FlyingBull
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Posts posted by FlyingBull
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Years, really? As in plural? You sat casual for at least 2 years in addition to your CSO training? Was this related to the schoolhouse move, a phenomenon that will not affect students in the near future? Maybe a touch of hyperbole...
I think it is a little hyperbole but not a whole lot. Those of us in the 11 series classes were on casual status for around a year prior to the start of training due to waiting for the school to stand up. This is no longer the case with new students as they're on casual for less than two months now.
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And a couple months of casual at the end is a vain hope. I was PCS'd out in 2 1/2 weeks.
It all depends. Some people leave immediately, others take a few months.
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So North Korea now has 4G service?
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Not concerned about getting an AC-130, been on them for 6 years, wondering if we're getting sharp dudes or shitbags.
Oooh. My bad. In that case it's a mixed bag. Most of the people who have gotten AC's so far are really good dudes.....but a couple are less so. Though that is judging from amount of douche, no idea where they were ranked in their classes.
There's concern in the community that the "Cannon factor" is keeping otherwise sharp guys from putting Gunships down on their dreamsheets. The H-model schoolhouse went 1 for 4 last year on new guys making it through the program. Not sure if it's a factor of an overall drop in CSO quality, or just a drop in quality that's heading our way.It's unfortunate because Cannon or not, crews are still consistently laying waste to the enemy downrange on a regular basis (Example). Dropping tons of ordnance is fun and all, but there's only one place where you can chase Muj down one by one to ensure they don't live to fight another day. You can run...but you'll only die tired.
Most people rate Gunships pretty high up on their dream sheet. Though most people put Hurbie above Cannon obviously.
On another note - interesting that AC-130 would be lumped separate from "strike".
Didn't mean anything by that. Just usually think of F-15E's and bombers when I think of the word strike, and think of Gunships as part of AFSOC. Probably due to brain washing.....there is a large number of WSO instructors around here and not many Gunship guys.
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Where do the guys dropping AC-130s out of PCola typically rank in their class?
Completely depends on the class. Some classes there are a lot of people that want AFSOC, other classes are strike heavy, and my class was a huge mix of everything.
Just do the best you can and hope AFPC is in a good mood. Timing is everything.
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They are constantly tweaking the syllabus and rewriting the training manual. The 'product' produced from one class to the next is likely to be different at least until the 12 series classes start graduating. My understanding is that some of the ass pain/inconsistencies those of us in the 11 series went through is fixed for those in the next fiscal year.
Well that's what we've been told anyhow...
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I just dropped a Talon II EWO slot to Kadena. I've heard the school house is 7 months long at Kirtland, is that a TDY or PCS? Any other training before heading to Japan (other than SERE obviously)?
Thanks
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That's the list with one minor correction, the AC-130H to Cannon is an EWO
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Ugh.
On topic, I thought we were talking about light attack aircraft.
Different missions and platforms.
My apologies, I thought your statement was meant as a general statement and did not realize you were specifically referring to Light Attack.
Disregard previous post, I'm an idiot.
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Face it, trons/cyborgs can do what self loading baggage used to do, from navigating to sensor operation to self defense measures to guiding weapons to you fucking name it.
Then why are there plenty of planes rolling off the assembly lines right now and still being designed that have Nav/EWO/WSOs in them?
All the non-slick J-model Herks have CSO stations (Nav, EWO, and in the new Gunship FCO). Most have multiple.
Navy is still buying plenty of F-18F's and EA-18G's
RC-135s are the most rebuilt/upgraded planes in the inventory and they have both Navs and EWOs
Some countries are even ordering two seat F-16s (and no not for training), including the F-16I.
When Lockheed was designing a new 'regional bomber' based on the YF-23, it had a back seat
ect
There are some applications where a non-pilot crew member is a benefit. Some applications where they would not be. That's why there is a mixed fleet. Yes, some legacy 'back seater' positions can be replaced by automated systems the same way manned aircraft can be replaced by unmanned aircraft or in the case of some of the new UCAVs currently in testing, even the pilot on the ground can be removed from the system. Fuck, an F-18 landed itself on a freaking carrier earlier this month. But there are plenty of circumstances/missions where an unmanned asset is the wrong answer.
As for which application is better with one, two, or zero seats? Way out of my lane. But clearly there are missions/circumstances/applications where two, three, or fourteen is better than one and vice versa.
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Two internal, wing-mounted .50-caliber machine guns: accuracy with no drag.
Uh....how does that not make the Super-T the automatic winner?
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Were any of those RC-135s navs or were they all EWOs? Does anyone know if the guys in that class has U-28s on their dreamsheets? Seen 2 drops and 0 folks getting that and I know for a fact that it's not pipeline related.
Congrats on the drop, pretty legit.
From what I've been told when asking instructors about RC's is that they will decide who becomes an EWO and who becomes a Nav at the FTU. Or atleast that was the plan a couple months ago. Things change a lot around here very quickly. As for U-28s, I've heard two very different rumors. The first says "expect alot of them to drop because there is a huge need" and the second says "school house isn't ready/unsure they want newly winged CSOs". But that's how rumors work I guess. I'm hoping they start dropping soon. It'll be my classes turn in the near future and U-28s are on the top of my list.
