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AZwildcat

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Posts posted by AZwildcat

  1. On 11/22/2017 at 7:19 PM, SocialD said:

    My understanding is that our spare iPad will be assigned to each jet and kept at the ops desk.  1COs will ensure they're charged and kept up to date an handed out at step.  I could be off on that, my discussion with OGV was a few drinks in before a roll call.  

    Yeah I think that makes the most sense and that's what units are going to do.  ACC's guidance is they will be individually issued to aircrew for "security" reasons, but the way i see it you get issued a spare at the ops desk, it's yours for an hour, then you turn it back in.  Simple.

    21 hours ago, stract said:

    Not true.  ADS-B out is coming to the F-16, SPO has been working if for a while.  

    Get this...T-38A is getting ADS-B out by way of a new IFF system.  Integral part of ADS-B out is the jet knowing where it is, so there will a GPS receiver installed in the nose.  What does it do for you?  Nothing.  Raytheon proprietary, can't tap into it, won't tell you where you are, can't use it for navigation...because it wasn't in the contract. But hey you'll have ADS-B out so everyone except you will know where you are.  Fantastic.

    21 hours ago, stract said:

    That decision is above my pay grade.  But, adding links to a PDF is definitely polishing a turd.  USAF needs to throw $$ at developing better ways for aircrew to interact with their checklist in parallel so that the day paper dies we're ready with a suitable replacement.

    Yeah but that won't happen.  A polished turd is better than a turd at this point.  Randolph developed a pretty good model for an integrated checklist/in-flight guide PDF with touch buttons to navigate around.  Pay a civilian to update it for you every time a change comes out, easy enough.  That said, paper checklists aren't going to die nearly as soon as FLIP. 

    9 hours ago, Smokin said:

    It would be easy to put checklists or approach plates in the CDU for the Viper as a PDF, but the problem is the interface.  Since it's not a touch screen and you scroll down through pages via buttons on the side, there's no way to skip down 50 pages to get to a critical checklist I need right now.  A software change might be able to make approach plates user friendly on the CDU, but I just don't see digging through the CDU with an EP looking for a checklist.

    The U-2 has an EFA for the pilot's checklists built in to the avionics processor.  Looks like the instruction manual for the Oregon Trail video game.  Probably worse actually.  It's a human factors dumpster fire. To get to the next page you press the "up" rocker button and not the "down" rocker button...why?  Because engineers built it and in their minds, you go up in page number so that should be the up button.  I guess no one asked a pilot.  

     

  2. 3 minutes ago, stract said:

    ACC bought 9,000 ipad minis, to issue two per pilot.  I know the F-16 checklists are now EFB-friendly, but still waiting on the SPO to issue the safe to fly MFR to ACC.  That should happen before the end of the year.  The 1067 mentioned that NGA a as planning to stop producing paper FLIP in the FY19 timeframe.  So if your community isn't paperless yet, it'll be forced that way before long.  Better to be prepared than keep heads in the sand.

    Getting a bunch of knuckle dragging aviators to update one iPad is hard enough, let alone two.  I understand the need for redundancy in case one overheats but makes way more sense to check out a spare from the ops desk.  I still don't understand why the SPO has to approve iPads unless it's actually plugging in to the jet.  ACC had a nice thing going with the Acronis app for pubs, but that's been shut down due to "security concerns" from what I understand.  There's too many cooks in the kitchen on this, and it's only going to get worse as they try to make a one size fits all solution.

  3. 9 hours ago, TheJuice said:

    AMC and AFSOC were taking the first steps toward a professional solution getting Jepp FD Pro and Ops Data for their aircrew in 2015.  Then they dropped it last month in the interest that the AERO app was "good enough".  They took one step forward toward an integrated EFB solution that integrates not just worldwide dynamic digital charts and performance data but the ability to customize it and add our secure content, to going back to a static .pdf e-reader. 

    Aero App sucks...and NGA wonders why ForeFlight is far and away their number one app on the NGA app store.  DOD just needs to pay ForeFlight to make a Mil version of their app and put in all the features we want.

