WheelsOff
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Posts posted by WheelsOff
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9 hours ago, di1630 said:
American was rumored to be in the process of doing that.Would definitely be a game changer, but the unions will never allow something like this.
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2 hours ago, Prozac said:
Or don’t & be the guy who raises his hand at the union new hire dinner & asks why he should have to join the union. Then watch everyone at the table look at you like you just kicked their dog. Up to you.
Like the SA of a brand new LT on day 1 of UPT. Lol. Willing to say at what airline was this?
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10 hours ago, Pooter said:
But from what I understand Gen Willis in his infinite wisdom took personal issue with the proposed syllabus not having originated from AETC, so it didn't go anywhere.
The “Doc Foglesong” of this modern era…glad this lunatic has finally left.
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2 hours ago, NoFlyZone said:
(gold bars here on casual and Lt Col's teaching me in my courses).
Problem is, neither of these groups know what they’re talking about. LTs are as dumb as a container of rocks, and Lt Cols are far too removed from these types of programs to know any better either (especially if they’re teaching at the zoo).
Go find the Capts out there who can give you the real scoop.
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9 hours ago, ATIS said:
I’m just a back-of-the-ready-room Navy guy here (and Scooters eye-rolling CAOC evil twin), but I find this a little odd that they are discussing cuts to USAF enlisted SOF-centric pay…while at the same time putting the honey-pot out for folks coming out of AFROTC and USAFA to join the SOF-centric community 🤔
ATIS
Lol. Welcome to the Air Force.
Where “stupid is as stupid does” are words we live and die (and promote) by.
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34 minutes ago, archer said:
Hello, long time lurker here, and I'd love to pick your guys' brains if you have a second. My background is a fighter test guy with approximately 1300 hours TT approaching my commitment in about a year. Almost all of my hours are single-seat, PIC. I got IDE this year, but am leaning towards turning that down and going part time guard/reserve (most likely non-flying) and transitioning to the airlines. The task of actually making the majors, though, sounds hard, as I don't have an ATP.
1) Should I just pony up 20k over the next year to blow through the 150-200 hours I need to hit 1500? That would get me my ATP mins, which is basically the only thing that I don't have for the majors. I don't know of many airlines that do a military conversion other than FedEx, and it doesn't seem like I have the personal recs to make that a high Pk thing.
2) Should I consider the regionals? This seems like such a step backwards, but it would get me my hours I guess
3) Should I just try to stay active duty and fly for another year? Test guys don't get as many hours as they should, and my family is tired of living out in the desert
I've got 7 days to make a decision to stay in the AF or turn down school, and I'd love to hear what your thoughts are.
Seems like option 2 is your best bet. Maybe try one of the AA wholly owned regionals since they pay as much or more than the legacies right now anyways.
5 minutes ago, tac airlifter said:…your COA2…
Hopefully the airlines will beat that vernacular out of you 🤣
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When getting my type rating, our FAA examiner told us from his experience something to the effect of “all it takes is one big furlough to derail an otherwise good career progression at your airline”. YMMV, but that comment stuck with me.
Sounds like Huggy/TreeA10 would agree to varying degrees based on their experiences.
And I’m not insinuating that there’s gonna be a big furlough upcoming at any of the legacies…like most here I have a lot of friends at all of them, and for everyone’s sake I certainly hope each company can weather any storms they may have on the horizon.
Of the 3 things listed in priority order (living in domicile, seniority progression, job security), I used to rank the companies I applied to in that exact order also. In the end I actually ended up turning down a job with an airline in domicile with great progression in favor of a different company that’s historically been a LOT more stable (but is still gonna have great seniority progression), even though I’m now gonna be a forever commuter. As they say, won’t know if that was the best choice until I retire. Unfortunately for 95% of us there isn’t an airline that perfectly checks all the squares in our order of preference.
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How about that new contract at the AA WOs that signed this week…pretty substantial pay increase for a regional bubba, even though it’s apparently only good for the next 2 years.
