FourFans

What speeds are typical for fighters refueling off a Herc?

Thank you for clarifying, I stand corrected. I've encounter a whole lot of ego and thin skin surrounding the primacy of the HUD in the C-17. Not a judgment, just a statement of my experience. //RANT// What is ultimately concerning to me is the institutionalized acceptance of mediocre engineer and lawyer crafted solutions to line operator problems with no input from said operators. Anyone remember the response to the F-22 pilot who was blamed for not flying his jet because he had no oxygen? (I know, a gross oversimplification, just hang with me, I'm ranting) Or on a micro scale, how about the functionality of the CNBP number pad on the J-model? Not a big problem, but an annoyance non-the-less. The mentality that we get handed "good enough" training, maintenance, and equipment with virtually no feedback channel it appalling. "But it's how the acquisition/training/regs/etc process works..." is the routine answer, with no one effectively challenging those processes. If we can improve things, regardless of how major or minor, we should. Instead we accept them, demand that others do the same, and even shame them when they don't. In today's aviation era, the C-17 should have a HUD that is allowed to be the sole source of flight information. Just like a C-130J should be able to fly GPS approaches. Just as both should have internal and external camera systems. Instead of fixing these things, we "make the best of it" because that's how we do it in X community, get with the program! In the end crews like those of Shell 77, Torque 62, this F-35, and countless others pay the price as they discover the holes in our training and technology. But don't worry, I'm sure a Warning in the dash 1 will cover it. //RANT//

One of these opportunities comes around only once in your life. The other will always be there. Factual download: the Extra 300 will NOT scratch that itch the way it wants to be scratched...they are completely different desires that look very similar until you're upside down at 15,000 feet.

...which is a way of saying that it's not certified as a primary IFR reference. God willing the new one will, and should be. Putting pilots in the half-way position is downright negligent. That's an issue we as an AF are coming up against right now: what are we considering "data reference fully safe to fly" We've got drones that do it. We're playing with booms that do it. So what exactly is a safe reference to fly off of? Obviously the unfortunate individual that is the topic of this threat got to play the game of "congrats you're a test pilot!" as he found one of the loop holes between software and hardware, reminiscent of the highly youtubed F-22 PIO crash where the airplane didn't know if it was landing or going around (see below...the pilot tried a low pass with the gear up and discovered the end of the airplane's digital code. It didn't know if it was landing or going around, and it fought the pilot). Thank God he was able to escape safely. Honestly, I am glad we are pushing this edge, but safely. If we don't, someone else will. I'd rather it be us.

C-130's are slow and parasite drag works great, especially when your gear cycles in 2.5 seconds. More likely, a photobird off your right wing sure makes this a great time to do...(insert whatever was in the 2 hour pre-brief). The Herc is probably doing 180-220 in this turn, which isn't "concerning" to a J pilot, but it is on the fringe of 'something bad could happen' especially at that bank angle and g. P.S. I love the Marines. I've known marines that I don't like, but The Marines are the epitome of excellence. ...because only the marines would look at this and say..."that checks, what's next?" If the master chief from Halo ever exists, he'll be a marine. EDIT: point of order, YES...that's an H-model C-130 as noted by #4's props, my J-model comments are, well, amplified.

In all fairness, the ATC dude is simply doing as he's trained. Military guys IFE almost at a routine rate (notice not a single word about the F-35 ejection...who's got his back besides JPRC?)...often for items that turn out to be nothing...but and it would be completely negligent for him to simply say "good luck!" A phone number pass to maintain a chain of communication may be the best he's got in that moment. As Clayton has mentioned above, he's trying his best to do what he can with what he's got. In the same right, a controller should be aware that a four engine airplane losing two engines, leaking fuel, and being on fire is not something to take lightly. I'm sincerely hoping he alerted emergency services of some kind on his own end. Still, it couldn't hurt for him and the crew to meet face-to-face and get some learning on both sides of the radio.

Um, yes? Though I'm not sure you have firm grasp of what "projecting" is. Should I consider it an honor to be trolled by a king troll? Why am I hearing mini-boss level music in the background?

As a good boss should. Congrats! Log into vMPF and it should show in the promotion section almost immediately after the results are posted.

Do you have an original thought you'd like to share? Just one?

Glad to hear you still have the fight. Is your commander in the fight with you? Honestly, he/she SHOULD be the one leading that fight with rage, fury, and an unquenchable lust for justice. You can still win that fight, I am simply curious as to the current state of leadership. BL: It is not your job to write your OPR, PRF, or get to the bottom of why you did or did not get promoted. That's a commander's job. If your commander is not leading that fight, I would gladly rip that faggotrous pin off their chest. Ability to command and lead is demonstrated, not earned.

