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Magellan

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Posts posted by Magellan

    VA Loans

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So I have been in touch with Trident 3 different times.  The first time we ended up not making the discussed purchase working with Marty.  The second time was Spring 2019 for a Jumbo VA loan in an expensive area.  Jon got us a very good rate and the process overall was very smooth.  Then just now we did a refinance for a better rate, and we signed the paperwork on Monday despite the current craziness.

    Competitive Rates √

    Good Customer Service √

    • Like 1

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So the announcement came out on Tuesday. I got the signed paperwork turned in the same day, because my UPT ADSC expired already and I have another ADSC that is 7.5 years long for just starting a PhD program.  So I was all about signing up for free money.  The email said give DFAS 6-8 weeks, but I had the money deposited on Friday.  They withheld 22% FYSA.

    YMMV

    • Thanks 1

    Promotion and PRF Information

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, budderbar said:

    I agree, they jumped too quick to correct a problem with out having the new rules of the game (I assume they are trying to figure it out now).  And at the very least communicate changes with an organized milestone plan allowing personnel to digest the changes.  

      

     

    Really?  Because being a Wg/CCE when you meets your majors board should set you up for life no matter how bad you eff things up after that?

    As opposed to an IP who was busting his butt doing the JOB and teaching guys how to do the JOB, while probably being a flt/cc or shop chief. When both are in the same year group.

    In the old paradigm the WG/CCE is bullet proof and the IP is now a second class citizen behind the power curve because no one was pushing him for anything past promotion to Major.  At least now more guys should have a shot...depending on how this gets managed.

     

    Promotion and PRF Information

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    5 hours ago, HossHarris said:

    The shiny pennies are still getting chosen at the majors board. They just aren't releasing the results to you anymore. There's still a list. Believe it. 

    There is always a list.  And there probably always will be, but when you publish the list for the world to see it triggers problematic behaviors.  Which in turn crush morale right as dudes are getting to the end of their UPT commitments.

    At least now commanders have more control, and it will be easier to scratch a name off or add another name from a late bloomer.  

    That said I will be very curious to see how this plays out at bases like Nellis, Edwards, Eglin, and among the cyber operators where you have a higher percentage of top performers than most wings.  It will either be a boom or bust for them.

    • Upvote 2

    SOS/ACSC information

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    9 hours ago, abmwaldo said:

    I'm finishing Joint Air Operations (ACSC DL 6.0) and I just want to kill the last lesson (exercise) this weekend. IT won't work on my MacBook with Safari. Anyone had any luck getting the .xml to work on a MacOs?

    Check the course discussion board in the lesson.  There is a lot of good advice to be had.  The ILAs and exercises in the last two self paced courses will anger you to no end.

    • Upvote 1

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Maybe if General Chang and his cronies realized the people they are treating like dirt have a skill set that earns them as much as a VP of Human Resources for a major company on the open market and that they can't just change dollar amounts to solve the problem.

    https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/vice-president-human-resources-salary-SRCH_KO0,30.htm

    If the AF tried to compete by seeking to compensate with job satisfaction and Quality/Control of Life they could manage these problems in a few years.

    Until that paradigm shift happens no amount of congress approved money to pay pilots will fix the impending crisis.

    General assignments questions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    FWIW: Every UPT direct to RPA got a spin up course in either the T-1 or T-38 then were sent to the FTU for their follow on aircraft.  For the first few this was close to around the 4 year point getting closer to the 3 year point towards the end.

    Those who chose to stay RPAs went to the RQ-170, WIC, or TPS for the most part.

    The guys I would be worried for are the guys that got AMC assignments out of UPT then quick turned into RPAs.  As far as I know they are stuck because they already had a manned AC assignment regardless of how brief it was.

     

    Drone Pilots: We Don’t Get No Respect

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, Snuggie said:

    The first few of the last round of UPT directs were in the last majors board. The ones I am aware of made it. For the 07 board that is about to be released most of the guys were at least a Aircraft Commander in their manned follow on. But it will be interesting to see how many of them make it and the reasoning for those who are passed over. 

    If your goal is to make O-4, staying in RPAs would be a safe bet. You should be an IP and could have a clearer path at getting into certain programs (Weapons School) than as a 2nd assignment manned guy. But staying in something you hate to make O-4 isn't worth it. 

     

    This is accurate.

    I think you may see SOME 07 guys get kicked in the junk though.  That said the result may have been the same for them had they been AMC guys the whole time.  If so at least they will be set up for the airlines and able to get out sooner than the guys who get promoted.

    Drone Pilots: We Don’t Get No Respect

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, General Chang said:

    This is only the first step.  If we can get more enlisted RPA pilots to take over all non-combat RPA roles, then permanently reclassify all current RPA pilots into the RPA career field, we will no longer need to pull pilots out of cockpits for RPAs.  This would solve rated manning problems faster than any bonus increase (although A1 will continue to pursue that with Congress).  Lots of reasons to be positive, people.

    At what manning level?  I have lived shift work at the 6-7 person per CAP for 2 years with occasional spikes to 8 per CAP(the other two years of ops).  You CANNOT sustain that for a career.

    Oh by the way guys on wing, group, sq, and OSS staff that don't have their hind end in an ops cell, a briefing room or GCS for 6-7 hours a night don't count.

    Until A-1 realizes that support staff are just that, and mans the combat requirement AND the support requirement you will continue to have RPA manning problems because of burn out.

    The best things to EVER happen in the RPA community was when the TAMI guys got sent back to Fighters and the UPT direct guys went to manned aircraft.  I am sure A-1 was pissed as hell at what this did to their spreadsheets, but HOPE that guys could get back to what they signed up to do made life a hell of a lot better for everyone involved.

    Right now though the 11M types on loan to the RPA community are getting screwed and they are pissed.  If you don't send them back to manned aircraft you will see 80% get out as soon as their commitment is up.  And if you stop loss them I would be wearing a bullet proof vest to work every day if I were a sq/cc or higher.

    You can only push people so far before they breakdown and the Air Force is playing a very dangerous game.

    • Upvote 1

    Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP - The Bonus)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    30 minutes ago, General Chang said:

    ...let's discuss facts.

    ... Stuff...

    Finally, a 15- or 20-year ADSC for UPT will have limited effect on the morale of pilots currently in, and the AF will still not have difficulty finding people to sign-up to fly...the novelty of flying never diminishes amongst a population enamored with it.

      ...and pilots moved into the RPA community have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the "community of the future," which can be a huge opportunity to excel.

    Fewer and fewer young people want to be pilots let alone military pilots.  Sorry to break it to you, but Top Gun has run out of gas as a recruiting tool.  And anyone smart enough to fire up Google can read this forum.  So just keep educating them.

    I have been around young people interested in flying, and countless times heard them be told to not fly for the military because, "they are smart enough to make enough money that they can just fly for fun."  Then to have retired military pilots tell them in the same conversation that "it isn't like it used to be."  The best I can do after that is to keep a straight face and say nothing, because they are both telling that kid the truth.  But what do I know I am not an A-1 genius that got us here.

    As far as the RPA stuff goes the Air Force is just jumping from one coat hanger abortion of an idea to the next to try and solve that manning problem.  And right now the AF is paying General Atomics 250,000 - 400,000 a year per pilot to fly RPAs.  Depending on if they deploy or not.

    That is the truth from the real world.  Sorry Chang you may be right about Air Force personnel policy and what the general staff is doing, but that doesn't make you an expert on the rest of the stuff you are spouting off about.

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