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C-130 Little Rock (2)
C-130 Elmendorf
C-130 Cheyenne (Active Duty)
Also two ANG C-130's, don't remember locations
E-3 Tinker
RC-135 Offut (5)
HC-130 Moody
AC-130H Nav Cannon
MC-130W Cannon
MC-130H EWO Mildenhall
F-15E
Pretty sure that's accurate.
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This creates an interesting question regarding Iran and Stuxnet. Most experts seem to agree it was a state-sponsored effort that created it and implanted it in Iranian nuclear equipment. Would this mean that what ever country used it against Iran committed an act of war by our standards?
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That is a brand new policy change (choice of off base). I would definitely go off base, the apartments they are giving to single studs down here are NOT worth the money they charge. Get your friends to rent out a nice house off base for less and you'll probably have a better time here. Mediacom (which blows) is the only cable available on base and few of us are happy with Balfour's customer service skills.
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Did anyone say you're a shitty aviator because you think it's lame for a 2Lt to salute a 1Lt? No, it's just basic customs and courtesies. What kind of topics do you think are discussed in PME (O and E flavor)? I personally think it's lame that I have to salute student pilots and I'm an FTU instructor. I make more in flight pay than they do, I have WAY more hours of flying and years of flying, have more Air Medals and Combat time than they'll ever see in their career, I've been in the AF much longer than they have, etc. But....it's basic customs and courtesies and I do it because it's required and that's just how the hierarchy of how the military is set up.
I think what's also lost with you is the majority of the AF doesn't fly, they are in Security Forces, Maintenance, Logistics, etc. When I was in a MXS years ago out of 500 people, we had 5 Officers. A 2Lt/Flight Commander was a big deal and in charge of a lot of people. So seeing a 2Lt walk by a 1Lt without saluting them, seen by plenty of Enlisted personnel, is a big deal. How can you yell at a SSgt for not saluting you if you in turn think it's lamesauce to salute a 1Lt? Practice what you preach.
Discipline as well as Customs and Courtesies are important. Yes. Of course they are. But so is tradition. Something were severely lacking in as of late (were we ever not?). It is tradition that Lt's don't salute each other, atleast on the flying side of the house. If an Airman asks me why I didn't salute my classmate I'll explain that it is tradition for 2LTs to not salute 1LTs, the exception being if that 1LT is in a leadership position over the 2LT (FAIPs or my ASBC FLT/CC for example).
Now if a 1LT tells me he/she wants me to salute them then of course I will. They outrank me and if they don't want to abide the tradition then thats their business and my job to do as they say. But I have yet to find that 1LT.
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Too much shouldn't be read into the first class' drops. There were only 8 students in it compared to the 'normal' 24 to 27 that will be in following classes.
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Well, guess that dispells the rumor that the Buff was getting a good chunk of the first drops out of PCola. Pretty good drop, though.
The rumint still says that there are lots of Buffs for the remaining FY11 classes. We're told B-1's took priority in the first class due to the FTU timing and that each time the FTU cycles another four will drop. Well thats the rumor anyway...
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Married folks have the option to live on base or off.
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Current housing situation for CSOs is unchanged. If there is room on base, you live on base. If not, then you luck out. For student pilots at Whiting you're under the Navy so it's my understanding they live off base. At least all the student pilots I know at Whiting live off base.
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I tell the same thing to guys who refuse to wear their leather jackets because ABMs have them. Some dudes get overly protective of "their" traditions and get butthurt and want to take their bat and go home whenever someone "undeserving" decides they want to play.
I get why people get annoyed when non-flyers take flying traditions as their own, but ABMs are aircrew. Why wouldn't they get leather jackets? I'm pretty sure Navs, Bombardiers, Gunners, Loads, Booms, ect have all worn them from the begining just like pilots have. Why wouldn't ABMs?
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I stuck my coin in a drawer the day I got "challenged" by an FM shoeclerk with a sh!t-eating grin and a call sign. As the traditon is absorded by those who have no history, I no longer feel the connection. Along these lines, I have my real name on my nametag, don't wear a scarf, don't play crud, and don't go to the "club" (I also don't wear a hat soemtimes, but that's because I'm getting old & leave it laying around somewhere.)
Well you certainly sound like a lot of fun to be around....go take some motrin for those cramps and you might have more fun with your friends.
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Damn...I might actually have to buy an AF Times to see where this goes.
Read it today and the basic story is that a former roommate alerted AF Times about this douche canoe, they couldn't reach said canoe for comment but got his brother who said the fucker has 'mental problems' and was 'less than honorably' discharged in 2008.
Allegedly the guy is now in working in Saudi Arabia....
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I also have flat feet. Never been an issue other than I look kinda funny when I run.
USAF Budget Cuts
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by FlyingBull
The Super Committee has until Thanksgiving to submit its proposal to Congress. If it doesn't find atleast $1.2 Trillion in savings/revenue then automatic cuts totaling $1.2 Trillion, 50% from defense and 50% from entitlements, would then go into effect immediately.