HuggyU2

The U-2 community is small, and I can think of three in the past five years that have done so. If I rack my brain, probably a few more. The most recent left AA late last year on 4th year pay and came to UAL. Odd data point: I had lunch with a guy last year that did 14 years at SWA... took the early retirement at age 61.5... and came to UAL.

And then what? Something like that happened at United years ago... and when it went to court, the union was found guilty of creating an illegal job action. It's a very, very delicate tightrope maneuver.

It means they believe they are at an impasse and they want to continue to move toward a strike. It's difficult to actually get the govt to allow an airline to strike... almost impossible under this Administration. And even if they did, there are (I think) three 30-day cooling down periods in the process. it's mainly symbolic.

Why not? They took a washed up FAIP who was his squadron commander's least favorite IP.

I was informed in 2006 when PBD 720 came out that the U-2 would be gone in 2011. Eventually, the U-2 will go away. When? Good question, which I can't answer. If you're hell bent on promotion, changing airframes right before your promotion board seems to contradict your goals (as stated better my McBush). In any case, good luck. p.s. If you don't have a big desire to come fly the U-2 and its mission... then think twice about it. It's not for everyone. Feel free to swing by Beale and spend a day with us.

Enjoy! What an experience!

Change 1: new email is up. U2Recruiting@us.af.mil Feel free to use it now. Also feel free to contact me if you want to talk about the U-2.

Apparently, the U-2 disinformation campaign at the UPT bases is alive and well. To cut to the chase: - The U-2 Program is hiring. There are no plans to not hire. If anyone tells you otherwise, irrespective of their rank, they are not telling you the truth. - The U-2 Program is accepting FAIP's. We have accepted FAIPS for at least 35 years, and there are no plans to stop hiring FAIPs. If anyone tells you otherwise, irrespective of their rank, they are not telling you the truth. - We now have some wiggle room on minimum hours. So if that is a concern, call us. We might be able to waive some of your hours. I don't know if this bad info emanates from the staff... or from UPT SQ/CC's (like it did a number of years ago)... or from exactly where. If you want the truth about the U-2 assignment, don't speak to your DO, nor your commander. Don't speak to AFPC (until it's time to get released, anyways). Don't speak to your buddy at Base X that "thought about applying, but found out a bunch of bad stuff." So who do you speak to? I'll get you in touch with the Recruiters, so contact me. One recruiter is a Reservist and I don't want to put his personal contact info in this post (he isn't on his govt email that much). Maj Beamer moved and a new active duty recruiter is settling in. Contact me privately for their contact info. As for me, I'm on the Global as Jonathan Huggins. Or you can pm me here. I'm out on leave for a few weeks and won't be checking email until mid July, so ping me here if it is time critical. If you want U-2 facts, go to the source. That source is centered in a room that measures about 40x15 in the zip code of 95903. If the person you're talking to doesn't have a desk within 22 meters of that room, take what they say with a grain of salt.

Royal, I'm completely unsure of your point. Would you state your point in the form of a statement, instead of questions?

For any military pilots with first hand knowledge on this procedure, how long were you DNIF? And are you flying in an ejection seat community?

Ah... the virtual squadron bar is an interesting place. Four Fans... you know I love you. And I'm just having some drunken fun. Come to Beale sometime. Drinks are on me. XOXO. p.s. I've taken my lithium and feel fine now.

As many of you know, I'm into the airshow scene. Chuck Aaron retired but was amazing. Before he flew he was very focused and even tense. He said his performance margins were thin. Aaron Fitzgerald has taken over and flies a great show.

I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make... ... but how about you have a nice warm cup of go fuck yourself. OK? No, really... Go Fuck Yourself. Even if you're not double-jointed. Try your best. No, i don't need pics to prove you accomplished this feat, like you would post of your barista-inspired latte tomorrow morning, or the latest version of a beet salad for lunch. Just do it. Quietly. And be gone.

Which is 50'-100'. No one I flew with strived for anything greater than 50'. Many flew it tighter than that.

I am sure I'm misinterpreting what you meant. But we had two trainers prior to SUPT. Can you clarify?

To those Americans, known and unknown, that died while serving this country.