In that case...call every single number in AFPC until you find her replacement. I'm not kidding. All the GS's know each other...and it'll likely be a GS. That's how I found the 365 deployment manager, the 179 deployment manager, and the BACN deployment manager. As for a supplemental, do everything and anything you can to get anyone to look at your record again. It's that simple. It takes a single person to recognize "well shit, we should have promoted this guy" for you to get picked up. We all wish it were different and that 'the process' worked to promote the right ones, but it's not that way. ANY reason to put your record in front of a different set of eyes is good.

There are some baffling results on that list, including a golden nugget APZ with a P an no IDE (seriously?!) who got picked up, yet there were multiple DPs NOT picked up. The lesson is: Go Guard/AFRC...but I digress... I know the pain of getting passed over and that game sucks any way you play it, especially with a DP. Sorry man. The good news is, this isn't the end, and if you don't make promotion later, the USAF REALLY needs you. It's weird, but it's true. Your commander should have a full data download and fact finding mission of his/her own...I'd be pissed if you were in my unit and this happened. However, the individual (my experience is 3 years old, so take it with a grain of salt) that conducts all the passed over counseling is a Miss Autumn Fowley (I don't have global, so i might be spelling that wrong) at AFPC. Passed over counseling is a one-on-one phone interview with her where your record is evaluated against a sampling of records from your board. She should give an assessment of what's different in the passed over record, and what items stand out as different and might have contributed to not making it. At no point will you get a 100% answer as to why you didn't make it. You will never know who was on the board, nor what was said about your PRF. Great process, right? (For frame of reference, Marine officers know who will be grading their board before they even turn in their PRFs, and are encourage to ask individuals why they didn't make it) Ask your commander what the current process is regarding continuation. That shouldn't be a player unless you get passed over 1 APZ though. If you are a flyer, you should get continued, but stranger things have happened. Ask your commander and don't quit until you have solid answer on the current process. If you don''t get an answer, consider skipping your commander, it's that important. The last thing you want is a surprise letter saying you've not been continued because of some form that wasn't submitted correctly (I've seen it happen). Again, this should all come from your commander. However, having experienced no support upon being passed over, I don't want you to suffer more frustration in this moment. PM me if you've got more questions.

Excellent work on the crew's part and really glad all involved came through ok. I hope that ATC controller gets an opportunity to tour the crash site, review the tapes, and meet the crew, so he can expand his SA bubble a bit.

I second that motion! Seth is easily one of the best in the business.

If I may offer a completely different perspective. Friend, you haven't lost your drive, your desire, your motivation. You've lost your heart. If you think that you'll be able to jump to the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Homeland Security (all of which have flying) and that said flying job will stir you back to who you want to be by scratching that itch, you're wrong. Oh, don't hear me wrong. The itch is real and so is your disgust with your current situation. Very real, very valid, very potent, and very very treacherous. From what I can hear, the solution you are seeking isn't the real antidote...it's a band-aid...granted, it's a very comforting one, but a short term solution none-the-less. Unless you get your heart back, you will get bled dry by a thousand other tiny cuts that any other institution WILL inflict. The USAF did it to me when I was about 27, and many other's on this board will attest to the same. You need to get your heart back so you can endure that course. My recommendation is to definitely go snowboarding. Take some time to clear the perspective...preferably without a smart phone. Decide about quitting your job afterwards. Take a book with you too: "Becoming a King" by Morgan Snyder. Only 200 pages. It might help you re-discover the real fire and where your heart went. Without your heart, nothing you try will succeed. Rediscover it though, and you're in a whole new ball-game. What I hear about your work situation could benefit, in the short term, from an adjustment of perspective...the cubicle is not the prison, it's the enabling water-fountain and or spring-board to finance your real career/adventure/commissioning. Endure only as much as you have to. Don't jump early, but definitely don't jump late. Leverage it until you don't need it anymore...and it sounds like you still might need it...but I'm just guessing on that last part. Afraid of money mistakes you've made? Ok, don't make those mistakes again. It don't mean you're dumb, it means you've had an experience and learned from it. What you've done DOES NOT define who you are nor what you will do in the future, unless you let it. Go get your heart back. You want a change of career into flying and you won't take no for an answer? Ok. Blitz through your instrument and commercial ratings like you mean it, and start flying night cargo. I'm being completely serious here. Do it. Quit your job and hang it out there. Do it, live in squalor for season, make some mistakes, learn from them, and move on. If that's what it takes to get your heart back, it's FAR better than moving from bad situation to bad solution. That road...the one where you fix today by jumping to what looks like greener pastures in the military...(as several here have alluded to) will only lead you right back to the discontent you feel right now, only it will be worse, because then you'll be saddled with a 8-10 year commitment to the military that you have no choice about. Go get your heart back (pro-tip, let your wife know what's going on, but do not look to her for the answer of finding your heart), then go get your flying career. If those goals coincide, all-the-better, but measure the cost first. You may decide to wait, but don't stand still. Standing still is indecision. Waiting has purpose, meaning, and a trigger to end it. Whatever you do: Don't stand still. FF

Congrats brother!

