sputnik

Preds

Allow me to point out--you married exceedingly well

Wait, I'm old, what's a trunk monkey? A nav or a window licker? I've seen the commercials and they're great but the monkeys, while subserviant, always seemed a bit bad ass. Which is something the majority of navs and window lickers I've known (small sample set) haven't been. Another question, I don't ride subways much, but I've never been on one that didn't have a driver, where are there unmanned subways? Nearest thing I've seen are airport trams, which are on a one way round trip track, felt fine about it. Subways/trains, wouldn't feel so good about. Pawn--you start with a conclusion, then find arguments to meet it. With costs specifically I'll bring up minor example of block 30 Global Hawk vs U2. I think it's pretty obvious the U2 ain't cheap to operate. And yet even those in the AF/DoD who backed GH as a replacement admitted publically that GH couldn't compete cost-wise. I find the UAV-UAS-RPV-RPA-WTF line of renaming things as annoying as everyone else, but I think the point was correct that there's still a pilot in the loop. The fact that the pilot isn't in the cockpit doesn't change any of the cost requirements you listed. Pilot error, you paint with a broad brush there. What was the error related to? Quite often it's failure to recover/maintain control when an automated system failed. Others have already pointed out that no one tracks when a pilot recoverd a plane after automation failed. In your "pilot error" numbers fwhich you neither quote nor cite references for, have you corrected for automation failures? While the media often simplifies mishaps to "pilot error" if you delve into safety stats it's usually listed as "human error," which encompasses a lot more people than the pilot left holding the bag. Mx, engineers, programmers. None of those errors will be mitigated by taking the pilot out of the cockpit. 9-11--That doesn't even make sense. The problem was they took control of an aircraft. Cutting throats was [horrible] details. Taking pilots off the aircraft doesn't mean someone unfriendly can't take control of it. All it means is that hijackers don't have to commit suicide during the act. Iran and the UAV they swiped should put your mind at ease. You have an amazing faith in automation--must have had crazy luck with computers in your life. I won't get into my two decade love affair with Microsoft but my glass jet has crapped out midway over Atlantic on a moonless night in the middle of nowhere. It autorestarted, but everything pre-programmed had dumped. I've had to force restart my nifty iphone too. In both cases without a human there to restart/reprogram/stick actuate till the automation came back it was useless. I actually do believe unmanned systems are the future. The open questions are, unmanned for what missions and how far away is "the future?" Take a look at Fedex, the profits they make, what they pay their crews, and the aircraft they fly. They'll go unmanned when it makes sense profit-wise. Tell me when that will be. They still pay pilots pretty good coin to sit sideways as flight engineers. Probably gunna happen. Ain't gunna be tomorrow.

Don't get overly excited about your discovery flights. By all means do them but keep in mind, flying a 172 around the pattern has about as much to do with employing an A-10/C-17/whatever as, well, it sounds like. You may fly once, hork your lungs out and have a miserable time. Doesn't mean you wouldn't grow to like it once you got past airsickness. You may love solo flying a bug smasher day-VFR but loathe flying heavy metal at night, crappy weather on the other side of the planet with a crew. I work with several guys whose total flight experience is a few rides in a bug smasher. From that they have extrapolated a whole lot of theories of military flight that have zero basis in reality. A little knowledge ain't always a good thing. I also happen to work with a lot of developmental engineers. Have you talked with any? The life/career of an AF engineer has absolutely nothing in common with the lifestyle of any form of military flying ('some' crossover in test world). Lemme give you two quick but major differences, you will work more with civilians than military and your AFSC is non-deployable. Also, hope you like Dayton. They work on really cool stuff but are not necessarily doing cutting edge research. Realize that engineers are part of the acquistions world, you're buying stuff contractors built. This is not an attack on the engineer career field, guys I know are all good dudes and enjoy what they do. But you owe it to yourself to talk to some. The negatives you've read here have nothing to do with that world. Well...ok, they still have to wear blues and do CBTs but they only way they'll see Al Udied is on tv. As for retirement, it's probably a safe bet you're right. My guess--as worthless as the rest--is that they'll keep the retirement but cut COLA. They can say you still get the retirement even as it becomes worthless. Regardless, don't sell your soul for the retirement, stay in because you like it.

Slight variation: Those who can, do Those who can't do, teach Those who can't teach, teach PE Those who can't teach PE, teach PME

I don't understand the story. The crew got hammered then the DO yelled at everyone?

Good read, thanks for the recommendation. Gotta say though....your squadron parties don't sound like much fun. Any other books you'd recommend? An old commander lent me some years back that I liked. But I can't remember what any of them were.

