VMFA187

Biden wins. Trump has/will win GA, NC, and PA. He must then win either MI or WI and will win neither. The plus side is I think this buys more for Conservatives in the long term like the article someone posted here (I think.) Fortunately Conservatives maintain control of the Senate which means Biden/Kamala can't really accomplish much of their leftist agenda. But in two and four years there will be a big swing back right from what is arguably already center, which shows how biased the MSM is.

I can't watch the video because I'm on NIPR but being given a TOT and nailing it is different than trying to guess when a performer is going to take the stage, how long she'll protract portions of the song, etc... There are variables that the pilots have no control over.

That's exactly what BFM is. Putting yourself in the precise piece of sky at a specific time in relation to another aircraft in order to employ weapon(s). TOT's are easy.

Have them both run together.

The average young fighter dude in a Marine Hornet squadron from '13-'16 got about 100hrs a year. Some fewer. We had multiple fatalities in that period due to poor maintenance and resulting lack of training in the community. Yes, sequestration cost the lives of aviators. Nice personal attack that has come to be the standard from someone who apparently espouses beliefs like yourself.

That's not due to healthcare costs, its due to personal choice. I'll be for universal healthcare when everyone has to take a fitness test and do a body comp test.

Still capped at $1m?

Fair enough, I didn't even join the military until they were considered a threat aircraft so it was just a thought.

Go on SIPR and watch a piss-poor engagement from our pre-eminent A/A fighter against a Russian 4th gen fighter. It's embarrassing. So perhaps you're expecting too much from an IFF level training student.

Refinancing from a VA loan to a conventional allows you to open up your VA loan for another purchase with zero down. Refinancing into another VA makes sense if you get a good rate reduction.

Hornets don't always land on the boat. Most Marine Hornets are expeditionary (land based). My first two-ship flight in the Hornet my lead asks me about 5 min prior to landing - "Hey dude, want to do a section landing?" "Sure" I answer. We land and he walks up to me and says not to say anything to anyone because it's not authorized unless its briefed. They're not difficult - Fly parade, maintain your side of the runway, lead keeps the power up for a few seconds. That's a shame. I understand why - Its a massive investment. We started cutting CQ for poorly performing students or passing them to land-based squadrons only if they failed CQ when I was a Hornet FRS/FTU IP. It also use to weed a lot of the poor performers out before the fleet had to start spending so many extra sorties training "qualified" wingmen. Shame it hasn't been so in a while. Probably has something to do with the fact that only about 80 or so of our F-35s will be C variants as well. I wonder if that'll effect numbers of Marines signing up to be aviation contracts hoping to be fighter guys. I remember sitting down during my T-45 CQ indoc and being told, "This is it, you each have passed Weapons Phase, ACM, etc... And you can be the best at dropping bombs or shooting down another airplane, but if you can't land on the boat you're just another Air Force guy." 😆 Regarding the Tomcat, I'd venture a guess because with their wings spread they might be too wide to do a section landing on typical fighter bases like Miramar, Oceana, etc...?

Formation landings are still taught in the F-18 FRS/FTU. You must also demonstrate the ability to fly them as lead during one or two of your 2-Flug sorties. Good thing because I've used it a handful of times due to maintenance issues with weather. Plus they look cool af.

I like a balanced approach and it depends on what I'm using the property for but I'll always go with a 30 year for flexibility if something comes up. I have a lower priced investment property that brings in about $2500/mo with a $900/mo mortgage. I'm putting all that extra income towards the principal payment so that I can enjoy that full income as soon as possible while not having a second mortgage. For my big upcoming purchase that we'll live in for a very long time, I'll make the minimum payments over the course of 30 years and let inflation whittle that down a bit.

Jon, Thanks for a hassle-free refinance on my investment property in SC so I could open up my VA loan when I move to CA. Quick question, when I apply for a new loan this summer will they take into account the actual required payment of $980/mo for my investment property or will they consider the fact that I pay an extra $1,000/mo for a $1,980/mo total when it comes to my debt-income ratio for figuring out the amount that is acceptable for my loan?

There is nowhere near the level of SA and understanding that a bomber pilot/crew has, especially regarding air threats, when conducting any type of large force, deep strike scenario that requires fighter escort when compared to their fighter brethren. I’m sorry if that hurts, but it’s the truth. I witness it every day. And there is nothing particularly difficult with releasing smart weapons, particularly the GPS-guided variety.

Sorry, I'm a Marine so my maths are bad. I just went to Mortgage X's calculator and put in the following... 1) 20 Year Loan, $350,000, 4.0%. Monthly Payment was $2,120. Total interest paid in 20 years was $159,000. 2) 30 Year Loan, $350,000, 4.0%. Monthly payment was $1,670. Added a $450 principal payment every month to make it the same as a 20 year loan. Total interest paid in 20 years was $159,000. And the loan was paid off on the same date as the 20 year loan. What am I missing? https://mortgage-x.com/calculators/extra_payments.asp

Sure, just add additional principal payments each month. That’s essentially what I’ve done with each of my 30 year VA loans - Turned one into 15 and the other into a 20.

Haha, I've been yelled at in a debrief... a simulator debrief! I never forgot to check the Master Arm in the hot position when I called "in" after that though.

I hope we're able to significantly ramp up 120 production at a moment's notice.

That is nowhere near accurate. The USMC has been spinning retention and readiness numbers for years. I personally know two Hornet dudes staying in.

I may have a difficult time fighting my jet and managing a 4-ship of these things. Can I get her to be my WSO to drive these around?

Filling the skies with additional "targets" may provide some benefit. Ever hear "Nine groups" and think "F###"...?

Agreed. While I can think of one situation in which the B model might provide some advantage - Being able to stage an aircraft with hi-capes from countless ships (targets), that potentiality is certainly not worth the cost in diminished capes to the A and C model. We could, and would have been just fine with a mix of A and Cs, if we even needed them at all. Truth be told, Superhornets were the answer to our problem.

Be thankful you're not having to deal with Aspect Angle vs Target Aspect and Sections/Divisions vs 2/4-ships. Congrats on the transfer. A number of my buddies have and are in the process of crossing over.

You don't need them operating in that environment. But it would be nice to have a fighter with the kinematics of an Eagle, with significantly upgraded capes in nearly every area, with the ability to carry more than twice the A-A loadout of any current fighter we're fielding.