Some seem to be of the opinion that it’s a brilliant chess move by AA management—trying to stem the bleeding of its regional pilots to other carriers, while simultaneously hedging the bet that if they file BK in the next 2 years it’ll void the contract anyways.
Others seem to focus more on the “rising tide raises all boats” theory.
Not an expert, so am curious to hear what some of the airline folks on here think about it. Have a CJO with them and plan to live in one of their domiciles so obviously I’m watching this situation pretty close. Could either be a brilliant move, or could be the catalyst that causes its regional side of the business to eventually implode if they file BK. Either way, seems like a bold (er, risky?) move.
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54 minutes ago, LookieRookie said:
This is the same gate keeping that says only 11Fs can teach T-6/T-38 line abreast formation (read tactical).
Granted a lot of non-11Fs (and even some 11Fs) suck at it initially, but it’s a skill that be gained/instructed.
Agreed, very valid point. Didn’t mean for that previous comment to sound elitist. I just find it insulting that leadership would resort to an idea like this when we all know this is just a big middle finger to the rest of us.
I guess the crux of my original comment was rooted in the fact that a 23-24 year old CFI who’s given 50 hrs instruction in a -172 ain’t gonna know anything but instruments/basic contact skills. But as the old saying goes, “give me enough time and I can teach a monkey to fly this thing”. I’m just honestly surprised they set the bar for entry so low in terms of quals. The learning curve at PIT will be quite dramatic for the less-experienced hires.
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32 minutes ago, LookieRookie said:
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/1204222/phillip-a-stewart/
Yea he’s retiring and this guy is taking command in a month or so.
‘Bout damn time!
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2 hours ago, LJDRVR said:
I would like to point out that this isn't unprecedented. Who do you think taught Deke Slayton, Gabby Gabreski, Bob Hoover and tens of thousands of USAAC pilots to fly?
Notice anything different about the IP in the middle's uniform?
I see the point you’re making (and I agree with you); however it’s also worth noting that the glaring difference between then and now is we aren’t throwing all hands on deck for a world war.
Make no mistake, this current idea is rooted in leadership’s failure at even attempting to retain talent.
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On 6/8/2022 at 9:54 AM, nunya said:
I’m not sure it will. 50 hours of instruction is more than a FAIP has when they’re “hired.”
As much as we want to think mil aviation is special, it’s simply not at the T-6 level. It’s a Hershey bar wing with easy stall characteristics, forgiving landings, and no mission. As long as these CAIPs stay in their lane and teach stalls, falls, and landings and leave the Blue-ing to the MAF and CAF bros, they’ll be an asset.
The airlines use instructors that have never flown an airliner. Certainly isn’t the same as a line pilot teaching you, but as long as they stay in their lane and teach the books, a wise student learns from them, too.Sorry, late response…last part of my original comment was aimed more at the brains behind this idea.
That said, I agree with your point of them staying within the lanes of what they know—which frankly is probably only instrument flying and maybe some basic contact, as others have stated. Outside of that—they’ll lack a certain level of credibility among students, even if they happen to be a real good bro/dudette and it is just T-6s (for now). Not faulting these proposed CAIPs as a person/instructor; the military flight instruction game is just at a different level. Or at least it used to be anyways, lol.
And this is not a knock on civilian instructors; I’ve had some great ones when I got my PPL many years ago. But the military training environment (and culture) is different for a reason.
As many of us who’ve been around a minute know, once the AF changes the order of business, it’s often too difficult to change it back after a certain amount of time. If the AF is willing to go down the path of eventually contracting out all of its undergraduate flying training, what else will leadership compromise on in the future? This is the real issue, that can’t go unaddressed.
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On 6/6/2022 at 10:59 PM, LookieRookie said:
yes per the 19 af/cc commander these are flying billets
So a prereq of 50 hrs of instruction given (presumably in something akin to a Cessna). Really threw in the towel on this one. When is this turd finally gonna get flushed?
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1 hour ago, di1630 said:
I was hired as a TR into a “retired reservist” position by a unit but a 2-star general who doesn’t believe the unit should be hiring retirement eligible pilots killed the package.19AF/cc by chance? Wouldn’t surprise me if so.
