TreeA10

I was at Shaw in 94 when Iraq did the double pump fake that began the never ending Southern Watch. We were coming up on a Phase I ORI when this thing started and the wing generated 2 F-16 and 1 A-10 squadron plus an additional 6 or 12 (can't remember the exact number) A-10s that came from McChord and were in flyable storage prior to going to Moody. The two F-16 Squadrons launched, the A-10's did not but 6 Hawgs were transferred to Pope to cover a shortage and those guys launched. We asked Langley to come down and watch but they said it wouldn't work for an eval. WTF??

Not sure about CCIP but, when I was at the plant in Fort Worth, the guy did mention "autostrafe." It only carries about 180 rounds so I guess the computer can shoot them.

I think those are AF-8 and AF-9 which were supposed to go the school house.

SOS is pretty much useless but I do remember this one nugget of wisdom from a three star: "How often do you read information in newspapers or see news reports on television about topics that you are experts and you see the errors in their information? So, why is it that you give any credibility to those same sources when they report on topics that you are unfamiliar with?"

We landed a 737 shortly after the incident on Rwy 10. Their choice (I think made for them by the emergency) of 19 was much better due to winds which were in the neighborhood of 22G30 out of the south, give or take a little. I'm not an Airbus expert but they had no nose gear steering and had they landed on Rwy 10, I think they would have had far more difficulty staying on the runway. TRANSCRIPT OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, PILOT CONVERSATION UA 497: Clear for takeoff runway 19, thank for you very much. UA 497: We need to vector back to the airport, we got a smoke issue with the airplane. N.O. Approach: Turn right 030 (degrees) and maintain 4,000 (feet.) UA 497: 030 4,000. And we'd like the longest runway please. N.O. Approach: There are men and equipment on the runway - they're going to try to get them off now. Descend at pilot's discretion. Maintain 2,000. UA 497: We are declaring an emergency and please roll equipment for our landing please. N.O. Approach: We are unable for (runway) 10, can you take (runway) 19? UA 497: ..no.. N.O. Approach: Roger, we are clearing the runway now. Airport operations: How much time do we have? New Orleans Tower: I'd say they are about 11 miles to the west. Airport operations: Tower, we can start trying to pull them off, but I don't think we will get them all off in time. N.O. Approach: United 497, Say souls on board and fuel remaining. UA 497: 106 souls on board, fuel remaining 32,400 pounds. N.O. Approach: They are still trying to get all the vehicles off the runway and 19 is still available if you like.... New Orleans Tower: ... working as fast as they can (unintelligible) There is a bunch of equipment on there they're tying to get off now. UA 497: You need to clear it for us. New Orleans Tower: I understand, sir. We're getting them off as fast as we can. N.O. Approach: Turn right heading 140, main 2,000 ....cleared ILS runway 10 approach. New Orleans Tower: Can you verify the vehicles are exiting? Airport operations: We are attempting to get the vehicles off right now, I'm removing the cones also. New Orleans Tower: OK, cause I haven't seen any of the vehicles move and the aircraft is ten to the northwest and they have to have runway 100. N.O. Approach: United 497, Turn right heading 180. UA 497: um.... We only have one... um ... (Alarms sounding in background.) N.O. Approach: United 497 say again sir? New Orleans Tower: We need three minutes to get the runway clear. UA 497: (alarms blaring) We've lost all our instruments right now and we're going to need (directions) N.O. Approach: United turn left heading, 20 degrees left N.O. Approach: Just continue left turn, I'll tell you when to stop. UA 497: (unintelligible) What vector are we from the airport? N.O. Approach: Right now sir you are on the 330 degree heading from the airport. Northwest of the airport for runway 19er. If you continue on this present heading you'll set up on the shoreline for 19. UA 497: Shoreline for 19. N.O. Approach: I can set u up there or I can vector you, what'd you need? UA 497: That's fine. N.O. Approach: (unintelligible...)You got the water, right? UA 497: Yeah, we got the water and we're going to stop here about 600 feet. N.O. Approach: Roger that. The airport's currently at your 1 o'clock and five miles. UA 497: 1 o'clock and five miles roger. New Orleans Tower to fire crews: Fox-6, next arrival runway 19er is our aircraft. And the aircraft is approximately 3 miles northwest runway 19er. N.O. Approach: If you start your right turn now I can set you up on final. UA 497: Start turn on final. New Orleans Tower to fire crews: The aircraft is over the shoreline around two miles out. You do have permission to proceed on to the runway after he lands. N.O. Approach: Make a right turn. The airport is off to yoru right side, N.O. Approach: 497, clear to land 19er. You'll be able to make it sir? Winds 180 at 16, gusts to 20, Clear to land. Runway 19er. New Orleans Tower to fire trucks: Fox-5, this is our aircraft touvh ing down bow. New Orleans Tower: Follow the aircraft down the runway. New Orleans Tower: We're going to need runway 10 operational. Runway 19er is fouled at this time. Fox-5: The aircraft is off the runway.

I gave out EQ's rarely. I never heard of any requirement or quota regarding EQ's. If I flew with a guy and the mission went flawless it was a definitely a Q-1. It is what is expected. If the examinee had to overcome weather, mechanical issues, or weapons issues and still flawlessly accomplished the mission where most could have easily given up, we are into EQ territory.

Or you could just wear something with a giant red maple leaf and let everyone think you are Canadian.

You can't change them but you can put a yellow sticky note on the item. Touch the yellow square and your note comes up.

American Airlines is running a test on the 777 right now. I've seen the iPad used and it is pretty slick. Throw in aviation charts, weather, etc. and it is quite handy.

