SocialD

Hopefully we'll be out of this mess and back to work this summer, then you can just use up all that use/lose. When I was full time, I never had a problem using my leave so I never got to use/lose, but I don't know if you can just sell back use/lose. I think you can only sell leave at the end of an order. Also remember there is a career limit on how many days of leave you can sell back on orders on long term orders (over a year I think). Orders under a year, you can sell back as much as you accumulate. Stroker, if you're only at 40ish days of leave right now, you shouldn't hit the use/lose point by September, assuming that's when your orders end. Also remember that you can carryover leave at the end of an order if you want to go that route. I guess if you're already getting enough time off from work anyway, selling it back will net your more cash in the long run. Yikes, sounds like you've been in some bad squadrons. That's been my techniques for years and was tough to me by my ridiculously by the book SQ/CC at the time.

Wait, so you guys are going to sit right there and tell me there is more to this story? Hold on while I try to contain my shocked face...

It's a good vent and not completely unwarranted as I have found myself bored with many of the thread on the those forums. Nobody knows WTF is going to happen until this virus starts to go away or we fund a cure. I will say, we attempted to work with the company, then they pulled the rug out from under us in the 11th hour. That killed a ton of trust and goodwill. It seems to have taken a many of the "moderate" pilots and moved them squarely into the hardline column. I can certainly see why guys are saying full pay to the last day. Many of them took a small pay cut, then a massive pay cut to try to save the company (~45% total), and the company still declared bankruptcy and furloughed anyway. They have the benefit of having seen management play this same ole song n' dance before. My company is more worried about the flight attendants unionizing than they are of liquidation right now. Once those priorities switch, I'll believe they are really taking this seriously. Until then, there hasn't been a reserve callout in my category in well over 2 weeks. I'm growing a righteous beard and I'm plotting my next adventure in general aviation once this mess is over with. Btw, anyone ever built their own grass runway?

This. According to the CDC, there were 15 reported cases in the US when they decided to have Mardi Gras.

Well now that the TR is down for the count, we'll be seeing Flankers in the skies over the U.S. any day now. If you had just sent the email properly, none of this would have happened. Thanks a lot Capt. Crozier 🙄

Ha, I'm guessing it's the same 6 discs that I put in there when I bought my car in 2006 (two days before AMS). What those CDs are, I have no idea 🤣. I'd wager SocialD (clearly), Metallica, Jim Croce, CCR, Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

Have no idea where it came from. I was told my whole life you had to be good at math and get a STEM type degree to be a fighter pilot. HA...I showed them! Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have gotten an engineering degree and then worked on a business degree (MBA). Though that's strictly for job opportunities outside of flying.

PM inbound.

I can't imagine the average pilot will fly enough per year to justify owning their own plane. Couple reasons I own. For one, I love flying tailwheel aircraft and there isn't one for rent within 100 miles of me. There is one place that has tons of tailwheel aircraft, but it's a 2.5 hour drive and their insurance restrictions are ridiculous (still a cool place). With my own aircraft, I can fly it anytime and anywhere I want. I like knowing what's going on with the plane...I've seen videos of guys doing some pretty stupid shit in rental planes. Finally, I enjoy the "community" out at the airport, our airfield has Cubs, N3Ns, L-5s, a chipmunk, a Meridian and everything in-between. We have a good group that loves to share rides and have beers at the end of the day. It's a bit extreme and you really have to have a passion for aviation, but I hope to move to a fly-in type community when I get out of the Guard. I've hung out at a few and it's awesome grabbing a coffee in the am and strolling down the road (taxiway) and wondering into hangars. Guys are always willing to show you their planes, plus there are tons of A&Ps around to learn from...which is always great for airplane ownership. Not every community is created equal, so you have to choose wisely.

I'll pick up that torch. 6. Crozier retires with an O-6 pension. 7. Lands a comfortable, high-paying gig. 8. Writes a book and/or becomes a news SME. 9. Looks back at his decision with his head held high. 10. Realizes he's much happier now that he's out of the shitshow that is the service.

