ClearedHot
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Posts posted by ClearedHot
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Alright chucklemelons…disregard some of the crap in this thread.
DG can be a nasty word in ROTC because it sometimes turns into a popularity contest. Hopefully your detachment will pick the most qualified and well rounded individuals.
Now to the gouge…DG out of ROTC these days is much more than something to file away in a drawer. As of last year, those selected as a DG also get a commitment from the Air Force to send your sorry butts to graduate school. Now that the masters program is back in vogue, this can make your life a lot easier. Yes taking a year off from flying is not always fun, but if you want to make this a career, this is a good deal. Trust me, when you get a bit older, having choices is a GOOD thing. I am not telling anyone to suck up or to plan your entire career while you are still in college, but don’t discount what could be a good opportunity.
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Combat is the great equalizer…
To summarize a lot of what has already been said in a slightly different context mixed with the standard weapons school answer…it depends.
I should preface by saying I always wanted to know how I would act under the pressure of combat, probably some immature desire to prove my courage. When it was all over and the shooting (both from me and at me), finally stopped, I was relieved, exhilarated, scared, and felt very alive. I was relieved that I did not fork up, exhilarated that I had killed bad guys and helped people on the ground that really needed it, scared to realize just how close that missile and AAA really was, and felt so alive because it was the most extreme experience of my life and I wanted more. For me combat was a bit like crack, I was confident but nervous of the threat, but wanted to do it again more than that high school night with Leanne XXXXX.
The standard adages about falling back on your training are true for the most part, but different people act in different ways. I watched good dudes crumble under the pressure and “find” excuses not to do it anymore. I also watched brave young kids that I completely underestimated, step forward as rocks of Gibraltar when the missiles were in the air.
If I had to pick a rank ordered list of ingredients, I would use the following;
1. High SA, that remains high when the threats are in the air.
2. Great Leader
3. Confidence
4. Humility
5. Good Hands
There is no magic profile of a guy or girl that will perform well in combat, there are just too many unknowns about personality and the different way people deal with fear. In the end we try to build the best we can with good training.
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Absolute non-sense.Originally posted by whitadel:definately stay away from north Charleston...unless you're packing the heat
North Charleston has bad areas just like any other part of town. North Charleston has great places (I know I own one of them), right off Dorchester Road. Take for example the area at the corner of Ashley Phosphate Road and Dorchester Road. If you go behind the Publix there are seven or eight large neighborhoods with great homes. Some of the homes along the river are over a million dollars. If you are talking the small section of North Charleston by the ice cream shop...of course that is a bad area, but that is seven miles away.
I took a different approach to living in Charleston. I knew I had to go to work everyday and usually by 0600, so I picked a house five minutes away. A lot of people wanted to be near the beach in areas like Mt Pleasant, Isle of Palms, or Sullivan’s Island, but it takes over 30 minutes to get to the base from there…with no traffic. My approach was, I go to work everyday, I go to the beach sometimes…
Either way, there are great places to live all over Charleston.
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I am old...did the ride along in a early 90's stang GT at Taif.
I am guessing M2 did his ride along in a Model T while Francis Gary Powers did approaches.
[ 18. April 2006, 19:19: Message edited by: ClearedHot ]
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No problem Bro...Originally posted by Bergman:Not a problem! Just don't ever call me "bra" again.
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I am having a crappy day pushing paper through the Puzzle Palace...wanting to stick a gun in my mouth when I stumble across this thread and picture. At first site of what I wish I was doing this day, I want to expedite the process and end the misery, but as I take a moment to reflect and realize I have less that one year left in purgatory, I decide to hang on.Originally posted by Bergman:Alrighty then....I guess the answer to the original question "Does it ever become fun again?" is "HELL YES. My job kicks ass!".
We were supposed to tank some F-15Es tonight, but switched receivers at the last minute. There's nothing better than a 75 degree day, MR crew, winds right down the runway, and going out to A/R off the coast then come back and beat up the pattern for an hour or so. Land, drink some Coronas, laugh, and go home. Repeat tomorrow night. F_ckin A it's fun. What do you guys think? Maybe I am just a brainwashed tanker toad (and that's OK with me).
Thanks for the pictures bra, you saved my life.
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Let me offer a slightly different point of view,
#1 The government is paying if it does not extend your current commitment, you are foolish to waste the opportunity.