Pretty sure that flight sim recording is meant to reference this real event from a couple weeks ago.

I say again...any functioning adult...

FFS. Any functioning adult...just one, please run for President! Dan Crenshaw? Colin Powell? Mike Rowe? Keanu Reeves? Anyone? Please?

I keep coming back to the CRM bit. Upsets happen, whether crew induced, automation mismanagement, turbulence, or spacial-D. Doesn't matter how it happened, any crew member in the seat should always be aware and ready to take the controls. In multi-place aircraft that have a small enough flight deck, NOTHING communicates "I have the aircraft" and snaps the offending dude out of it as quickly as physical contact (i.e. backhand to the shoulder), ESPECIALLY when the guy on the controls is unconscious of his error. The flinch mechanism is strong when you're stressed, and usually works quick. I have yet to fly with a kid that A: didn't want me to smack him, or B: failed to appreciate it's effectiveness afterwards (a memory check says I've used this avoiding 2 pattern stalls, 3 unrecognized spacial-D's and 1 bad habit of calling the gear down before they're down). People may not like it, but there is no denying the effectiveness of physical contact as a confirmation or intervention reinforcement. My question for this 777 crash remains: what was the Captain doing, especially when flying with a known low performer? The audio makes is sound like he was completely unaware. As for stall training, I find it laughable that we as professional pilots going back for refresher training would NOT want to explore upsets and deep stalls to a PhD level. I personally see no reason to ever delay power inputs in these situations (ALL engine have a spool up, even if it's 4 seconds). I also advocate pilots exploring the effectiveness and energy saved by unloading the aircraft before maneuvers in upset and stall situations (constraining this type of training to the sim only). Amazing how quick an aerodynamically unloaded aircraft responds to inputs, regardless of attitude or energy state. The only hard and fast I stand by: Recognize, Confirm, Recover. Beyond that I don't believe any recovery should ever be rote.

Probably true as the Deid is now considered enough to the threat. I'll retain my editorial on that one. Also, bear in mind that any Turkey or Africa lines you've got in your logbook MAY qualify as combat support, depending on the destinations and flight routes. The 37 AS front office awards and decs shop used to keep very good tabs on those details. Look them up in the global. I came out of my Ramstein time with an unexpected aerial achievement medal. I know it was a big deal for the E's due to promotion points from medals, but I think those points went away recently. YMMV FF

Concur.

Good info and thanks for that update. I didn't realize that FedEx was that tapped out. What do they say in the investment world? Past performance is no indicator of future success? That said, I'd be surprised if they all of sudden hit a wall and demand evaporates. ...though, I have been surprised before...

Input from a different view: I'm in a very similar boat. 17 years, O-5 (unexpectedly APZ), not hirably current (API-6) in a staff billet. I had a regional job lined up and ready when COVID hit. I could have pulled my separation papers, but chose to delay them 3 months instead. Now I'm separating in August and going to a not-FEDEX-or-UPS cargo carrier. I'll also be joining the AFRC as a traditional reservist. Not ideal or low-stress, but it's the right path for our family right now. Prayer, petition, timing, and luck will dictate a unique path for you. Had I chosen to stay, I'm sure I'd have 365 or 179 orders very soon. Our family is tired of an impersonal organization that demands loyalty, then responds by treating people like cyphers and not caring 6 pence what it does to families. I will still be gone a lot with my new job...which won't pay a lot. I will still deploy with my AFRC unit. I might even volunteer for a 179 BACN deployment or some such. But it will be on our family's terms, not AFPC's. That is worth it to us, and that's the path that we hear God sending us down, so we're stepping that way in faith. Don't let big blue paint you into the "it makes sense" corner with a bonus and 5 more years of servitude unless you WANT that road. "It makes sense" really reads "it's really helpful to have bodies that AFPC can put where ever they want" when the Air Force tells you "it makes sense" to take the bonus. Carefully weigh the cost on you and your family before you take that money. IT IS NOT FREE. It's an 'easy' road to go down. They intentionally make it so. Don't let the ease of that road influence your decision making. BL: Your path may not conform to "common sense" as found on the internet or in mentorship relationships. Tailor that path to your situation, you financial goals, your family's desires, and your own skills, calling, and goals. A 15 year O-5 is very hirable in the ANG and AFRC. Just yesterday I saw a 3-6 year AGR job open at the 601 AOC in Tyndall (1+15 hour drive from the Eglin bedroom neighborhoods) for an O-5. There are opportunities everywhere. Then again, your path may take you down a road that keeps you in...it's your path. You already know the uncertainty that comes with 5 more years about 2-3 more PCS...especially if you are a non-command O-5. Command O-5s get even more PCSs. There are VERY FEW roads as an O-5 where you get to homestead for 5 years...they exist, but they are rare. Remember this, in 5 years, you're going to very likely be done with the USAF and be starting another career...and the USAF will not care at all about you or your family then. Good luck with the decision.