DirtyFlightSuit

Sorry to break it to you but Gen Nowland does not get it, he proved that a few weeks ago at Randolph during his retention briefing.

How about the HAF/A3 acting amazed that is was neigh impossible to wash out UPT students because wing/CC keep sending them back? Or that he thinks allowing a washout T-38 student go into T-1's. Without getting into a T-38/T-1 what is harder pissing match, I've seen some of the best (sarcasm) that Shepard has to offer in T-38 track to heavy students, and I'm sure they would have struggled there as well. Overall when at UPT it was apparent that leadership was more concerned with pure pilot production numbers than maintaining any kind of "quality" product, while paying lip service to holding the bar high. The same at PIT for that matter, more PIT students showing up with questionable FEF and even more questionable ability being pushed on the UPT bases. But it is okay wing leadership still thinks that we can increase production and not reduce quality some how. Though to be honest our quality issue right now is not due to work load, but quality of inbound students and inability to wash them out. Hopefully this gets us back on track... The point being that big blue doesn't trust its own instructors to call a shit product (UPT or PIT Student) what it is and wash it out. Or more likely its not a trust issue but a don't give two shits issue since bean counters would throw a fit if their numbers are upset any further.

Automated cars (note I don't say driverless) are a much simpler solution than aviation. Car has engine problem it can pull over and brake or coast to a stop safely, don't have that luxury with aircraft, also the types of issues that occur (blown tire, engine trouble, etc) are FAR simpler to deal with then the insane possibilities in aircraft. Any how we've gotten way off topic, I vote this thread should be tuned into "What's right with the Air Force" it would be far simpler and shorter of a thread possibly empty.

Until we get some serious AI (not the b.s that is currently being passed off as AI) with problem solving capabilities I don't see dual cockpits going any where. Single pilot Airlines are a non starter due to the Lufthansa/German Wings issue, and any automation that cannot deal with complicated multiple system failure / conflicting information is going to fail even with reliability rates as high as we have seen them(Allegiant aka Single Engine Airline?). I also don't see the military going that direction to the extreme because so long as it has any kind of "remote" piece within its operation it will be hackable / jammed and rendered inop.

I think the largest threat here is the general attitude of our up and coming service members. The majority of my students now have already started planning on their exit from the Air Force, to include FAIPs looking to bail at the earliest opportunity. I try (in vain) to explain to them while its great to keep their options open it won't help them much getting so Jaded with so much ADSC remaining to serve. It was not a whole lot better at UPT with students already choosing assignments based on how attractive it would make them for Airline jobs later in life, while not a bad thing to think about it was a much higher focus than I've ever seen. General cynicism will reign supreme and even good leaders/commanders are going to face a unenviable position. HAF/A3 seems to think our goal in life should be to want to be a flying squadron commander, and while maybe at one time I thought that would be cool, the way it is now it sounds about as inviting as a dick punch.

Napoleon I think you give the 3 star to much credit with his ignorance. If he has allowed himself to be that ignorant of our issues then he is a poster child to what is wrong with our leadership. Prior to the meeting I was warned that he was going in there guns blazing completely off tilt on what our actual gripes and concerns were. His 20+ Min introduction boiled down to: "We need you guys, so please stay because you know were at war dropping these exploding thingies called bombs every day, and please pretty please trust us we will take care of you, but really we are so engaged around the world and know we are over taxed but you know war so be patriotic and shit suck it up and sign the damned bonus." Followed by the room throwing every possible pitch fork and torch at him. He didn't even have any one in the room taking notes on our concerns, and only when he heard a few specific items he would possibly make an effect on did he steal some paper from some one to write any thing down. His closing statement you could tell was made ignoring every thing he just heard and went back to the please god stay in the Air Force because really our 28 initiatives are crap, we are "Working" and "talking" about these fixes but really nothing is going to change but maybe if I plead enough you will be dumb enough to stay in. Just my two cents... I think most every one came out of there more negative than going in. I know I did.