Clark Griswold

Very good we’ve each made our points Have heart, this is just a period of time like the mid to late 70s in America, we’re primed for a restart Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, that shitting comment was not directed at you but a general statement to anyone who might take my points and run with them as honey will catch more flies, my apologies since taken that way. Like a good thesis defense, if you’re not told version X is wrong or could be better bad ideas get through. Fire mercilessly away. I’m skeptical / wary of pols too but this is who has to be approached to solve this problem. They may be careerists, they may be Mr. Smith, like most people they are some mixture of both, only trying can you find out. The why can be explained to them and it being the right thing (morally) to do can be true at the same time, it is in this case. I hear your point but the Borg will never admit to an institutional mistake like underfunding/disregarding/poorly managing the pilot training mission. I think if there’s any hope in returning it to a higher priority position on the to do list, having an affirmative but non confrontational approach is what has to happen. You’ve worked staff and as have I, like in Red October… To actually get to resourcing it as big blue should, an approach from the customers (MAJCOMs, etc…) with other concerned parties and say something to the effect we need more training initially not less for these reasons with this data supporting it. Fewer aircraft meaning we can tolerate even less attrition due to accidents, fewer flight hours in this or that MWS so we need them to be strong swimmers immediately, etc… make your arguments, just don’t shut them out. Their support will be required once an avenue is created for them to take without losing face.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/trump-nro-meink-air-force-secretary/ New SECAF was a Nav, call me naive but he was aircrew and I think if the right group of lawmakers like these guys https://www.airandspaceforces.com/fighter-pilots-congress-airpower-new-caucus could be convinced to charge at this situation, you could get somewhere. Somewhere being new mil iron, better pre-UPT training and quality sims. He went thru training, he had to make a grade and I think as he sat 5 feet behind pilots for several years, you could ask him honestly is doing this as cheap and as quickly as possible for people who will be flying 169 souls and/or 169 million dollar jets really a good idea? Would you have wanted your Co’s to be trained this way or the old way with better jets and better sims? Keep that COA real, don’t shit all over what has been done or tried recently and propose constructive solutions. Propose in media and engage likely partners (UPT base CODELs, aerospace industry states, seek opinion maker backing buzz does make a difference) 2 cents: Civilian schools basics, keep that. COTS mil trainers, VFR direct platform request to Congress for the PC-21 then have the Puzzle Palace run an expedited domestic production selection process. Which ‘Merican aerospace company can produce 350+ quickly with the highest quality assurance? Multi engine is the T-54, LIFT is the T-7, it’s already ordered, teething issues be damned.

Video game plane porn, F/A-40 Stalker Small, affordable with range

Decent depiction of a possible way WW3 starts, part of a series and Russia is already in the Baltics in this series. I don’t think the quarantine / blockade strategy is the way they will go, methinks the all out assault and foothold established the island is the most likely strategy but enjoy.

They even pitched a quad tilt rotor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_Quad_TiltRotor This thing if ever built would have made the Space Shuttle seem reliable and easy to maintain I bet

Was just thinking about that book Recommendation to anyone who wants to know why things go sideways sometimes and when you should just do something simple like buy bigger LHDs LPDs versus building a flying transformer Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

