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WheelzUp

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Posts posted by WheelzUp

    Getting Private Pilots License on a Tight Budget.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The cost will depend on your performance and learning curve as well.  Plan between 6-10k.  Closer to the bottom number if you study early, and on your own, which will allow you and your CFI to focus on mostly flying.  Remember, that guy/gal is on the clock when you show up at the flight school and continues getting paid until you walk out.  With that in mind, come up with a plan to minimize your dependence on said CFI outside of the airplane.  Most of all, enjoy yourself and learn as much as you can along the way.  It’s a blast!  Good luck dude!

    • Like 1

    Atlas 767 (Amazon livery) Down

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, torqued said:

    Not suicide. A few ways for this to happen. Example:

    Say they level off in turbulence and accidentally or mistakenly push the TO/GA, perhaps in an attempt to disengage autothrottles. Autopilot may or may not automatically disconnect depending on altitude and flaps, but aircraft initially pitches up rapidly as throttles move toward max. Control column gets shoved forward with nose down trim running. Autopilot disconnects. If both pilots are making different elevator inputs, fighting each other when they think they're fighting the aircraft and/or weather, one control column will breakout (if it's like other Boeing aircraft). The nose down elevator yoke wins the fight and confusion ensues as both yokes move indepedently.

    I'm not saying that's what happened. Only saying there are a few reasons why the yoke/elevator would command nose down outside of someone suddenly deciding to end it all after a 2 hour flight deviating around weather.

    Perhaps some of these things could have contributed to the autopilot kicking off, as well as a momentary loss of altitude/pitch control.  But dude...full throttle with 49 degrees nose low followed by a 7000 foot vertical loss???  There is more to this story.  

     

    Promotion and PRF Information

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    36 minutes ago, pawnman said:

    What if it just says SQ/CC followed by X...?

    The push line is all about the strat.  The rest helps to support it.  The push for command is simply that.  It needs to be on there, along with a plug for school & staff.  I guess in the absence of a stratification, the wordsmithing may carry more weight, but I think we are pretty far down in the weeds on this one.  

    Car loans and interest rates

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, raimius said:

    AKA, invest your money rather than pay off your 0.5% cadet loan.  You make more money that way.
     

    Sound logic.  Unfortunately, this logic also requires self discipline on the investment side, which most people lack...no matter how good a game they talk.  HeloDude makes a great point, and it works for many people, myself included.  Maybe his advice is too conservative for some of the “experts” out there, but ole’ Dave Ramsey didn’t get rich selling books for no reason.

    • Upvote 1

    How Long For New Studs To Be Disillusioned?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, FLEA said:

    Is this common? Seems to be more and more impossible in most communities Ive been around. 

    To clarify, I know about white jets/RPAs, but I mean making an MWS change seems like a rare thing to me outside of selective programs. 

    I’m currently in IQT for my 3rd MWS, and there was a trainer tour in there too, and I’m at 14 years of service.  Yes, it’s still totally possible, just takes effort, and the performance to justify being advocated for.  Certainly keeps things interesting, and I’m still a happy camper.  Give it a shot if it will keep your cynicism needle off the peg.  That was my motivation.

    • Upvote 2

    B-1 Landing at Midland

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Danger41 said:

    I’ve seen it so it’s definitely out. Good read.

    On another note, how about the dude on the left of the crew in that picture from KRCA. Looks like somebodies drunk uncle (but he’s probably the wing commander?)

    That’s General Robin Rand.  The AF Global Strike Command CC.

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

    Future of E-8 JSTARS?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, FishBowl said:

    GA Congress folk pretty much stopped fighting for recap since ABMS will be in their state. 

    Not 100 percent true...reference this article written two days ago.http://amp.macon.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article214309864.html

    A small recap option (less than 17 jets) is currently being discussed in Congress in order to address the capability gap that will exist after divestment of the E-8, and before ABMS comes online.  This limited recap option sounds like it may actually have some traction.  

