Clark Griswold

Gotcha thanks In another thread I suggested a heavy only UPT program for students bound for heavy ANG/Reserve units, maybe XPW could have been that with a contractor/aviation school basic/intermediate phases with the T-1 being the advanced and military introductory flying phase Water under the bridge but worthy of BO discussion XPW 2.0 proposal Heavy tracked ARC students commercial instrument rated pilots & volunteers track to a Parachute, PPL, AMEL and Aerobatics/2 ship formation training all contractor, mil supervised. Around 150-170 hours. Graduate and then multi turbine training with mil instructors. 2 phases there: 1 tactical air mobility training (ME experience, STOL, NVGs, Semi-prepared field ops); around 40-50 hours. Phase 2, 737 type training with 15 simulator rides, 10 flights 737. 1.0 hour flights, normal ops to a rendezvous to a fellow 737 to pre contact, recover using automation and full NAV capabilities, short pattern ops. CFI, Comm instrument rated pilots or higher certified pilots (ATP) with 300+ hours could be PA’d thru all Phase 1 training except Parachute (unless they are already free fall certified) Aerobatics & Form if passing an oral, academic and practical evaluation. Not a wham bam thank you ma’am widget program but an affordable and reliable way to produce strong graduates. This 737 fleet would be also used for E-7 training (assuming it is acquired), a surrogate for air refueling training for other platforms as the Navy does with its heavy aircraft crew and as an experience and currency trainer for rated staff returning to the Line. It would also act as a reserve fleet for AMC if training or operational demands required the use of them. Fleet of 20, all based near an airline domicile. #strongpilotculture

What is/was the syllabus for XPW UPT? About the same as traditional UPT syllabus?

Don’t train your enemies BreitbartSen. Jim Banks Warns About Chinese Pilots Getting U.S. Tr...Sen. Banks is sounding the alarm about Chinese training in the U.S. to become pilots, a fact first revealed in Peter Schweizer's book "The Invisible Coup."

Considering post kinetic outcomes, bad cases, decent short read War on the RocksA Worst-Case Scenario for the War with IranThe war with Iran has prompted many questions about what comes next. Will the Islamic Republic regime survive? What could replace it? Will Iran dissolve

https://www.darpa.mil/news/2026/darpa-new-x-76-speed-of-jet-freedom-of-helicopter Yes please

Probably What would / could we do if it was disclosed? Rhetorical and just putting myself into the shoes of US leadership right now, I’d probably suppress it. If any of the crew were killed, different story. I know one of the crew was injured on ejection (ejection itself has physical consequences too), I’d tell the Kuwaitis to be prepared to quietly and amply compensate them after hostilities are over. The primary objective is to win the war, military operation, collapse the regime, etc… I hate it, it is morally compromising and not a good but necessary thing for where we are now.

Probably another factor working against it I wonder if this had gotten flying before the A330 MRTT if it would have found a launch customer

Same as Boomer6, video gone, if it was intentional I doubt we will ever know that for sure, like Egyptian Air 990, we know what probably happened but never proven for sure

Is it dead as a potential acquisition?

Not sure if we’ve discussed this in this thread but I wonder if this idea would get more traction if it were unmanned, optionally manned or certified single pilot (automated boom)?

Was that 70k at launch or at X nm from launch?

This

Good point Looked on the web, I couldn’t find anything addressing this, @ClearedHot is there anything publicly released addressing this? Looking at the jet Mounting on the side, either on the tail section or the lower central fuselage, if the sides and gear sponsons were replaced with a new integrated structure, giving up one of the paratrooper doors, might have had to rework the landing gear system The main issue I see with side mounting versus low and center mounting is the extension of the boom, it would be mounted higher and the boom would always be extended near the end of it’s range, maybe still in the range but with less play and without the lateral movement possible to the opposite side it’s mounted on

Targeting missile production in this week’s episode

Same, I thought it was a drunk boating party that you would see go thru Jupiter Inlet that had a terrible idea and tragedy ensued

https://redstate.com/beckynoble/2026/02/26/shocking-video-of-wrong-way-truck-driver-in-mo-address-of-trucking-company-will-make-your-blood-boil-n2199599

Yup, it sounds like a bat shit crazy situation https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/boat-reportedly-involved-deadly-shooting-cuba-coast-stolen-florida-keys-mcso/3773451/#

Might be a case of FAFO and the anniversary to the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down is interesting to say the least, as it is only the Cubans word at this point that the FL boat shot first I’ll hold my cards but I gotta know if you have a boat that can go that distance on open water and presumably were planning on returning home, did you not know you were in Cuban waters? I’m not blaming the victim here but you gotta be careful and know your boundaries, particularly now when that regime is about ready to go under, wounded animal theory.

True There was damage but not as bad as implied

https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2026/02/25/cuban-coast-guard-opens-fire-on-us-registered-speedboat-four-killed/

https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-conducting-full-inspection-boeing-737-max-8-hit-bullets-colombia/

If it comes to that but I’m cool with working by, with and thru trustable Mexican military units, members and political leaders; the Mexican constitution and people are not interested in that methinks. Making Mexico a policy priority for the US and assisting where we can is worth the money, effort and risk. Like Germany and the Zimmerman Telegram, I’ve always thought China might put the money and effort into making a string of problems for us regionally by courting and supporting a change in policy and orientation of countries like Mexico. Helping them (and others) fix this security problem and improving relations (no amnesty for that though) is the chess move to block the Chinese, improve our security and help Latin countries further develop.

Mostly, Canada was America’s liquor store during Prohibition (among others) so with demand there will be a supply. Drugs, booze, excess of any sort is just a feature of any society that never goes away, treat it and accept it, the grass always will need to be cut. Cudos to Mexico, they are not just taking this without fighting back https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/02/23/mexican-government-confirms-25-national-guardsmen-killed-in-cartels-terror-response-to-el-menchos-death/

Getting spicy in Mexico BreitbartMexico Erupts in Flames After Death of Largest Terrorist...Cartel gunmen have begun carrying out terrorist attacks in various states in Mexico in response to the death of the country’s most powerful terrorist | Border / Cartel ChroniclesGB NewsEl Mencho killing causes chaos as gunmen storm major inte...El Mencho was killed by military forces on Sunday