100% agree These 535+ odd balls we call Congress and the Executive Branch are in charge of a 6+ trillion dollar budget, the worlds most powerful military, intelligence and security apparatus and craft legislation controlling the world’s largest economy Pay them accordingly and STRICTLY restrict and monitor their finances and immediate family finances. No insider trading, no deal making but I have no problem with them making an almost bribe proof base salary and benefits to attract best/brightest A Congressman should be paid 1 million plus performance bonuses for a balanced/surplus budget, appropriation bills passed X days before the end of the FY, etc… Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have a point well but over 70 years has past since the end of the Chinese Civil War, they have defended their island and they have established their national and cultural identity separate from the authoritarian power on the mainland When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. This will suck when it eventually goes kinetic, we will be attacked physically on our homeland by them and we will be significantly poorer even if we win initially, they will come back for a round two if that happens but the price is worse if we do nothing Computer chips, sovereign debt… whatever, it is who leads this planet that is going to be determined by a conflict over Taiwan We can pretend it’s not, we can say even if we lose a war over it we will still prevail but I don’t think so. Vietnam, Afghanistan were not the same animal as this would be overt direct confrontation with our rival. If we fight and we lose Taiwan (by we I mean the fractious coalition that is the Free World) then the Islamic world, the Global South and others will cut deals with the PRC to their liking Like it or not we have to be able to win and to recognize yes we are sticking our nose around the world in a dispute that a point can be made we shouldn’t but there is time when we should, the distinction between those is not always clear like art vs pornography but you know when you see it This is one of those times Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a good article on the subject of force structure, modernization and allies / strategy for collective security TLDR: Canada needs to spend more, get the political will to do so and focus on theirs and regional security (Atlantic and Arctic) to bring what they can to NATO https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/01/canadas-military-is-slowly-falling-apart/ Id argue the same for the UK and NATO, eschew most expeditionary capabilities in favor of actually getting done significant regional / sovereign defensive capabilities USA will focus on securing the global commons and if we have allies that most can hold their own with only a modest argumentative assist from us if required, that is a feasible strategy going forward

Get’em Bernie https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/01/02/sen-bernie-sanders-elon-musk-is-wrong-on-h-1b-middle-class-outsourcing/ Combine old school class n income thinking lefties with ‘Merica lovin patriots and destroy the globalist oligarch tech bros

Because they could have been spending the same or even half for the actual country that generated the money to give to Ukraine to then give to the MIC to then fund the corporate, chattering and upper classes that seem to profit from every policy that screws over fly over country I’m for a free Ukraine but more for a free, secure, sovereign and fair USA We’re skeptical of power, aloof people who never feel the negative effects of policies they implement and while they tell us that events across the globe are more important than our borders, cities and towns Yeah, we can walk and chew gum at the same time, we can have secure borders, intelligent interpretation of immigration, drug and crime policies at the same time but we actually don’t have that now, at least not for a few more weeks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some analysis on the big six gen flown https://www.china-arms.com/2024/12/china-6-gen-fighter-j-36/amp/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed I won’t post my umpteenth COA on UPT or a post UPT flying new program but I think the need is out there and it just needs the right guy still in and not some rando going by Clark Griswold to make the case

@brabus I hear your point on standards and there shouldn’t be a drop in the standards themselves but in my oft referenced point on more flying time, if “they” are going to pass more to the LAF including some that maybe should not be I would argue that more time in the seat(s) BEFORE they get to the FTU could address deficits The Line needs more pilots as the AF somewhat of its own making and somewhat of what Congress will let and not let it do and outside events has foisted on it. The pilot bill must be paid by what is available, if what is available needs more / better training to meet the required standards then so be it. The why can be debated / investigated but the what needs to be done. I know you are not against more flying / training before FTU but I’m trying to figure out if the AF can have its cake and eat it too, if it was willing to treat the pilot / aircrew training enterprise with the seriousness it should, stealing @hindsight2020 ‘s words / point from earlier. I think a legit point could be made to the decision makers this is a strategic use of resources as you’re building a foundation of strong, trained, vetted aviators and officers thru a more rigorous approach to build their foundational operational skills and career genesis.

