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sputnik

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Posts posted by sputnik

    C-17 lands short at Dover

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Why do I need a systems expert? In a decade of flying, I never had a problem I couldn't figure out with a copilot and a loadmaster and the crap-ton of pubs on board. If I did, I could have always used one of the 9 million radios to call Boeing. But I never did.

    Look, you have an opinion. Which is fine. It's unsupported by facts. And anyone on this forum. And every major aircraft manufacturer. And every airline.

    But hang in there man, the rest of the world is wrong.

    • Upvote 5

    C-17 lands short at Dover

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Having an FE would reduce the mishap rate. And you for one have to admit that. In the C-17 community having the FE would increase the CRM on the airplane. The FE would have just like on the Herk the overhead panel, and everything on the console behind the throttles. Read all the checklists, be the EP expert, walk around/preflight, and be the technical expert on the airplane. This relieves the Pilot from being the jack of all trades as he or she currently is and can go back to just flying. Full attention to maintaining postive control of the airplane and SA would increase crew wise three or more fold. They invisioned this when they placed the extra pilot on but sad to say this increased the tunnel vision IMHO. The FE is not in the pilot union and is a seperate enity. This in itself relieves the "tunnel scope" in the CRM.

    Find a C17 mishap where a systems issue was causal--where an "EP expert" would have made a difference. All there is behind the throttle is the clown nose and an ICS panel, whoever sits there is welcome to them--pilot, load or FCC. The systems are all automated (and in front of the throttles), if they fail they tell you. There isn't anything for an FE to do except preflight the plane (which I wouldn't mind truthfully). With the duty days they throw at us, there's always an extra copilot to do that. I've never had a load who wasn't smart enough to knock out their part either.

    So basically, your argument is that we should add a non-pilot crew position, whose sole in flight role would be to supervise pilots as they do pilot stuff.

    And that would prevent mishaps.

    Makes sense.

    Not going to UPT...will I get kicked out?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Eh, done a little digging but still no definitive answer. From what I've found out, if you SIE you are opening yourself up for huge trouble. Apparently the way it's looked at, you are failing to complete a contract of your own free will (i.e. you quit), it was something completely within your control. I've heard rumblings that if washed out for academics, it can be regarded similarly, not sure about that one yet.

    Isn't this why they stood up the powered flight program and bought a bunch of new planes, to help reduce washouts?

    No.

    You can make a good argument that it should be used that way, but it isn't. PFP is an entirely optional program. If you're smart, you can look at it as a risk-free preview of PFP, similar plane similar program, no consequences.

    Short tour info

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Regardless, if I can get my STRD to be sometime this year...could that be beneficial to me to avoid other shitty deals and possible iTDYs, etc in the future? I would imagine that most of my peers do not have a short tour as well, and so once we become Majors in 2 or 3 years, we will be looked at for all these random deployments and the guys with the most recent STRD will be the winners, correct?

    Yes having a short tour in the bank is good money. Especially if you're prior E, or get passed over.

    Don't confuse deployments with 365s. Having a recent short tour return date has nothing to do with you getting picked up for a good deal 179. But it will save you from a short tour (not many for 17 drivers in my day) or a 365 (seem to be growing all the time).

    Peterson AFB/Colorado Springs info

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The north parts are all fine (also incredibly boring). Wouldn't live up here if single unless you have some surburbia fetish or are really concerned about school district for resale. There are smaller/older (20ish years) houses that I think you could safely call fixer uppers.

    Dist 20 is great. More importantly everyone thinks it's great and it's highly rated. I think the cut line is Dublin, if you've been looking at maps. Dist 11 has a somewhat crappy rep, all that means is you have to look at individual schools. I know people who teach in 11 schools and like it fine, and I know quite a few folks whose kids go to 11 schools they are quite happy with. Still, 9 out of 10 people moving here won't look at anything south of dist 20. Something to think about.

    Downtown is nice, and there are some awesome older houses near there. Everything around Colorado College is pretty nice. Good stuff on west side of 25, got a friend with family off Pikes Peak over there that loves it. As you get close to Broadmoor also very cool. As a single guy, finding something within walking distance of downtown would be pretty awesome.

    I think you'll get a pretty good feel once you drive around. The South side is a lot older, more urban. Like any urban area it changes rapidly as you move around, couple nice blocks, couple not so nice blocks, repeat. Crime in town (that hits the news) is pretty much down south. Which doesn't mean you'll get shot.

    Old Colorado City is also worth considering. Manitou Springs is pretty cool, but I think the amount of tourists might drive me insane.

    I'm blathering, just saying I wouldn't sweat living south, especially if you're looking for an urban experience.

    Badass of the Week

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    Charles Durning. 3 purple hearts. Did his part.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/12/25/charles-durning-dies-actor/1790203/

    "He was among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners."

    • Upvote 2

    The dry island of Japan

    in Squadron Bar

    Posted

    Keep perspective. This has happened before in the past (imagine rolling an airlift crew into shoppette after landing and finding chains and padlocks on the beer doors--takes AC skills to prevent E mutiny). And it passed. So to will this. Just keep a cool head, and keep those around you cool, and it'll pass into a beer drinking story.

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