jazzdude

AFIT has an online systems engineering masters program. Classes run concurrent with the in residence schedule (10 weeks plus finals week, 4 quarters a year), and you do need to take the GRE to apply. No cost for active duty (on a space available basis), so no ADSC incurred for TA as it is no longer required. Classes were a mix of all online students and a mix of in resident and online students (where we watched recorded lectures). I'd say the work was primarily at the masters level, so there were times it was challenging juggling work and school. I'm in the last year (of 3 years), overall the program has been challenging, but with interesting course work that has some DOD leanings.

Pretty sure space required means you have a ULN, like you would traveling around (or to) the AOR. In other words, whoever is paying for the mission has said you are a required passenger on the mission when they put in their request to transcom for lift.

Realistically, nothing is going to change until people start dying. Unfortunately, I think it's going to get worse until it gets better. Commanders that aren't following guidance from higher should be relieved. Until this happens, there is no incentive for them to change their ways or fix problems. It's not a pay problem, it's a quality of life problem. I don't think it is solely an ops tempo problem, but rather going on pointless deployments, coming home and doing busy work that has no real contribution to the mission. What's realistically going to happen? Probably stop loss, recalls to active duty, and no reductions in queep and no improvement in quality of life because they don't have to, they have a captive workforce. This let's them kick the can down the road another few years and make it someone else's problem, and the cycle repeats until we have a catastrophic failure within the air force, whether it is retention/manning or losing a war. What is scary is how much of the military, especially in the officer corps, has family ties to the military. The military makes up such a small portion of our population already. What happens when separating officers leave with a bitter taste of military life and recommends their kids and their friends' kids take a pass on the military?

Or since it's use operationally is voluntary and there's no way to verify if you took them since you take them at home in the evening... Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Pretty sure that ground test of go/no-go is voluntary since their use is voluntary. Still have to ground test cipro/doxy though

My DO knows the guy, evidently he did some pretty crazy good work recently that was recognized on the last board Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

MIL2ATP out in North Carolina was good. Finished a couple weeks ago. 3 flights, 3 sandbag sorties, and a checkride. All of their instructors are prior AF pilots. They have 2 senecas, and provide you with good gouge. Examiner was decent, as long as you weren't cocky. Had a short ground eval of about 10 min, spent more time going through admin than the ground eval. (I had a good written test score and no centerline thrust restriction, sounded like the normal eval is around 30 min). Checkride was a 1.4 sortie. Debrief consisted of a couple minor comments on the walk in, followed by getting my temporary certificate. Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I think you've answered your own question. Taking the rpa slot buys you security for the next few years (assuming no crazy RIFs...) but isnt what you said your dream was. The odds are against you going rpa and then trying to swap to manned aircraft; time is not on your side. Active duty isn't a guaranteed career either. The reserve upt slot gets you much closer to your dream, at the cost of uncertainty after upt. Even if no one hires you right after upt, you'll still have a college degree and at least one year of decent pay under your belt, and if you play your finances well during upt, you should be able to start a rainy day fund to help transition to a civilian job after upt. You may have to work a non aviation job to pay the bills as you build time for the airlines, but you'll still be a rated pilot, and be working toward your dream. If i were in your shoes, I'd take the reserve upt slot. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. ROTC makes the push for AD service, but with either choice you will be serving your country, so don't be guilted into AD with the "service before self" line if your dream is to fly. Eventually your AF career will end, and the AF will move on without you, so be sure to take care of yourself, especially when you are presented with a choice by the AF.

Not our fault no one wants to live in Del Rio by choice...

I had the flight doc recommend it to me to help with allergies. That being said, there is a difference between what is fine and what is not before and after wings

Sounds like someone who hasn't had to drag around 60lbs of worldwide flip. Integrated stuff is great, but it seems like it devolves into feature creep, missed deadlines, and something painful for the end user to actually use.

Wasn't there more availability to live on base back then?

You mean Dr DNIF?

NGA Aero App is good, plus it gives me access to giant reports now that my G2 account was closed, and its nice to know that I have access to whatever flip I need if it I forget/drop something. I use Naviator (android) for moving map vfr sectionals to (hypothetically...) back myself up on off station vfr legs. $5/month for charts, but as a single captain I've got money to burn. If you're an AOPA member, their FlyQ app is decent-easy to plan/file DUATS using the app. Most FBOs seem to have an okay crew planning area, but occasionally you find one that doesn't.

Only downside to the 2 piece flight suit is that my pencil/pen is in the wrong place...

If you don't want to look outside you could always just fly fix to fix...

I stayed at the Hawthorne Inn, an extended stay hotel, should't be hard talking the manager into $56/day for 4 months. I liked it better than the PIT pad I stayed in (maid service every day vs once a week, closer to base/restaraunts, no roommates, still had a full kitchen) http://www.brollagiopitpad.com/ If you're set on a pit pad, that's the one I stayed in, and I'd recommend it as long as you don't mind roommates. It was great until there was 5 of us in the house, and then it was just too crowded for my tastes. Has a pool and 2 home theater setups, and both the owners and manager were easy to work with.

You'll get the $56/day for lodging without the non-a if you stay of base. Several of my classmates for furnished apartments without the noon-a, and I stayed at an extended stay hotel. If your lodging cost is more than $56/day, you just pay the difference. If you plan on staying in the tlf, make your reservation longer than what your orders say, evidently they treat an extension like a new reservation...

I'm also interested

No hour requirement for the written. 750hrs for the restricted ATP practical. I think the CFR reference is already posted earlier. Worth looking it up and telling them what part/paragraph shows the restricted ATP stuff. If they won't play ball, take your business elsewhere. Edit: Other time doesn't count towards the hour requirement.

I just bought a second hat. It was funny hearing some non-flight suit wearers complain about how we weren't in regs and needed to zip our zippers, only to be told a few days later that they needed to button both buttons in their ABU cargo pockets. They didn't think it was so funny to be on the other end of a silly rule.

Or...they could just leave a bunch of people on 365s in AFG to increase continuity...

Eh, just keep the mustache going past the end of the month if you're doing it to be anti establishment

Didn't most of the c-17 shenanigans involve cross flow guys, some of who were rushed to AC/IP?

Isn't stop loss only authorized during a contingency? And isn't the war supposed to end this year? As far as potential PCS, can't you just 7 day opt out? Not trying to add fuel to the fire, just curious. I can see the line number argument or unique family situation as being factors. I'm nowhere near retirement and have no dependents, so just trying to get insight into the decision making process