Get funky while getting funky Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gotcha Hmmm I’ll resist my default response(s) and say we need this new plane or that one but do you think it would be worth the money, time, effort and resources to add more flying time in either at UPT or at a post UPT program? Would flight time IYO address some of the deficiencies you mentioned? Truly not a leading questions but asked honestly. If yes, then I think that could be a way for someone / a group of like minded aviators to approach the Bobs or a CODEL with a plan to address it. Not sure which thread but I day dreamed in one about a post UPT program using Scorpion, this ain’t a subtle or overt way to reintroduce that or something else. If the Bobs, Congressman X or whoever with sway bought off on it, they would have a process to figure out what right was: more time in the planes / programs we have in place now or something new, before FTU in whatever MWS newly minted pilots are going to. That process would be fraught with risk as it would make juicy target for shoe clerks who hate flying and pilots to attack and bog down but the machine has to run a certain way. We’re talking about the fighter community but I would guess the mobility community at the FTU IP level would probably be okay with a top off program of sorts too. This would be a hard trick to pull off, convince people we need more money and authorization to fly / train pilots more while ignoring that for years the AF has been saying officially there is no problem requiring more flying / training required. Added thought: I come to ask about more flight time versus elimination or career track diversion as the AF sees it needs more pilots, apparently is willing to accept more risk by opening the aperture to allow more studs to pass versus eliminating so if you have more studs with either fewer natural skills or less training (flight time) than historically was the case then would more flight / training (assuming it is quality time / training) address this? Kinda an elevator speech to convince a decision maker that it’s justified but just wanted add to it to clarify this as not a post just for more / new metal Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you think it is lack training or quality in training before they get to the big leagues or is it lack of innate ability?

Wise words and the Ted Lasso side of me wants to say yes all true but here’s how we fix it… and I’m at an impasse for a solution… I could post COA 6.9 or something other but unless there’s a CODEL or GO lurking here with a desire to do the right thing and charge forward with a plan to change there’s no point Still there are members of Congress who are veterans https://veterans.house.gov/resources-for-veterans/veterans-in-congress.htm Unless there’s a GO willing to buck the group think, these would be the people to approach As to the hubris of the institution I would say use an aikido like move and not confronting them but deflect and allow them to just move on from their obvious mistakes. Something like revaluation of the future needs of the USAF in its pilot training program has lead to AETC to require these changes and these resource changes to achieve them. No admittance of previous fault just a moving on from previous policies.

Yeah concur with that. They’re building an air fleet by size that will have range without needing a lot of AR support and deliver enough long range fires in one sweep to disable / destroy maybe not our assets but the real estate to support and sustain us in the fight. Why directly confront us if in the tactical engagement you don’t think you’ll win but destroy our airfields, POL, radar sites, ports, etc… and win when we can’t keep our assets on station. J-20s, Chinese Flankers, etc… they seem to have a different take on the high low mix and it’s more big smaller mix, the big fighter / strike platforms being what is probably what they will use to push us out of the island chains if we go to fisticuffs

@hindsight2020 @Lawman Might need to be it’s own thread but in all the discourse on military pilot training and the changes / thrashing I have to ask watching from the retired bleachers, this has been going on for a while does the leadership of either / both the USAF / USA know what / why they are trying to do anymore with respect to pilot training? Seems like these efforts have spanned different tenures of leadership and each put their own spin on it and it gets more buzzwordy and less common sense with little to nothing getting done except for spending money on short lived programs - Is it to increase production? Permanently or to develop a surge capacity? - Is it to increase quality of graduates or decrease attrition in training? - Is it to teach concepts earlier to save money from training in operational aircraft? - Is it to save money by consolidating more training to one fleet and divest infrastructure? - Is it to reduce the military position requirements to ease the active duty manning bill? Looking at these efforts they seem like a lotta thrust with no vector

Methinks regional bomber / drone launcher-controller more than fighter in a traditional sense The weapons bays look big enough for the PL-15 or 17, could have an arsenal mission too Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I suspect they will climb the learning curve quickly as they are putting their money where their mouth is and designing, cutting metal, flying, experimenting with new ideas in the real world and not getting caught up with the trap of every system has to be perfect and last 40 years Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup We beat up on the USMC for the B model -35 and STOVL but our own record for what should be relatively simple replacement acquisitions is not good This should embarrass us, they flew another design https://www.twz.com/air/yes-china-just-flew-another-tailless-next-generation-stealth-combat-aircraft Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk