ClearedHot

FWIW I've given a LOT of checkrides, a minority resulted in downgrades and even smaller minority resulted in Q-3s. I've also sat on selection boards (WIC, IP upgrade and such), where we reviewed FEFs as part of the selection process. I always viewed checkrides as a necessary evil and approached them as a continuation of the learning process, you should always learn something because you are typically flying with a more seasoned aviator and not one of us is perfect. Yes the stated purpose is a periodic standards check to ensure compliance but it was also another opportunity to evaluate the instructors in a squadron and their training program...this is a team sport. At the end of every checkride I gave a final grade based on the following optic, do I feel comfortable sending this person into combat with my brothers and sisters in this community. I never once gave a Q-3 to someone who made a technical mistake like being off airspeed or altitude for weapons employment or an instrument approach. On the rare occasion I did give a Q-3 is for something blatantly unsafe, usually related to attitude and most importantly...effort. Case in point I once gave a scheduled checkride to an attached guy who had a reputation as an ungood pilot. The day prior I sat down with and went over the profile I wanted to see and outlined the areas of general knowledge we were currently focused on. The next day he absolutely floundered in the briefing and general knowledge portion...basic blocking and tackling stuff...as if he didn't even try to study the night before. I could have ended it there and no-stepped but I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt and see where he was in the airplane, at that point I wrote down "downgrade for GK" in my notes. We took off and went to the range, he skipped two checklists and tried to arm the guns before we had cleared the range or completed our basic checklist set up. It was gross and pure safety of flight, I called knock it off and ended him right there. That was by far the exception...although I once Q3'd a dude walking down the hallway...not kidding...he was bragging about something he did that was so unsafe and outside the regs that I had no choice . I confronted him and he admitted it as did some others on his crew...absolutely GROSS. 18 years later I still can't believe they did it, story for another time perhaps. AFSOC has a unique setup in that the GUNSHIP FTU was colocated with the ops squadrons (that is about to change unfortunately with a move to Kirtland), so newbies got to do training with mixed crews. The training sorties were tailored to their training but there was a lot of benefit to training with folks who were cycling in and out of combat all the time. I gave a lot of initial qual checks and most turned out fine but I always finished with the same statement. If I am here I can GUARANTEE you will get a no-notice within the next six months. Here was my rational...for a newly qualified person completing an MR check meant that for the first time since they were 5 years old they were not forced to study. I reasoned that they were forced to study through grade and high school, college, UPT and FTU...probably 20 years of continuous studying. They suddenly had time and disposable income...AND they were living in Destin Florida. There would be a huge temptation to exhale and get lazy. If they wanted to be safe and credible, now was not the time to back off. I honored that promise on every occasion (with a VERY large optic). Once or twice I had to take a recently MR dude or Dudette into a private room and give them the WTF are you thinking speech (had one dude who broke down in tears he was so disappointed in himself), I never Q-3'd anyone but I think it set a tone in the squadron. On the subject of downgrades in particular, the FEF was used in discussion for things like WIC. Sitting on a selection board we never once excluded someone for a downgrade, sometimes it led to deeper discussion and the only time it became a deciding factor was if there was a pattern of downgrades which I only saw on one or two applicants that were being pushed to WIC for the wrong reasons (careerism).

This morning CNN did a panel with a legal "expert" and one of their White House reporters. They discussed the investigation and they insisted "there is ZERO evidence" that President Biden did anything wrong. How would they know? Is the DOJ sharing all the evidence with CNN? For the first time ion months CNN mentioned the laptop but insisted that while the FBI has the laptop and it is in fact Hunter Biden's, it is a product of the right wing, then they did a pivot to attack Donald Trump. Can we just stick to the facts....If Trump's kids did something illegal, investigate it and prosecute EVERYONE including Trump if you have evidence. For God's Sake do the same for the Bidens...Does anyone on the left think we shouldn't at least take a look? 10% for the Big Guy is a HUGE deal...I just want the truth...if Joe did nothing, great lets move on but have the integrity to at least have a look.

Being a product of and having served during the Cold War it was easy for me to say kill all the Russians when this thing first started. As the reports started to come in and having seen the nasty side of war I actually had a small amount of compassion for the Russian conscripts who are mowed down like cannon fodder in Putin's invasion. Reading some of the follow on like the article below...KILL THEM ALL. Two Russian soldiers raped Ukrainian mother after killing husband as her four-year-old son cried

Thats close!

