Clark Griswold

The world is grey Jack Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Syria (or Al Asad's forces more precisely) know how, it's what they probably used to bring down a Turkish RF-4 in 2012, this is just insurance to keep the Coalition (read U.S. forces) from attacking any sites that come up and maybe to start to push us out of the airspace, not to talk shit about the administration but I doubt they would start to target Al-Asad's forces if they think there is a chance they will kill Russian advisors, their risk aversion they showed in the fecklessness to supply any weapons or aid to Ukraine given the chance NATO supplied arms could have killed Russian soldiers is likely to be carried over here. Let Russia arm Al-Asad, protest if you want publicly but privately let him wipe out ISIS and live with the lesser of two evils.

They might get deeper in the mire but this will distract attention, resources and efforts from Eastern Ukraine. They may play the energy card but they need cash more than they need to scare the Europeans so I think Gazprom will keep the NG flowing but history is replete with stupid decisions so there's always a chance of that. Asad is annoying and a tool of Iran but screw it, ISIS needs a royal ass kicking not just because they're a bunch of crazy murderous a-holes but because the global jihadi movement needs the winds taken out of its sails. Russia has a TTP - kill everybody and who cares what anyone thinks, not moral but can be effective ref Checnya, sometimes not though ref. Afghanistan. Round 2 of the GWOT: Russia kills ISIS. We keep the Taliban at bay. France keeps the jihadis down in Mali. Drones as required everywhere else. Trace the money, tap the phones, intercept the e-mails, hack their servers and never apologize for fighting Islamic Fascists. Post Script: Good article on a proposed COA, take their capitol and empower players emasculated / disbanded by ISIS http://warontherocks.com/2015/09/the-case-for-a-raqqa-first-strategy-against-the-islamic-state/ BL - do something, the Europeans should get all over this to stop the refugee flow, or at least part of it.

Russians in Syria... at this point does it matter? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/world/europe/us-moves-to-block-russian-military-buildup-in-syria.html?_r=0

Copy that. Another video, this from Greece and probably coming to the heart of Europe soon. http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/08/greek-islands-turned-into-a-war-zone-by-migrants-supposedly-fleeing-war/ Western democracy doesn't stand a chance when its elites are this clueless, apathetic, dumb, disconnected and/or naive. Cut to 4:33 and 5:33 to see why our societies are spinning out of control and nothing is done to control crime, illegal immigration, etc... two shinning examples of the slow motion self destructive lunatics that thanks to left wing media, academia, corrupt government officials and short sighted cheap labor seeking corporations that are enabled to drag down Western Civilization. It has been said empires are not murdered they commit suicide, I think we are witnessing that now.

Restart. Another high school valedictorian just being oppressed by the man and his evil border and immigration laws. http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/09/08/captured-convicted-burglar-deported-5-times-back-in-texas/ And while I think InfoWars is somewhat suspect the film speaks for itself. http://www.infowars.com/muslim-refugees-chant-allahu-akbar-fk-you-attack-citizens-throw-feces/ Helping a drowning man is noble but don't let him pull you down.

You are correct good sir so that one is taken Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stratotanker II would have been fine but if we wanted a mythological nickname Mercury would have been better

Yup, Keeping the Industry base alive, healthy and competitive used to be national security strategy, now we just accept having only a few BIG aerospace companies and getting fake parts from China because it's cheap. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-11-07/counterfeit-parts-from-china-found-on-raytheon-boeing-systems I don't wait till my car is so run down and so old that I have to look in junk yards for parts before I replace it, I get something new or a "new" used car before it gets to be a total pain in the a$$. Retiring after 25+ years seems reasonable as a good planning factor.

What in the hell...?