Yeah, you're not wrong. I fall into the "I don't know shit about investing" category. But... mainly on other airline websites... I read posts where pilots get on their high horse and admonish other pilots for their "need" to have an 85 hour month. Or they bad mouth this and that, and tell us how smart they are for doing X or Y. And if it works for them, I'm happy for them. But lecturing others is poor form. Some pilots are living on the edge of their finances because they are taking care of a parent suffering from dementia... or devoting their efforts to a special needs child... or dealing with a painful and costly divorce. Some have sick spouses that require treatments that exhaust life savings. Life is tough for many people. And before someone starts pontificating on how other pilots should be saving for college and how they should be more careful with their money... then they should stop... give thanks to God that they are not in a bad situation... and simply pray that others can find a way to become financially secure. Frankly, no financial advice given on this forum is going to make a difference. As such... I will shut my fucking piehole before I offer my less-than-sage wisdom on the subject.

I can't speak for the B-2, but yes... we were very disappointed when leadership rolled over and banned formation landings. That said, it's dead now and as time marches on, there are fewer and fewer of us that have done it extensively. It will never return to the Air Force. When I was a T-38 PIT IP at Randolph, we used to do formation touch and go's with the trainees: it gave us a lot more evolutions to get proficient at it in a short time. As mentioned above, the tolerances were such that you couldn't be sloppy on your approach since you knew what was coming. I tried many times to get form T&G's approved at Beale when I returned there. Came close once... but alas those are gone like good times in a UPT squadron bar and pilots that know the rules to Crud. As a side note, it was only in the last 5-6 years that we were forced to limit bank in close trail to 120 deg. It was unlimited for us and barrel rolls were the standard. We do other stuff that isn't done at UPT bases... but I don't want to mention it because some dickhead might take it upon themselves to ruin that too. It took us about 6 years to recover from the effects of Maj Gen Lyon's heavy handedness (he was ACC/DO around 2012).

The PMP engine "upgrade" was a self-inflicted wound by the AF. They spent millions to marginally improve TOLD, only to give y'all an engine that isn't as reliable, and a get that flies an ASD of about .1 shorter than the A-model. Millions... and probably over a billion... of dollars (along with more millions wasted on the new ejection seat) that could have been utilized by an Air Force to accelerate their procurement of an advanced trainer. They've poured good money after bad rather than do what needed to be done by 2010. The Video Data Transfer System (and new speed brake position indicator) was over $50,000,000 just by itself. Are you shitting me? At least they are "celebrating" their accomplishment. https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/1065812/program-office-celebrates-t-38c-mod-completion/ Unforgiving in the T/O and LDG phase? Haha. Have you read the approach/landing accident reports from the CAF over the last few years? You're the CAF. If you don't want the UPT folks teaching it, then as "the customer", your demand to KIO this syllabus event is valid and I'm glad you got your way. However, did formation landings magically become useless to the CAF at the exact same time as the first formation landing fatality? Or was CAF leadership allowing the UPT syllabus to waste millions of dollars and hours that would have been useful elsewhere? This whole evolution points to a continued lack of focus on the real issues by so many that were "in charge". I know this shocks many of you. And while formation landings may be unnecessary for the pointy-nosed types, don't conflate banning them as a safety issue. For those of us outside of the UPT and fighter environment that find formation landings useful, we didn't appreciate ACC / USAF killing them for everyone. Not everything revolves around what is done in the F-35. I love the T-38. It was and is an amazing aircraft. But it should have been replaced by now. There are second-rate air forces flying with a better advanced trainer than we have. And that's embarrassing.

It's close enough for starters. You will continue to get unsolicited financial advice on how you should be saving and what you shouldn't be buying, throughout your airline career as demonstrated on this forum repeatedly. You didn't get this far because you were stupid so just ignore it.

Seen in Beale Finance this week. Congrats to the Blue Angels for their sponsorship of Finance.

I simply do not understand this statement. Constantly trying to kill me? While the T-38 is long overdue on being replaced, I will jump in one every chance I get. Formation, LL,... whatever. A wing hasn't "fallen off" since 1983 or 1984 (at Columbus). Yes, we've lost wing tips where the Jo-bolts connect them to the wing... but everyone I know of landed fine. The jet's getting long in the tooth, and that needs to be taken into account. But calling it a "death trap"? Really? As for formation landings, we will agree to disagree. In 60 years of operating the T-38, that was the only formation landing fatality. Hardly a trend worthy of knee jerk. What next? Get rid of 3G/90 deg wingwork? Or 4G/120 deg close trail? How about formation approaches? We showed THAT could end up as a fatality too. Let's just make everything a single-ship straight-in.

The T-38A I fly still has 1 TACAN, 1 ILS, and that's it. Pencil-method, Rule of 5s... bring it on!!

We have a number of them that ended up in the U-2.

If you're a Cheetah or an IFF instructor at Randolph, will you drop me a DM please? Thanks. Huggy