    For the original poster, if you wanna fly JSTARS, come on down and do it!  The jet will be around for 6-9 more years, and after that, you’ll get to fly something else.  Good luck dude.

    Wheelz

    • Upvote 1

    Columbus T-38 down

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by WheelzUp

    7 hours ago, di1630 said:


    Huggy what’s your reasoning? I thought the t-38c had terrific avionics for 2003.

    One thing I never understood is why any t-38 got anti skid. I watched them test it in 2007 so I know it was being looked at.

    C model T-38 got heavier, and the CG shifted forward due to all the equipment added to the nose.  From a handling perspective, this reduced instantaneous and sustained turn rate and overall nose authority.  While the PMP engines improved the TOLD a bit, they also increased form drag, fuel consumption, and noise.  Today the jet is even more fuel constrained than before, can’t fly nearly as high, and has far more garbage in the cockpit to keep you heads down rather than appropriately focused on the art of aviating.  I’m with Huggy.  From a purist’s perspective, it’s the “A”.

    • Like 2

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, di1630 said:


    Today the diff between a maj and ltc retiring at 20 years is ~$6k before taxes. Over 40 years that’s $240kish....hardly half mil

    Time value of money bro.  At 7% interest compounded annually, that extra 6k per year earns you more than a million dollars over 40 years.  Assuming one is disciplined enough to invest, the difference between an O-4 and O-5 retirement is a huge deal.

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    Thunderbird crash, pilot reported ok

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Check fire Deuce.  Nobody needs a lecture, and he brings up a valid point.  We have all pushed bingo at one point or another, and it would suck if that's what caused this.  If not, great, then there is some other lesson to be learned, and at least the dude is OK.  Bottom line, this entire forum is hearsay, unless someone from the SIB is talking.

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1. "Opportunities" and "cream". Funny.

    2. Can't wait for folks who have never seen the inside of a cockpit to start tinkering with my RAP tasking memo, 11-202 evaluation criteria, hours requirements for upgrade, or a host of other flying-related guidance that comes out of these staff positions.

    Don't feed the troll brother.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Here you go spouting off the same crap that your bosses keep telling you. The fact that you're using that chart to demonstrate how "hiring has been pretty non-existent from 09 -13" clearly shows how little you know. Let me throw some numbers at you: 60-65 and 07-12. Do those numbers mean anything to you?

    Your program isn't the only thing that's going to need to change if you want the USAF to be able to prosecute a war in the future. Your attitude and ignorance, as well as that of your other cohorts in the Ivory Tower needs to change. Money can only solve so much. I'm sure I'm not the first to admit that the pay sans bonus is still pretty damn good to go fly airplanes. It's all the other crap that makes people want to leave. If the senior leadership wants to say that that crap is what being an officer is all about, then I suggest they take a strong look at the current crop of bright and shiny "officers" that will be "leading" the force in the near future. They're a bunch of shoe clerks who did just about everything they could to dodge deployments and crappy assignments - all while their peers got min time at home between deployments only to be sent on a remote, then passed over because they didn't do their PME/AAD/Volunteer work soon enough.

    Why is it that Gen Welsh was the ONLY GO that people thought was fit for CSAF? I like the guy and I think he's doing a good job, especially considering the multiple layers of BS bureaucracy between him and the folks on the line. But, there should have been dozens of GOs that were fit for that job. Why is it that we can rattle off name after name of GOs (who's names shall actully not be spoken) that were utterly worthless leaders and men of disgusting character? That's because the promotion system is broken and it's going to continually get worse as this crop further poisons the well.

    You're right. But as long as dudes are unwilling to ascend the ranks and attempt to make meaningful change, we will always suffer. Sometimes it takes doing what's difficult and selfless. Kool-aid drinkin jokes aside, you know there is truth there. It's in our nature to be divas and take the easy path. These days, fewer and fewer are willing to try and repair the AF, and it sucks, a lot.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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