#2. I have seen several dudes who lost their medical and were suddenly trying to figure out what they were going to do with the rest of their life with regard to employment.
#3. My wife works for Lockheed and there are a crap load of furloughed airline pilots that work in her office Several of them have the Embry Riddle Aviation Masters which along with their airline experience, got them in the door. They make around 100K which is average for DC. I won’t say which contract on here, but there numerous opportunities to feed your family if you can’t fly.
#4. Embry Riddle makes it easy to knock out a Masters. In addition to the credit mentioned for PIT, you also credit for the following: SOS In-residence – 6, Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Office Course – 9, Weapons School – 12 (depending on division). These numbers are old and off the top of my small melon, but if you have been to any of other schools out there you are well on your way with ERAU.
Don’t limit you options because you want to drink beer. I might be in the minority here, but I think if Uncle Sam is paying you are foolish not to give yourself options for the future. ERAU is not the best out there (I did it and am glad it is behind me), but it is easy and better than having nothing.
Old Guy opinion only…
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69 Knots...Originally posted by cb03t:Any guesses on airspeed?
I have no idea.
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I can see both sides of this argument. As an operator, I am grateful I had the opportunity to get my wings, that being said, I busted my ass to get them. Humility is difficult to gauge, I don’t walk around saying I am a pilot please stand to the side of the hallway when I pass…HOWEVER, for folks that have risked their lives and flown into harms way….to get shot at, to shoot back, and to survive, life and service take on a different perspective. I can’t help but look on with distain when I see a gum-shoe get all bent out of shape over a staff summary sheet. Maybe I am jaded, but I have a lot more respect for someone who puts their pink fleshy arse on the line, than for someone who has never even been TDY out of the continental U.S. It’s human nature.Originally posted by Light Chop:I agree with the posts that complain of apathy in non-flying career fields in the GENERAL sense (whose primary responsibility is to support aircrew - or the "mission" in the bigger sense). However, as a former shoeclerk (acquisition officer who was at the ass end of the spear; yet worked to directly support aircrew - i.e. give Link 16 for the fighter folks or BLOS to the bomber dudes (those who have worked with it know what I am talking about) please give people you haven;t had a run in with the benefit of the doubt. I've seen both sides...and as an acquisition officer, nothing turned me more bitter towards aircrew (a person who I was so desperately trying to become) than those who didn't know me or what I was trying to do to help them - ***** or complain to me. They became nothing more than a prime example of something that I did NOT want to be should I be fortunate enough to become a pilot. And now as a pilot, I still try my best to keep my promise (unless that above mentioned apathy kicks in and there is absolutely no excuse for being stupid).
Give people a chance until you know personally they dont't give a f---. Not ALL shoeclerk folks suck. From the outside, most pilots are viewed as pompous asses...prove 'em wrong until they f- you over.
BTW before I start feeling all gushy about the “shoe clerks”, take a look at the latest promotion statistics…being a pilot is not necessarily good for your career. The Pilots had the second lowest selection rate to O-5, While Support officers had the highest. Acquisition officers by LAW have to be promoted at a rate equal to or higher than the rest of the USAF.
I know we are all on the same team, but the shoe-clerk group hug is going to have to wait until I get back from my XXth deployment to Af-crap-istan.
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Concur.Originally posted by KillYourself:One word: "diversify".
When I started investing my broker was against me investing in real estate. He gave me the hard sell about the historical returns from the market. I've always maximized my traditional IRA -Roth - and TSP, but I also purchased a house at each PCS location which I kept and rented out when I moved to my next station.
When I took the bonus I refinanced all of my properties to 15 year mortgages which means I will own several houses outright right around the time I am retirement eligible. While rental property can be a pain, you are typically able to write off the operating costs which with depreciation will always be more than you bring in.
My wife has a great job and as a result our income bracket is such that this will be the first year I am not able to write off the loss from rental operations. Thus I am writing a big check to uncle sugar on 15 April.
If I had listened to my broker I would have a nice IRA – Roth – and TSP, but I would be missing about $750,000 in equity that I have right now. Moral of the story…diversify.
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The Rhino will always be the F-4.
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The Blanik picture is from some flying I did in New Zealand last Novemeber.
I've been doing the glider gig for over 20 years and was going to make a run at my Diamond Goal Flight (New Zealand is a great place to do it), but the conditions were aweful. Instead, I spent a few days fighting a bunch of old RNAAF A-4 pilots over Auckland...what a blast!