I left PACAF in 10, but the policy then was you had to take a course every three years and they paid for it (and scheduled it on a work day)

Uh, not to absolve A-10 dudes of talking smack, but I've never really noticed them bragging so much about air to air (shooting watches).

Any info I have is way of date, but why let that stop me? For your temp billeting, most of us found VHA a complete mystery. Finance/housing wasn't real great at clearing said mystery up. I finally figured it out when I called the Outrigger and asked for someone to help me with a military move, in about 2 min they completely explained all aspects of VHA and gave me a list of my options. Even if you don't stay with them--and they seem to own half+ the hotels on island--it's worth talking to them for the clear interpretation of military policy that the military can't give you. As for housing, Hawaii is weird but AHRN was how we found our housing. Was way better than everything else--by a long shot. When I moved you had to visit the housing folks--I think they were at Shafter--before you signed a lease. They had to walk a fine legal line but if you were nice you could usually figure out their body language-interpretation of the leasing company you were dealing with. Have fun, Hawaii is awesome.

U2 bubbas, At one point or another I think I've read every book written on the U2. Now I feel like reading some more--any particular recommendations as to "best" books on the deuce?

Yeah, but 29000 is a lot. We had a lot of guys lose palm pilots and laptops doing high alt airdrop (25 ish). Screens would fracture. There was actually an issue with the aircraft laptops overheating. That was pre ipad/kindle/etc. U2 drivers? Come to think of it, seem to recall guys mentioned reading books, how do you turn the page with those gloves?

Htf do you evade anything but a platoon of blind hikers when you're wandering around in a giant bright orange spacesuit? Different question, do you guys use e-readers when you're doing the less exciting parts of the mission? I was wondering if kindle/ipad/nook can survive at those PAs. I'm guessing not but got curious.

From their website: I'm a Navy/Marine/Coast Guard pilot and I want to pursue an Inter-service Transfer (IST) to the USAF to fly the U-2. How do I proceed? First, you need to call the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC; the equivalent of the Navy's BUPERS). They will tell you if you are eligible for an IST. For this, contact Mr. Clarence “CJ” Smith, via email at AFPC.Recall.ops@Randolph.af.mil; Subj: U-2 Applicant (your last name): They do not control U-2 assignments; they look purely at whether you meet the USAF's criteria for an IST. After you talk to AFPC, call us at DSN 368-4447.

What the hell kind of boots are you getting? I know flight suit costs are getting stupid, but those must be some hella boots.

What's the threshold rule?

Thursday? Or have we made some much progres that they've moved man love up two days?

Not 100% sure what you meant but keep in mind those injured folks receive care free at the VA, not through Tricare.

Make enough posts to PM me and I'll send you an email poc

Let's not forget his class-filled reaction to Scott Crossfield's death in '06 "Yeager says he's "sure sorry to hear" about Crossfield's death. But the first man to break the sound barrier says "complacency" seems to have led to the accident. Yeager says Crossfield often flew in bad weather and sometimes "exceeded his capability and got in trouble."" http://www.wistv.com/global/Story.asp?s=4800081

I know the square root of f all about GA, but I won't let that stop me. One of my neighbors owns a quarter share in a 172. The other three guys never fly it, so it's basically his airplane, I think he paid $10k for his share. The bad side is that because the other three don't fly it, they tend to go cheap on annuals, etc. He does what he legally can himself (I'm not 100% sure his defination of legal matches the FAA) and they defer the nice to have stuff. Short version, he gets access to plane whenever he wants for gas and quarter share of [a dubiously performed] annual. He's pretty happy, sounds like a good deal. Course I'd never get in the thing, but he seems happy with it. Generally speaking, I'm very dubious of shared ownership, hell I won't join a HOA, a condo seems like facism (or communism?) but it seems like its worked ok for him.

Been reading some stories about it since it's now past 1 Oct, what I see says 10k per year (vs month cited above), which I could care a less about as I'm covered either way. What I'm not sure of, hwo many months of the 36 does it actually take away from what I give my kids? A month or two I could care a less about, a year's worth.... I realize it's been in place a week, but anyone pressed to test on this? I wanna get signed up with Higher Power.

I hope the flying unit has a good Homer Simpson patch. Cause that's all I think of when I hear it. No wonder I want to fly it.

I realize it's a sweet platform and I assume it's an important mission, but the flying.....I'm guessing ain't very exciting is it? Far as the the MC12, the only buds I had it were in the first wave of volunteers. I'm guessing things have evolved but neither of them found it particularly interesting and neither were remotely interested in going back. It sounds like maybe the crew is getting more fun stuff to do?

So, given a choice would you do this or the MC12?