From the way it sounds, the EP thought something wasn't quite right on the checkride and had to review grading criteria to assess the correct grade based on acceptable parameters and/or area to downgrade. The EP told the examinee basically the same thing. Doesn't sound too odd to me.

I can personally attest to the validity of this statement.

Observations as a T-38 IP: 1. Your most important concern is what you are doing next like the next training sortie, the next test. What happens in a year doesn't matter if you don't prepare for tomorrow because you won't be there in a year if you can't get past tomorrow. 2. UPT success is sort of like golf. You are competing against yourself. What your classmates say about how good or bad they are is strictly their opinion and usually wrong. With that being said, UPT survival is a team sport. You will learn a lot by helping others. 3. Your Instructors will work as hard as you do to keep you in the program or extend your ability or knowledge. If you do not give a rats ass, neither will they and you will wither and die on the vine. 4. Have fun. Starting somewhere around Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, you should not be anywhere near a -1 if you can help it.

There are numerous stories about him floating around the airline community. He would stick his head in the cockpit and say something like "Good luck men, we're all counting on you" or "Don't eat the fish."

When I was up there we had what was known as the "3 Layer Rule." Anyplace that you might fly with surface temps below 10 degrees, you were required to have 3 layers. It was polypro or nomex thermals, flight suit, and fat boy pants w/winter jacket or winter flight suit. We also flew with a survival vest and the heaviest ACES II kit in the Air Force. Most guys also packed extra gloves, balaclavas, and a pair of winter gauntlets (those big mittens you see dog mushers wearing) inside pockets or the jacket top. The kit contained more gloves, socks, a vacuum packed sleeping bag good to -40, and all sorts of other winter survival gear. The Arctic survival school was mandatory but you could be up there and flying before you actually get to the school. (I got up there in June and didn't attend the school until February.) The school taught me that you could survive in the cold without too much difficulty albeit it would suck. However, if you broke an arm or leg, you ability to function would make your ability to survive orders of magnitude more difficult.

Not sure if this is the same woman we called the "Chena River Bitch" but there was some woman in that river valley that would complain constantly about us in the A-10s. Not exactly noisy but we were normally cruising at 250-300 feet in her neighborhood. Somehow, the LPA found her address and she became a subscriber to a variety of magazines like Guns and Ammo, Soldier of Forture, and a few others. When the conversion to the F-16, we figured this woman would have a seizure. I guess she is still alive and complaining.

With all the discussion of illegal immigration and the law passed in Arizona, I picked up "Midnight on the Line, The Secret Life of the US-Mexico Border" by Tim Gaynor. It covers a wide gamut of topics. Illegals walking across the border, corruption by US border officials, drug smuggling, tunnels, Border Patrol on horseback, Predator, the Minutemen and terrorists linked to Hezbollah. The scale and scope of the problem is huge. On one end of the spectrum is poor individuals just trying to make a better life for themselves. On the other end is very organized, high tech, smuggling operations complete with advance scouts, decoys, and lots of cash.

Flying into South America, it is not uncommon to get a call from ATC and the usual reaction is the Captain and the FO looking at each other and saying "Did you get any of that?" If the controller speaks heavily accented English at the same candence he speaks Spanish, I usually miss a lot unless I already have a good idea of what the controller is going to say.

Don't do anything dumb, different, or dangerous and employ the K.I.S.S. principle. My personal favorite was a young flight lead who got confused and lost IN HIS BRIEFING. If your tactics/techniques don't work at 0 KIAS and 1 G, those tactics will not survive contact with the enemy/threat/weather. Or a checkride.

With Kuma being one of the few, the proud, the Marines, the amazing part is not his ability to swear. I'd expect nothing less. The amazing part is he is a Marine and that he can read!!! Since when did that happen? Semper Fi and press on, Kuma.

Home Depot instituted a 10% discount for military with ID card, just ask the checkout person.

That would be the weapons control panel for the 11 different hard points on the jet. You also have a couple switches for fuze options, multiple/single options, a couple of rotary swtiches for release interval and number of weapons, and the switch for the AIM-9. The big red button in middle is the selective jettison button vs the "holy shit" jettison button on the glare shield. But that is the old cockpit. The C model has more glass and fewer switches but still retains the "holy shit" button on the glare shield.

Worst biological event I've heard involved an F-16 guy doing a Foreign Military Sales delivery to Israel. They had spent the night in Germany, pushed it up, and enroute to Israel, he had a massive liquid colon explosion with no exposure suit to contain the onslaught. Using charts, gloves, and whatever he could get his hands on, he tried to clean some of the mess up. Approaching Israel, they made radar contact with several fast climbing targets approaching their flight. Israeli F-15s took up formation with them to escort their flight to their destination. After landing, they were marshalled to parking to find a very large greeting committee including guest speakers, band, and other associated dignataries. The jets were parked nose-to-nose as a backdrop for the speaker so this guy did not want to exit his jet and told the crew chief to get the hell away from his jet and remained in the contaminated cockpit for all the speeches and welcoming hoorah. After the crowd left, he finally exited the jet.

It is in the Jepps for AAL. An airliner is a whole different ballgame from an A-10.

The airport at Port Au Prince is already marginal due to a single runway and no parallel taxiway. The additional restriction of "No lower than 8000 feet over the city" due to small arms fire just makes it that much more special. It will be a tough haul for whoever gets the call for lift but the Haitians definitely need all the help they can get.

"Spitfires, Thunderbolts, and Warm Beer" is about an American in WWII who joins up with the RAF and flies with the RAF, then Eagle Squadrons, and then 8th AF.