Thoughts and actions are two very different things. I hope much of what I am hearing is true and the Russian army is a paper tiger that is is losing. I just want them to lose in a way that they can go home without the world coming to an end.

He needs an off ramp, I don't think he will accept a complete defeat and his situation in Ukraine is looking more dire by the day. While the newly delivered S300s won't given the Ukrainians Air Superiority, it will make it more difficult to conduct combined arms operations. The Anti-ship missiles will complicate some of his resupply to southern forces. The artillery and rocket attacks have leveled some Ukrainian cities but he has used up a LOT of weapons. While the loss of five Russian general officers is not profound there are other reports indicating high losses at the O-6 level. In one notable case a Russian Colonel commanding an Armored brigade was knifed to death by his own troops after refusing to call off an attack. His unit lost had already lost 30% of its force and the younger soldiers confronted and ultimately attacked him. I want the Ukrainians to win, but I fear if this starts to go way south for Russia he will escalate to a tactical nuke or chemical weapons because he has no other choice to avoid complete defeat. Given that he has started to purge commanders and folks closer to his circle I would say the chances of someone internal to Russia taking him out have also increased.

US, allies consider providing anti-ship missiles to Ukraine This won't escalate things...

Didn't see anything posted, happened at Eglin yesterday, pilot ok. Wonder if this is related to the previous landing gear rigging issue.

Incredible footage from inside KA-52 while conducting several attack runs and ultimately being shot down. Notice the fishing line he has strung up on the left side of the cockpit?

Narration says two SU-25's were shot down but there is a lot going on here and you can't tell if the first explosion is an aircraft going down or #2 poorly executing a safe escape from his or lead's drop. Regardless, it is clear at least one SU-25 went down and the guy ejected out of the envelope. You can see his seat hit the dirt aft of the impact site. The Frogfoot is a great attack aircraft, but the Ukrainians have forced them extremely low in the the AAA and MANPAD threat.

Sickening...further proof the big tech oligarch's have far too much control in this country. I've never bought into the Trump stop the steal movement, but it is very clear the big Facebook and Twitter suppressed a story that turns out to be true and could have shaped the election. Hunter Biden is a private citizen and I have a feeling the Grand Jury will ultimately fry his drug addicted ass but we need to know the truth about 10% for the big guy.

Semi-modern armor meet RPA's spotting your demise. Crazy video, might be a combination of artillery and RPG/NLAWs? About midway through dude on top takes a hit and goes flying like a meat bag, reminiscent of things we did with the 105MM back in Afghanistan. War is a horrible thing and the Russians are being made to pay for every inch they gain...or lose.

Last week oil was $135 a barrel, this week it is back below $100. The reality of supply and demand is overcoming conjecture and panic.

RPAs remain an asymmetric advantage for the Ukrainians.

His crewmates were not so lucky. The fire blowing out of the turret ring is a standard indicator that the ammunition inside is cooking off. They have lost a LOT of armor and people, to the point they are being forced to bring in replacements from Russia.

I'm thinking a mine, that thing cooked off quick and those dudes never had a chance.

Russia Deploys a Mystery Munition in Ukraine

Anyone see the video of Zelensky strolling down the street to the hospital, then awarding some medals to injured dudes and hospital staff. Dude has some huge stones, reminiscent of Churchill during the blitz. I hope they can keep this guy alive. Z.mp4

Iran will say the rebels did it and nothing major will happen in the press. I suspect we (and others), are doing dirty things behind the scenes to pay them back.

No need to risk a B-2 - The Air Force wants $48 million to drop commandos into battle from orbit Anyone remember Col John Warden and his Five Rings...he was the architect of the first Gulf War Air Campaign and in follow on work advocated for food bombing.

The latest from the nitwit in chief: "And, by the way, we can’t be — this is the United States of America. We can’t be the country where for a mom to get her kid on the Internet to be able to do their homework has to pull into a McDonald’s parking lot. I mean, for real, that’s what was happening. This law is going to put an end to all of that. It’s going to put people in a much different position to be able to determine their own — their own judgments about when to sell their cattle, when they should — I just — just — we’re going to change things." In case you think it is fake you can find the exact transcript here on Whitehouse.gov.

Russia threatens to abandon American astronaut in space as sanctions threaten peace aboard ISS

Do you know the break even point, back when Orville, Wilbur and myself were offered the bonus they needed 64% to break even. Highly doubtful at this point. Given the Russia/Ukraine situation and the potential for the house to flip I doubt we will see a substantial decrease int he Defense Budget.