[ 05. April 2006, 10:13: Message edited by: ClearedHot ]
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I learned in a Super Cub. One of the best airplanes to learn basic flying skills in my opinion.Originally posted by LJDRVR:I used to teach in a J-3 Cub, I would often look and those 56 year old weld clusters at the base of the stick during preflight and wonder....what if?
Never was too much of a concern, if I had a student, they would fly, if solo, I'd simply climb into the other seat.
I've also seen a Cub demo at an airshow...a very versatile airplane to say the least.
I wonder how long it will take Tucker to get a new plane up and running.
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I had a hot date last night, so lets make it three...Originally posted by LJDRVR:Two happy endings in one week....sweet!
I wonder if he saved the stick so he could use it to beat the heck out of whoever did the welding?
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Vetter...time for some medicine.
I am really tired of the “if I only had to fly routine”. I guess I am getting older and I see the crap that good dudes on the staffs have to put up with to keep people flying airplanes. I am saying everyone should work on the Airstaff or some paper-pusher job, but we are all officers and we have a responsibility to try and keep OUR USAF going in the right direction. What would it be like as pilots if we just sat in the cockpit our entire career and let someone else determine the future of our USAF? The pencil necked geeks would drive this train even further into the ground. Instead a few good dudes (myself not included), are taking one for the team and trying to do what is right while a few other whine about not getting to fly their entire career…utter crap in my opinion.Okay, okay...I guess I answered my own question. If I only had to fly and not do any queep...life would be perfect. Are there any queepless flying jobs out there?This afternoon when you crawl in that jet and climb to 30,000’, drop your mask for a second and look at yourself in the mirror and remember you are flying that mission today not just for the student in the front seat, but also for chucklemelons like me who spent 18 hours yesterday trying to save a small piece of the USAF.
Off my soapcontainer.
[ 05. April 2006, 09:55: Message edited by: ClearedHot ]
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Hey "Dude"
You should have stopped at "I don't really know"
Of course Navy and marines logged Viper time, they used to have them, what is the big story?
Possible just like doing three flat spins and pulling out at 500'.
Relax?....Go choke yourself.
[ 04. April 2006, 21:28: Message edited by: ClearedHot ]
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Doubtful,Originally posted by BigIron:There are Marine FRS instructors and test pilots who probably get the opportunity to log Super Hornet time when they get the chance so perhaps that is who was doing the demo.
Would the USAF Viper Demo Team let a U.S. Navy exchange pilot fly at an airshow…
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BSOriginally posted by twinkle toes:doing three flat spins from 3500 agl to 500 agl
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Also real is the ensuing fireball.Originally posted by Vandal905: -
A little too low;
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Also real;
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First one is fake, this one is real.
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Originally posted by twinkle toes:
The best demo I saw was a Super Hornet flown in by the marines, but the corporation sent in their pilot to fly the airshow. The only thing keeping the jet in the air was the burner and where he had the nose pointed. I don't know if I would feel comfortable doing three flat spins from 3500 agl to 500 agl and selecting burner to 90 deg aoa. It would be a fun ride though with more "cusion" under you!
Oh yeah, this was at La Crosse, WI. We had a f-16 on static.
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I would say there actually IS a difference in the way they are treated. Late rated folks tend to be a little more mature and commanders usually will give them squadron jobs more appropriate to their rank.
I’ve even seen a late rated co-pilot who was a flight commander.
There are really two groups;
1. Dudes/dudettes who were Navigators then went to UPT – they tend to upgrade very quickly and almost always get good job in the squadron.
2. Dudes/dudettes who were went to UPT after stating off in a non-rated billet. It has been my experience that it takes them a little longer than the prior rated folks to learn the ropes, but they still learn quicker than the young guns right out of UPT.
One thing to watch out for, they may try to give you such a good job that your flying suffers. I can think of two dudes off the top on my pea brain who were pushed towards career development jobs (Wing Exec – Chief of Plans), and let their currency suffer. While I appreciate that you are in a position in your career where you need a job to help you get promoted, you walk a very thin line of credibility when you fly once every ten days and it takes you two years to get enough hours (even with a waiver), to upgrade.
Staying Twenty Years
in General Discussion
Posted
I don't plan on wearing a belt with my Class A's, so I will be tapping out in 3 years, 7 months, and 17 days.