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2 hours ago, nunya said:
Why are you moving the wife and kids when they call? Maybe you want to move eventually, but changing airline jobs doesn't mandate a move right away and maybe not ever.
Long story. Generally speaking though, what you’re saying is true.
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@brabusYa I’ve seen quite a few iterations of that story with the bros here as well. I have 6 internal recs with the company I’m still waiting on. Talked with their recruiters one on one at 2 job fairs now. Other than whipping it out on the table, I’ve done everything I can to get them to look at me. It will happen eventually I think, just kinda hard to make a solid plan on “what ifs” and then move the wife/kids on a short timeline if/when they call, especially in this current housing market.
Otherwise, we’ll find a way to try and stay put and see what shakes out. I’m happy with the CJO I have already, so it’s really a first world problem I’m bitching about here.
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28 minutes ago, brabus said:
Are you updating your apps weekly? You should be if you’re not.
Daily.
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1 hour ago, Prozac said:
I have a couple friends in a similar situation. I think the issue is a terminal date that’s still several months out. While I have seen CJOs go out up to 6 months in advance at my airline, that seems to be the exception vs the rule. Unless you’re getting TBNT letters, assume no news is good news, keep updating your apps, check your spam folder & answer the phone when it rings. 😎
All checks. The one legacy I have a CJO with called me 10 months out…crazy. I’d have just thought that inside 4 month out, in this environment, I would have maybe heard from a few more… Either way, I’ll gladly go with the one I have, if nothing else materializes!
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4 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:
Still... I'm seeing some really experienced and quality military pilots not getting called.
Yet seeing new hire classes with a lot of pilots under the age of 26.
That’s the boat I’m currently in. Received a CJO from one legacy 3 months ago now. I’m 4 months from starting terminal. Clean record, competitive app, etc.
Yes, I have had them reviewed professionally last fall before I hit submit, and more recently by the bros. All of us are scratching our heads as to why nobody else has called yet.
And no, I’ve never called anyone’s momma fat, so don’t think I’ve pissed anyone off…
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6 minutes ago, SocialD said:
The one, the only.
Dude is a grade A narcissist. Heard he is retiring this summer. “His” Air Force will be better off without him moving forward…
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8 hours ago, SocialD said:
Sounds likes the 2-Star that recently told a group of pilots at Luke the quoted text below (2nd hand info). I think this dude has put his finger right on the issue at hand, expect retention numbers to turn around any day now lol.
If you looking in the mirror and say, I'm a fighter pilot first and love being in the bar, then the Guard and Reserve are for you. If you say, I'm an officer first and love serving my country, then there's a place for you in my Air Force...
Wouldn’t be Gen Wills himself, would it? He said the same thing to a group of IPs at a UPT base this last week.
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10 hours ago, dream big said:
It wasn’t till I became an evaluator in AMC did I realize how common it is for OGs to be in the Sq CC and DO’s chili with things like evaluations and upgrades. Constantly overriding the Sq CC’s decisions on things like Q3s and discipline.
And some Wg/CCs too. Just ask the boys at the 89th… 👀
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Downgrades don’t matter but are very common in the MAF. Didn’t see a whole lot of them in AETC but they still existed. Not sure about other communities. But when it comes to Q-3s, the MAF is by far the worst. Commanders at all levels in many of its MWS’s have weaponized Stan/Eval. Seems to be their go-to punishment of choice; has been for years.
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49 minutes ago, GearDown said:
Dang. Sorry to hear that. It really makes no sense to me. AF doesn’t realize that plenty of folks see situations like this happen and decide to just cut ties completely and not continue in any capacity after Active Duty.
Somehow them taking the risk of you separating completely and not staying in the Reserves for the next 9 years is worth having you on the books in your Sq for the next 5.5 months?
Exactly my point.
The new airline thread
in Squadron Bar
Posted
True, but what will the civilian background dudes think? I’d bet there’d be a mutiny since they wouldn’t have been afforded the same hiring “privileges” in this scenario.