JimNtexas

In ancient times a good friend who was an F-4 pilot got a letter of commendation from the PACAF/CC after he landed without a front canopy. He was commended because when ask what happened to his canopy answered “I intended to lower the flaps but for some reason I opened the canopy instead”.

”I better not catch you looking at the damn sky NAV!” OK, just shut up and drive me to work. Point the jet where I tell you to, follow the bars, and mash that pickle button when I say so. We'll get along just fine. 😎

the radar

I have 950 hours in the F-4 pit, mostly E and G. That was hard physical work, but I liked the G a whole lot because its EW system was 30 years ahead of its time.

MJ says she is running because her opponent is a poopoo head. Which is sorta true, but she won’t admit she has stood in a brace in front of Nancy Pelosi’s desk promising to work night and day to raise taxes, open the borders, and above all stop at nothing to destroy that bad Orange Man by any means necessary.

I can tell you the FAA will be very reluctant to give you even a third class medical unless you can show a solid year of CPAP machine logs showing you use it all night pretty much every night.

If you read the T-X system specification you will see that this list is almost identical to the required capabilities of the now Boeing T-X. I suspect the USAF hopes that by equipping both trainers with these advanced simulation features that they can reduce the time from a student pilot walking in off the street to becoming MR in his end weapons system. https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=646b86a7bd46af87a7fc69de9ed306fc

"No rules stopping you from dating a SNCO's daughter home from college" Of course not. When MSG Karl Malden's daughter dated LTC Efrem Zimbalist Jr's daughter there was no problem, even though LTC Zimbalist was MSG Malden's commander. President set! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombers_B-52

What is the path from Bergstrom to a weapons system for these new pilots? https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/1593411/flying-training-reimagined-as-first-ptn-class-graduates/

Rote memory is a pilot trainee’s most useful mental skill. Simple mental arithmetic is helpful. The actual tech is high school level. A gender studies major with a good memory and otherwise not an idiot will do just fine in training.

MJ is running TV ads that are just lists of her USAF assignments. Not a word on how she might vote in Congress.

In my congressional district in central Texas we have a former USAF Helicopter pilot named MJ Hagar running against my Congressman, John Carter. MJ had been shot down in combat, rides a motorcycle, and graduated from University of Texas AFROTC det 825, which was my det also. I didn't meet her in AFROTC because I had been in the Air Force two years when she was born. John Carter is kind of a douche, and I'd love to go out and knock on doors for MJ. The problem is that MJ is running as Democrat and favors open borders, gun grabbing, impeachment and is very sympathetic to socialism. This breaks my heart that such a good person is so misguided.

That report was a heart breaker.

https://theaviationist.com/2018/08/04/viral-fog-landing-video-likely-shows-uks-special-blue-thunder-dauphin-helicopter-at-work/

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/b-52-bomber-assists-in-search-of-missing-canoe-off-guam/

The KAUS training program is operating daily out of a trailer on the end of the Charlie row of Signature T-hangers, where my flying club has three airplanes. It looks like they fly four airplanes weekday mornings at 10am, and some number of afternoon sorties. I think they do academics in the large Army Guard facility across the street.

I have no idea what the modern USAF does, but my last assignment in 1992-1994 was as ALO at Fort Hood. I was an EF-111 EWO. If enlisted guys who have never sat in a cockpit can do just fine controlling CAS, there's no reason a nav can't. I volunteered because this was my last assignment before retiring and I wanted my kids to be able spend all four years in the same high school in Austin. I commuted 50 miles each way every day. The only physical requirement back then was the ability to fog a mirror. It wasn't a happy end to an otherwise fun career.

LM Airbus A320X add-on for Lockheed Martin’s pro-level Prepar3D installs a possible Spyware component: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2018/02/21/flight-simulator-comes-bundled-with-password-stealing-stowaway/

The drone shot down by an IAF helicopter looks like a copy of the RQ-170.

I entered active duty in November, 1974. The draft was just winding down. The USAF never drafted anybody, but both the officer and enlisted groups were full of people who joined only to avoid the draft. You don't want to go back to the draft! These 'avoiders' didn't want to be there, most hated the service, and most did the minimum required to get by. Insubordination was rampant, and nothing could be done about it. It was bad in the Air Force, and I'm sure it was much worse in the Army. The military isn't some kind of reform school or social experiment. Baring some existential threat to the CONUS the last thing the military needs is a bunch of draftees!!!!!

You guys may not fully appreciate this until you have grandchildren.

There are two movies, both on Netflix Now, that concern fictional USAF drone crews. They are Good Kill and Eye In The Sky . I'm long retired and never had anything to do with drone operations. Real drone crews and also current USAF members. If you saw either or both of these, what did you think about them?

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I was in what was then called the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron. I heard variations of the ground staff hanging from the rafters story, but never heard anyone say anything about the Wing getting the ZZ tail code because of cowardice. The prevailing story was ZZ symbolized Kadena as being the end of the world. Unlike the 67th 'Fighting C0cks' Disney designed patch, the 18th Wing patch really did look like a surrendering chicken. Maybe there is something to the legend.

Quick question from a long retired guy. When I was on active duty the promotion board looked at your official photograph. Every time a senior officer who had been on a promotion would talk about what they considered important, they would go on and on about how important that photo was to them. Don't look angry, but don't smile like an idiot. Be sure your ribbons are all there and they are not crooked. NO MUSTACHE! HAIRCUT HAIRCUT HAIRCUT. Don't have a double chin. Shortly after I retired in 1994 they took the photos out of the promotion jackets. Given the USAF tendency to download the bombs and upload the torpedos I was wondering, do current promotion boards look at your official picture?