Clark Griswold

4.5 / 4+ news https://www.twz.com/air/f-15ex-nails-pentagon-test-campaign-survivability-concerns-remain

Copy I hear ya and agree for Typhoons still flying with mech scan radars, legacy systems They are modernizing but I think like your reference to which tranche, as it modernizes it’ll be country / tranche specific For the Brits I hope they take the lead and I think I’d do the same thing if I were making the calls for them, keeping my acquisition options in two worlds even if I was capes deficient for a portion of my team but had a plan to improve it The Spanish are modernizing theirs first I think https://www.eurofighter.com/news/eurofighter-programme-renaissance-continues-with-spanish-order-for-25-additional-jets#:~:text=The%20new%20Spanish%20Eurofighters%20will,across%20400%20companies%20in%20Europe Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One more thing in this discussion on pilot training, this may seem vain but really it’s not, it’s what the AF should feel about it’s on going thrash is shame. Without a rigorous well funded and kinda difficult / challenging training program to become an AF pilot we lose prestige. Sounds vain but not really. Would USAFA, USMA or the USNA command respect if they were easy universities to pass or poorly funded and obviously not prioritized in funding and leadership support to effectively OT&E? At some point, the highest leadership of the AF (civ and mil) should see this and just cut this Gordian knot, ie we will buy this aircraft / establish this program Just my opinion worth what you paid for it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s part of my musings too, flight time vs screen time. Civ trainers with contract and mil instructors to get a good foundation, around 120 hours, then probably around 100 hours in a mil trainer (T-6 or PC-21) then track select to fighter, heavy or helos advanced trainer. My objective is better trained pilots not least cost to train pilots, that’s gonna cost some coin but… if we get approval to repurpose resources, I think it could be done without upsetting the POM. To any lurkers on the forum that are serving and involved in this enterprise, I stress that, it’s about better pilots produced not least cost to train pilots produced. Advanced training technology is fine but it is supplementary not a replacement for flight time. If there is CODEL staffer or AF member in the intern program, just have your boss offer an amendment to a bill directing that no military flight training program may graduate a pilot with fewer actual flight hours than the FAA requires for a Commercial Instrument Pilot.

Questions for tailwheel pilots: - How many hours did you need to get your endorsement and did it make you or really teach better stick and rudder skills? Asking as it was mentioned earlier in this thread that a tail dragger phase might be a good idea IF a different approach to UPT were to be implemented, this phase purposely to teach / evaluate airmanship skills and I would envision it after a PPL & INSTM phase but before a T-6 or ideally PC-21 course.

Keeping up with the military transport theme Lockheed proposals from the 80s

A380 military transport and a good video on why a NEO or Plus version didn’t happen It’s still baffling why Airbus didn’t at least plan or develop a Freighter variant, the 380 is/was too heavy but with a freighter I think they would have had a chance with Purple or Brown.

Yup at a 121, you might be right but I suspect there’s more than a few with no concern or shame for that who will suddenly develop problems Their potential LTD payments are a threat to my potential XX percent raise in a new contract, Lord willing, take it to the house gramps. Might be, all the more reason to hell no

I wish they could back off completely but some Allies are committed to that model so that shit sandwich is going to get eaten no matter what Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They really all want to be on LTD, that’s the real deal Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, seems tight but flying is better than not If king for a day I’d plan on 18 months start to finish 6 months to get PPL w Instruments, AMEL 8 month PC-21 program, some of IFF (BSA) and some of the mission fam phase of T-1 (AR) would be incorporated 4 month advanced trainer, T-54 or T-7 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pot stirring Concur with Gonky’s opinion that it is not a solution to the problems facing pilot training but agree with both that pre-UPT flying training is worthwhile if executed well. Big point brought up I think was interesting was the culture of military flight training, stress-high standards-fast pace, that would be missing if most is contracted away. As a student being on that end of the whip was no fun but more than a few years later the value is more apparent.

This I’ll bet 99% of the time my visual will be mysteriously exactly a dog leg vector to a fix about 2-3 miles prior to the FAF CDTI clearances are also annoying, me to ATC when they issue one:

I think I posted one of their renders in the concept airplane thread but their website has more on their idea of a common core and multiple variants for different training purposes + an unmanned ISTAR / AR platform… https://aeralis.com/ Zero point zero chance of being adopted and as it’s just a digital aircraft att I’d be skeptical of putting resources to it until at least one variant had been produced and flown. However new tech doesn’t happen without some bets being taken…

Dr. Clark’s orders: Drink x miller lite’s listen to the Dead and post something in the morning Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thought something similar too, but was just to keep Boeing financially stable and in the defense realm Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Copy that What was your preference among the 4 contenders? T-50, 7, 100 or Scaled Composites offerings? I’m guessing the T-50 but just wondering Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Something to listen to on your commute https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighter-pilot-podcast/id1330534712?i=1000686308685 Guy (USAF test pilot) seemed like a decent dude and gave a good overview on the -7, didn’t really get into the issues with the jet mentioned here but good points covered, he didn’t get into the programmatic problems but the FPP creator did after he talked with the interviewer about the episode Interestingly the FPP creator did bring up in the review the idea of F-16T, I’d call it a T-16, but whatever, did this ever get brought up as a COA? A new order of all D models in a Trainer configuration? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Concur I voted for him but a firm order by his wife or other confidant to keep his pie hole closed and stowed on this topic is in order Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One more thing, maybe it’s the same thing or a difference without distinction but is it the acquisition process or the requirements definition process that’s the problem? Who is it that decides it needs x, y and z but then comes back says oh yeah add on a, b and c too. Are these requirements linked back to the bill payers so that they could potentially see a train wreck being thought up?

Yup it’s a FUBAR decision but here we are. The T-50 may yet find a US buyer just not the USAF. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/aero/documents/TF-50N Product Card.pdf https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/us-navy-steaming-ahead-new-trainer An interesting point Lemoine made was why not use the Viper? Yes way more expensive per flight hour but versus setting up a new program it might have made sense, at least initially.

Decent discussion on Lemoine’s channel Point brought up at the end that I thought was good, the advanced trainer for pointy nose bound studs needed to teach fast cognitive skills and airmanship by primarily being a high performance trainer versus a high performance trainer and fighter sensor trainer Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’ll bring out millions of Americans that will work just not for slave wages and in decent conditions. The corporate tech investor class has been date raping the American worker for decades while preening about nonsense to infuriate and distract the middle class and antagonize/divide. My hope is that when workplace raids happen at a job site they occur simultaneously with the serving of warrants at that company’s headquarters. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you wanted iron right now, I’d look to the Koreans, they want to build up a defense establishment. FA-50s to start, then work with them to develop and buy KF-21s. Use these to build up your own manned unmanned air warfare concepts.