Pretty close the story that was relayed to me by one of my buddies in the class. From my understanding one of the sticking points was that they "broke into" the flight room on the weekend (through 2 cipher locks), to get to the EPQ. From what I remember, all but the 1 Guard guy (who ended up quitting) made it back into training. One of them was my roommate in the B-Course. Another one was in the B-Course after mine. He was showed up to Sheppard right after commissioning and was on admin hold so long that he was a Captain when he showed up to the B-Course. I think many of then were Captains before they left Sheppard. It was a mess and a ridiculous overreaction.

Ya, initially that wasn't the case. Then they realized many deployments actually cross the FY dateline lol. Definitely a great change in our favor. Your dates line up with the guys who got the really good deal that I mentioned above. I went through all of my training the O6-09 time frame. I just pulled up all my orders from UPT through seasoning. All of them were Title-32. Story time. Right as I showed up to ENJJPT, they were in the middle of a huge cheating scandal. Supposedly the "ring leader" was a Guard guy and because he was on Title-32 orders, it made the investigation/discipline much harder because it all had to go through his state/unit. So as a "fix" for that issue, sometime while I was in 38s, they amended all the Guard guys orders. The amendment included verbiage that essentially made us under control of the local leadership wrt to disciplinary issues like mentioned above. My guess is that this was just a bandaid and they eventually (after I was off seasoning) changed the guys to Title-10 orders. The guys who were on those title-10 hit the jackpot wrt to early retirement credit...one of our our guys got them all the way through seasoning. I think he got a full 5 years of early retirement credit. From what I've been told by the more recent punks, their orders no longer count toward early retirement and I honestly haven't looked into it. I just assumed that they fixed the glitch with the MEST orders.

That was true only for a short time. When I went through, we were all on Title-32 training orders, thus we didn't get early retirement credit. There was a short period of time where guys were title-10 or some time of early retirement eligible orders. Some of those dudes had 2-3 years of pilots training plus their 2 years of seasoning counted...they killed it for sure! From my understanding they "fixed the glitch," and those orders (MEST?) are no longer early retirement eligible. You are correct though, it is 90 day increments. You just have to get them in any 2 contiguous fiscal years.

Ya man, I didn't learn this until about the 10-12 year point in the ANG. Shouldn't be a huge deal for pilots since we have so many extra days. I guess if technicians bunched up their days at one time, they could screw themselves. You can see a year-by-year break down off all the types of points you earned. vMPF - Self service actions - Personal Data - ANG/USAFR Points Credit Summary Inquiry (PCARS) - Service History

If noone has told you, if able, make sure you get 50 points during this year while you wait to go to training. I understand that this may not be possible with the current situation. You get 15 points for just being a member of the ANG and you get an additional point for ever pay card you turn in. The 50 points are based on your enlistment year, not fiscal year or calendar year. If you don't get 50 points, that year won't count as a "good" year toward your 20 years for retirement.

Ok, I write OPRs (ANG), but what does lack of recent award mean? As in, not getting some kind of made up, BS award of the year or qtr? That is a thing? I can understand a referral OPR, but even then, that's been 5 years ago now. Add this to the list of reasons why I tell all my AD buddies to go to the ANG over AFRES...especially reserve units embedded in an AD Wing on an AD base. I've wondered this as well. I was prior-E and have told two different things by two different commanders.

