Bigred

Anecdotally, it seems to me more fixed wing guys ball it up during the admin phase, and more rotary wing guys ball it up in the terminal/tactical phase. I don't recall the last time I heard of a pointy nose type not pulling out on dive delivery, but I have heard of plenty planting it short of the runway. Conversely, I have friends no longer with us who have drove straight into the dirt trying to infil or use guns down low. I'm not saying one is better or worse than the other, but in my memory that's what stands out.

Most aircraft in Naval aviation are that way. Required equipment mostly mirrors the FAR/AIM for flight conditions your going into, the rest of the equipment is up to the discretion of the AC. In 14 years in the Navy, after signing for the aircraft, I never asked my boss for permission/waiver to fly for something broken. It was always a discussion between me and maintenance on what the broken part meant to the aircraft, but the final call was up to me.

The irony is I want to fly like that and it’s like pulling teeth to get on the schedule more. 🤷‍♂️

Danner makes a helluva comfortable boot that is really similar to the Nike.

So, I’m active, not AGR, but hopefully this helps. Did you actually submit an application for the bonus through the MyPers website (does ARPC do it that way?) I ask because I transferred from the Navy in Aug19 and immediately asked AFPC about the bonus. Due to admin stuff associated with my transfer, the lady running the program couldn’t get me paperwork to sign until Oct 19,!well after the cutoff date. Since I had applied online before the cutoff date, I was allowed to remain on the FY19 program even though I didn’t have an approved application until after the due date.

Obviously the Army has it figured out since they teach only helo flying with no previous fixed wing time, but I think learning how to fly planes first helped me be a better helo pilot. Plus, considering how few helo pilots there are in the AF (in the grand scheme) it seems better suited to getting a quality spread of pilots into the aircraft.

The AF is doing this? Damn that’s a bad idea. Are the helo guys just gonna sign a contract with the AF to go straight helos and not worry about class drops, etc?

I’ve known guys who got their medical degree when they were 50. You can’t start out as a military pilot much older than early 30s. My advice, pursue the flying.

Looks like line numbers are popping into MyPers now.

Unless I'm missing it, the CY20B board isn't showing on the increments yet? Copy on the line number, I'll ask my CC!

Not that anyone will be pinning on anytime soon until the Senate confirms, but how long till we find out our line numbers? Off my date of rank I'm pretty senior but I'm curious how this much this merit based reorder will affect that.

I’m deployed and my home unit commander called me on Wednesday afternoon to let me know.

Call it a win; #3/9, P, "one more DP to give", and IDE in-correspondence complete

Calls are going out.

Buddy of mine was flying the Navy helo that picked up the F-35 pilot. The dude walked to the helo from his parachute and was freaking out because he thought there was no way the C-130 could've kept flying. Incredible work by the aircrew to get this thing on the ground. *Edit* ATC audio as well. Around the 2:30 mark, the C-130 pilot sounds surprisingly calm for having just lost two of his four propellers. https://www.liveatc.net/recordings.php

Ah, I clicked on the link and the picture was fixed. The original picture was of a KC-135 cockpit and the tag line was something like "B-52 crew prepares for a flight".

Edited as the picture was fixed!

Don’t the OSBs only say IDE/SDE complete now? No mention of in residence or correspondence. Not sure about masters degrees since those are masked till O-6 anyways.

Ever send an email to finance or comm and your issue get fixed right away? Compare that to going into said office and standing there in front of the person’s desk till it’s fixed? Virtual is good but it can’t replace the impact of face to face.

When I still flew helos the squadron I was in made it a point to get sister services mishap reports, to include the privileged info. Sometimes the other safety offices would initially balk but we would always end up getting the full reports.

Probably wait till week of 28 Sep at the earliest to avoid any overshadowing with the SSgt release next week.

Interesting, I just get one lump payment for all of it.

Can't speak for the Army, but in the Navy it was virtually unheard of to promote BTZ. About 10 years ago there was ~5 guys that did select BTZ to O-4 and they all struggled and most failed to make the subsequent rank. I think there was 1 dude last year that was BTZ to O-4, so it's rare. Making O-4 is the goal simply to be able to retire, the Navy has for years let O-4s get to 20. For comparison, last year the Navy promoted ITZ at about 70% to O-4 and about 60% to O-5. My understanding of the merit based reordering is that the decision on who goes where was made at the board. If Generals are bickering now about who goes where that's just absurd. Not saying it's not happening, it just defeats the intent of the FY-18 NDAA that authorized it. *Edit to add that my info is for pilots.

The annoying part, if it is the reordering that’s delaying it, is that other services have already implemented the process without any issues like this.

And have an MC rate in the single digits. That’s a Navy Osprey, affectionately known as a plopter. Not sure if their availability rate is better than ours. The Navy ‘plans’ to use it as a COD replacement but I have a strong feeling it’s going to end up doing a helluva lot more than just ass and trash back and forth from the boat.