Perfect, I'll be flying another pond hop in a few weeks. Does the music mute/vol decrease during TX/RX or is it just on you to flip the on/off switch or pause the music when necessary?

The wannabe-pilots of my generation are paranoid as shit about this stuff

Then tell your generation to stop being such a bunch of pussies. Seriously, it's just a little test, what the hell is everyone so paranoid about? At the point you're a freshman/sophomore in college taking this thing, you either have hand-eye coordination and memory skills or you don't. No amount of doing lame stuff is going to make any measurable amount of difference. But whatever, it's up to you if you'd rather spend your free time in college juggling or playing computer games than going to parties or doing other interactive activities.

I bet the ladies really dig you.

No shit...whatever happened to the days when prepping for the TBAS meant cutting yourself off at 10 beers the night before? Flash cards, computer games and juggling...WTFO.

The AF does a lot of crap that doesn't make sense, but I'd like to think we're pretty damn good at flying. Do IP's, either at IFS or UPT, mind students asking "why" questions like those, as long as you don't argue and do it?

It doesn't make sense because you don't understand it, which is exactly why you should ask questions. Any IP not willing to take questions is a horrible IP, so yes, ask away, but realize there's a right way to ask a question and a wrong way. Additionally, don't be the guy who could easily find the answer in writing, but is too lazy to read the -1, 2-XXv3, etc. If you read something and don't understand it (including why it's done that way) then ask, but put some effort into finding and figuring it out yourself first.

A lot of them are well into their Geritol years

Didn't know Rainman got into the ISR gig. Guess you gotta get your flying fix one way or another.

Raptor dude: "If I'm going 8 NM/min and the flyover point is 16 NM from our hold, how long...ah fuck it, we've got EGI."

Define not fine. It sucks losing 1.5 yrs to casual/BIT, but I don't think missing a couple OPRs that the shoe counterparts had as LTs will make or break someone when it comes to Maj boards. There are potentials for some missed flying-career opportunities, but I think most dudes will still follow a "normal career path" (as much as anyone can with the way the AF is doing things these days). If it was a small number of guys, then I could see them getting fucked, but when it's a large number out of a couple year groups, that's another thing.

Average time on casual for my generation of dudes was 9 months. Figure that happens again and guys are missing 1.5 years on casual, and about 2-3 years for training out of their first 8 years

Welcome to 4 years ago...these numbers you just said apply to the vast majority of viper pilot who graduated UPT FY08-10ish. This also applies to other dudes too, but the viper guys were hit the hardest. This is nothing new and 98% of us who were affected by 1.5+ yrs of casual are going to be fine...three holer shacked it on the other 2%.

If you're casual at a UPT base, they probably won't give a shit about you because you are TDY guy.

Considering the vast majority of dudes do a casual stint at their UPT base prior to starting UPT, it's a wash. Nobody is getting screwed for having casual time. If you don't make Maj down the road, it has nothing to do with how much time you spent on casual or where it was (which your UPT base has been the only option for years now with minor exceptions).

Perhaps they'd look better in formation if they got more than 6 flights in a year. I mean HOW long were they grounded this time?

Don't worry, they've been getting plenty of CT while we do their jobs for them (don't worry, tongue in cheek for all you out there about to flip out).

What's not comical is these guys who were lucky enough to escape preds getting passed over for their next promotion because they got an empty OPR because they were sitting around for 8 months of casual status as captains while their peers were Flt/CCs and Shop Chiefs

What? There's a whole shitload of dudes who spent 6-9 months on casual, then a year plus on BIT after UPT doing jack shit. While obviously a crappy situation and not ideal (but infinitely better than other possibilities), they've got OPRs and will be fine...no way they get passed over for Maj just because of that.

f-16 upgrades in the near term

I wish my definition of near term was the same as the AF's definition.

and of least offense to you...

You're doing it wrong...

Wow, that guy might deserve biggest D-Bag of the year award. I hope he and his "promising career" (as he probably sees it) gets crushed.

I could live with the REMFing if everyone executed it with by pulling you aside, quietly having a few words, and starting and ending the conversation with "sir". In my experience, more often it's an E-6 shouting a command at an O-3..."Hey, get those sunglasses off your head!" from across the show hall.

Agreed. If an E-6 comes up to me and discretely/professionally lets me know about something I'm doing wrong, then I'll respect him for being professional about it, I'll say, "thanks Sgt for letting me know" and we can both go on our way...leave it up to me as the officer to make my own call. That's why I'm "paid the big bucks" and if I decide to still wear my gray socks, my not approved benie on the flightline, etc., don't go running to Daddy and accept my decision. The biggest reason this "chief bashing" exists is because of douche bag E-X's who think its appropriate to yell at an O for something (reference the sunglasses example above). You pull that shit and you're going to get an O vs. E showdown.

It's about mutual respect...I wouldn't yell at an E across the chowhall for something unless it was a big deal and needed correction faster than I could walk over to him and have a talk (so probably only if he was about to hurt someone). So I expect an E to do the same. Only problem is a lot of E's do not do the same an instead feel they have the right to say whatever they want to an O, damn near order an O to do something, etc. It's unbelievable that this shit is allowed to happen. Does anyone realize in any of the other services an E would be crushed 100% of the time for shit like this?

Anyone know how the DA-20 compares to the DA-40?

Been quite a while since I've flown either, but from what I remember they're very similar to fly besides the obvious (DA-40 is a bit larger, has higher V speeds (not by much), etc). Either way, if you have DA-40 time, the "transition" will be relatively seemless.

We left Vance a few months after base housing went privatized, at that point there were no issues with guns in the house (just have to register them with sf) and I think the max pet number was either 2 or 3. Either way we only told them about our 2 dogs and said nothing about the cats we had at the time. They don't check.

If you're single (i.e. possibly living in the dorms) either don't bring your guns or have a friend lined up who lives in base housing or off base where you can store them. You DO NOT want to have your guns stored in the armory (you cannot keep them in your dorm room).

Suddenly the aircraft spun out of control.

Damn, I hate it when jets just out of nowhere spin out of control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA

Rainman's reaction when reading Hoss' post.

How is it the AF can't at least provide a secretary at the SQ level to do all this shit? Oh wait nevermind, plasma TVs and new furniture...my bad.

The only problem is that this is some of the most idiotic and horribly incorrect statement making I've seen in quite some time. Clearly Chuck Spinney et al have zero clue what they're talking about and the above is so retardly wrong its laughable.

Been at the pisser for about a week...this can't be real, but I'm with Nsplayr, funny as hell either way. I'm sure he'll get a fighter, I mean if you can "peg" 30 mph, then clearly you have the ability to fly a fighter, it's science.

Or even worse when you finally get the mangled, dislodged VOL X out from the case and the approach you need has been ripped out in someone's obvious haste during a previous divert. That one's my favorite.

At least when I was in your shoes years ago, I remember the reg specifically saying sim time did not count, but things very well could have changed.