Thanks - I'm just going to guess that about 1,200 people direct RPAs in the USAF (WAG of 10% of the 12,000+ pilots in the AF). Assuming they each flew as a 2 place crew 150 hours a year at $300 per flight hour (high estimate) in a light aircraft that comes to $27 million and just a WAG but add 25% for support & logistics and that is $6.25 million for a grand WAG of $33.75 million. Not budget dust but not an impossible amount either. That doesn't account for procurement but figure you would get 150 at $150k and that is $22.5 million, again not a trivial amount but in the grand scheme of the AF, feasible with leadership. Just bar napkin math but this is not a flux capacitor, this is something that can be done. Just wondering if any dudes at RPA assignments are trying to work fractional deals in the squadron(s)? The AF should have a companion aircraft but if big blue is not interested are pilots putting together ownership on a plane to split the costs and fly?

Valid points and no one should have screwed with the T-3 to give it more ooomph but the execution was flawed not the concept of a light GA & Aerobatic training aircraft for the USAF, in this case for professional skills, career incentive and morale. The AF hasn't given anybody any reason for confidence in acquiring airplanes lately but this is chance to begin the long road to redemption.

Yup, average age now 50+ with another planned 25 years of service. Someone has to make the point that replacing some airframes, even if they still have some service life in them is not necessarily a bad thing as the industrial base has to be sustained. Even if you can squeeze out another 20+ years after 50+ years of service, if you don't give your own aerospace companies work they may not be there when you will need them and you'll have to go looking abroad. Now I don't think Boeing is going anywhere but the expertise in particular divisions might retire, move on, etc... Minor edit.

Agree on the Extra and negative on the ejection seat aircraft, I have a friend who maintains them as UPT MX contractor, a zero zero chair ain't cheap to buy or maintain. Whatever happened to the T-3's? Assuming you could un-McPeak them... The GH had an arrangement like this back in the day, squadron paid for the $100 cheeseburger you and buddy would go and get about once a week. Typical flights were Beale to Vandenburg or Tahoe with a couple of approaches for currency. Not the most exciting flying but you could keep an entire squadron legitimately current for less than $200k a year and your squadron's money just went to MWR who ran the aero club. If I were still in UAVs I would pay for it myself as I did a few times (sts :-). They killed the above described program ( CTP - Companion Trainer Program ) in 05 right as I got there... bait & switch a-holes.

Well, shit... I was wondering how they were holding up. The Tweet would be sweet but a Viper Jet would kick ass and with a glass cockpit and 900 mile range the off station possibilities would make a GH in Grand Forks not that bad.

Israel is thinking about using its own 767 based tanker now rather than the 46; delays, costs and damned delays... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-evaluates-converted-767-as-tanker-alternative-415375/

Give these 1st assignment RPA dudes something to fly, pull the Tweets out of the boneyard and give'em at least 150 hours a year. Just waiting to cause deafness for a whole new generation...

Heard of something similar to this but in this story the dude was eliminated rather than SIE and he applied and got picked up for WO and now flies Apaches. 2 No one should get a kick in the junk in public without getting a text to wear your cup tomorrow.

We need help from Porkins here people... We had an interesting side bar into the world of Coast to Coast AM, guns, bunkers and tin foil hats but let's return to the idea of how to preserve financial wealth if your government goes full retard and defaults, prints money to make debt easier to manage or some other financial tomfoolery.

Levels of preparation relative to with what you think the risk is. My assessment is low, not impossible, but low, prepare as required then.

Is the "they" not really ACC but the Fighter General / Mafia ? Not throwing 11F's under the bus but is that leadership caste the problem? Not passive-aggressive and not sure what background is the alternative as Schwartz was underwhelming.

I plan on not a total loss of order but spikes and concentrations of riots, criminality, etc. with my assessment that where I live now of that being low but be prepared to an appropriate level, flamethrowers and hand grenades are overkill but light arms are not. Just my opinion. Not a prepper just trying to be prepared. Referencing the LA riots of 92 earlier and seeing the Korean neighborhoods and business defend themselves was an example to be learned from, don't start shit but certainly don't take it either.

Somewhat stream of consciousness and off topic but what the hell.