I've flown with a few guys who have deposits down on the Raptor. The numbers they were quoting seemed a bit of a pipe dream, but who knows. I hope it works the numbers actually happen. I heavily researched the idea of buying a Bonanza/Mooney or similar. Hindsight is right, you'll run into some serious personalities, and experimental is the way to go to save costs. All I can say is be honest with yourself on what your "mission" is and how often you'll actually use it. After joining a club with a Cherokee-6, I found I didn't use it nearly as much as I thought I would. If it wasn't bad weather, it was personal scheduling conflicts, rarely was it because of aircraft availability. This drives up the cost/hr significantly. As someone who was a CFII before UPT, and once very proficient in small plane IMC ops, I realize I will not fly nearly enough to be comfortable in single pilot IMC ops in a light GA aircraft. I also looked at fractional ownership with a few squadron mates and let's just say, do LOTS of research and soul searching if you go that route...especially if you're particular about your stuff. Tons of good information out there about doing this, so study up and know the pitfalls. I found the type specific forums (beechtalk, mooneyspace, etc...) to be the most informative places to hang out. In the end, I went to the opposite end of the spectrum and now fly around at 500 feet, 85mph, radio off (out of the pattern), door open in a tailwheel aircraft and couldn't be happier. I fly it WAY more than most fly their BO's/Mooneys and it's ridiculously cheap flying. I may not fly more hours, but I'm probably flying more often. If you have a good airport community, half the fun is just being out there and hanging out. Plus, you get to know people who may let you fly their planes lol. If I ever decide I want something with some speed, I'm likely getting an RV-7.

Honestly, if you're finishing up a 10 year UPT commitment, and meet the mins, you're well qualified.

If you have a seniority number and can go back to a gig you like, I'd go back. Keep a nice steady paycheck coming in and get to watch this all pan out from the sidelines. If you don't actually get furloughed, then you continue to accrue longevity, so you'd come back to 3rd(ish) year pay. Aside from a possibility of a 179 or 365, I can't see too many downsides.

Sounds like this stimulus bill has some no furlough language through Sept 2020. If true, and all the airlines take it, I'd be surprised to see any of the big airlines furlough. But who knows, I never thought I'd see a global pandemic where I'd be forced to stay home either. Pretty much the same at my ANG squadron. Not that it matters much since we're basically not flying anyway. Can't fly at the Guard, can't fly at the airline...shaping up to be a relaxing April of drinking on the porch and watching the world go by. Not a big deal for most, but for those CAT E reservists, watch your points and ensure you don't screw up missing a good year. I've seen it screwed up, especially since a lot of people lose track that a good year is based off the day you entered service, not CY or FY.

Our RCP deployers can't seem to get a straight answer. They've been told everyting from indefinite hold, to a month delay and most recently, certain deployers may be going on time. For some of them, on time is early April.

Although they were under no obligation to offer them, they negotiated to reinstate SILs (55 hour no-fly line) and then said they were going to offer them for May and June. Then the day they were supposed to be posted for bid, they said nevermind, that doesn't work for us right now. Basically, they don't want to upset the other employee groups (non-union) since 13k of them took unpaid leaves...then they offered us over 4,000 personal (unpaid) leaves of absence. So they'll pay me 72 hours to sit reserve and likely not fly since we have 60-90 guys on reserve every day and basically no trips to fly (WB international category) rather than paying me 55 hours. Of course they could be trying to negotiate a lowered line value. In the grand scheme of things it's not a big deal, but it just destroyed what trust the pilot group had left in management. Lots of moderate folks just turned hardline.

...and DAL just took our partial pay leaves off the table and said you can take a personal leave of absence (no pay). Essentially, because it might look bad to the other employee groups. 🙄

One of our part-timers (F-16) was an DOD-employee as an engineer/project manager and surprisingly enough, he had the toughest time with his employer wrt to his MLOA. Of course they legally had to give him time off, but he was trying to do right by both employers. Toward the end of his time he even told the bosses to take his IP status off the letter of X's because he didn't feel he could be an effective IP, with how little time he could devote to the Guard. On the upside, there are LOTs of contract gigs out there that having an engineering background will really help. We have a few guys working contract gigs for F-35 stuff because they're fighter guys with an engineering background. Pretty good side gig/pay, some are still doing as airline guys.

Truth is, the 2 years "consensus" is all bullshit. Not a single person knows how this will all pan out. Even if the virus turns soon, will the traveler confidence return quickly? I'd say continue to log the IP/EP time if able, maybe sign up for various schools (safety, etc...) if you have the change. If it turns quickly and you have the means, then a trip to the regionals wouldn't hurt either...though likely not needed. I think it will be as competitive as it ever was, with you having a slight edge for being military.