploying with other RQS's.  Have you ever seen a bitter Lt? Its like the Ghost of Christmas Future. The iron to fly them isnt there. More importantly the SMAs aren't there. Their retention is a whole other topic. 

    • Upvote 3

    NAS Whiting training info

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Our functional confirmed last quarter that going there as IP was still a thing for USAF bros, not that any from our community would be going. As a former Whiting SNA/Stud most the USAF dudes seemed to enjoy it a ton. As student I regret nothing about going there, despite the lengthened timeline. 

    Overseas PCS and your cars

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    2 on not bringing it to Japan. Cars are dirt cheap on Okinawa and the salt spray will start to devour it unless you wash it a ton and have a garage. I live on base and when I wake up and walk to my car after a windy night it's covered in salt crust. Used car dealers will sell you a decent car for 3k with a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. I got both  ours in the lemon lot, but it's hit or miss. Tons of selection in PCS season, but it dries up off season.  

    What's wrong with the Air Force?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 11/21/2017 at 1:11 AM, Champ Kind said:

     


    So is the restriction for Oki only or all of Japan? I recall similar restrictions years ago but it was only Oki--I don't remember it ever being USFJ-wide. The article says "Japan" but I thought it may be a typo. Not sure what would surprise me less at this point: crappy news reporting or an over-reaching punitive response.

     

    On Okinawa proper there is 0 going off base except if you live off base, and then its work-->Home, with some caveats. No drinking, even in your house with the windows shut and light provided by a single flickering candle as it fades slowly, a small but accurate metaphor for you hope and moral. 

    If you make it to any of the outlying islands or Japan proper you can be out and about but still no drinking. Passes and local leave has been canceled, but leave off island is still gtg. 

     

    And yeah this is to show that we "the Americans" care, and feel bad about what happened. 

    Leave As Casual Lieutenant

    in ROTC & OTS Lounge

    Posted

    I did RAP when I was a filthy casual at Whiting. It was a good deal for sure. I pretty much used it go home, but you can go anywhere with it I think. No reason burning leave when you don't need to. You should be able to get out of AETC with a fairly large chunk of leave stashed...which you can then look at forlornly as you never get a chance to use it. 

    CSAR to AFSOC? What do the customers think?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I've heard talk of this a bunch in  around the squadron for the last month or so. Dudes are worried about cutting the CRH order down for more 22s. To be honest, the 60W isn't really the right tool. It won't be much faster than our current helicopter. Its like buying a 2002 crown victoria because your 1985 crown vic is too old, slow, and its probably been in a wreck. Both options aren't great, but man, you just really like the crown vic...and want a CD player.  If they end up buying more CVs, ok. We'll find a way to make them work for CSAR like we've made a 1980s blackhawk work.  CSAR is so far behind the curve when it comes to our iron we may as well skip a generation and go straight to helping the Army with it's FVL platforms. 

    All the fighter bro's i've talked to like us being there and the mission is absolutely a necessity, but HHQ has consistently put CSAR on the back burner. 

     

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