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  4. ForeFlight already has Jepp integration for approach plates and other Jepp products.  You have to work with Jepp to get your subscription synced up to ForeFlight, not sure on costs but we're actually going that way soon, so I can find out.  Our unit paid for ForeFlight accounts.  ForeFlight is authorized in ACC but the unit has to foot the bill. NGA cheaped out and dumped the free subscriptions, although you can still go through the NGA app store to get it.

  5. http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/17/politics/navy-aircrew-obscene-skywriting/index.html

    Navy "Air Boss" Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker issued a sharp rebuke of the crew's actions and emphasized the service's commitment to "foster an environment of dignity and respect." .... "Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today," Shoemaker said in a written statement. ...."The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable," a statement from the Navy air station said.

    How do you say that with a straight face?

    Picasso...Rembrandt...Van Gough...Sky Dong.  That's one for the ages.  You win this round Navy.

    • Like 1
  6. Good stuff, thanks.

    Yeah the bro-level iPads are nice for all those reasons, it's useful in and out of the cockpit.  The amount of restriction and micro-management on EFBs is crazy.  No-one locks up the paper flip at night.  It's on me to make sure I have what I need for the flight.  No guarantees that someone didn't rip out all the approach plates out of the book to some airport for his GA flying.  The distrust of electronics is just endemic of the older generation, and those are the people in leadership roles that have to be convinced.  

  7. 1 hour ago, HuggyU2 said:

    AZWildcat,

    For solo flight, will they not allow you to just carry bare-bones paper pubs for backup?

    It's basically all or nothing.  So to clarify we have our bro-level home grown iPads that we're currently flying with in a "PGU" role but those don't eliminate paper.  In order to eliminate paper we have to fly with iPads that are configured via ACC's server (and completely locked down) per the ACC FCIF.  We might be able to do a waiver request to just carry 1 of the ACC iPads and use our local Beale iPads as a backup.

  8. So ACC recently stood up it's own EFB program.  Just slightly late to the party I suppose.  I wanted to revive the discussion and see what other units are up to these days, especially other CAF folks who are starting to fly with iPads.  Here's some questions to throw out in no particular order:

    - iPad issuing:  Is anyone issuing out iPads at the step desk before flight?  They were starting to do that in AETC last I saw.  When you're flying solo in a fighter/trainer/U-2/etc,  ACC is requiring us to carry two iPads for redundancy.  Hauling around two iPads that are locked down to the point of just barely being useful seems like a pain, issuing them from the ops desk before flight, or at least a spare seems more reasonable.

    - Charging/mounting solutions:  In the T-38 I've started flying with a battery back in my kneeboard so I can keep it charged on cross country flights.  Any air frames successfully get a power supply installed in the jet?  We've looked at building adapters to plug into the map light, but no fielded solutions yet.  Same story on mounting solutions.  I think most fighter types are going to be relegated to using it as a kneeboard, due to limited cockpit space, but accessories like the Stratus GPS receiver really deserve they're own integrated mounting solution.  We've been using the suction cup mounts that come with the Stratus but they fall off all the time and don't do well pulling Gs.  Hell even Velcro to the glareshield would be better.

    - Mobile Device Management / IT support:  Anyone have IT support to help them out or is it all bro-level additional duties assigned to the one guy in your unit who likes to nerd out?  I've seen mostly the latter.  We're trying to get a contractor/GS position to help out on that front.

    - Classified Use:  Anyone out there successfully using iPads in classified roles?  I imagine AFSOC guys have some experience with this.  The goal is to have moving map functionality as well as e-reader function.  What about ForeFlight?  Seems like it would be possible to use it in a standalone device but you'd just need a way to side load the licensing info to the app.  FF already has a feature to side load all the nav data and pubs.  Also, I've heard about ATAK tablets being used in flight but I think that's an Android platform.

     

  9. 10 hours ago, gearpig said:

    If an IP is lecturing you on the airlines, remember it's not about you. It's about him trying to rationalize why he's there and many of his peers are not.

     

    This.

    Just realize the Air Force owns you for 10 years following pilot training.  Big Blue can't even figure out what they're doing with personnel 10 months from now.  Lecturing UPT studs about the evils of separating and going to the airlines is ridiculous.  Just smile and nod and carry on with life, it's not your problem right now.  You're just a captive audience for others to hear themselves talk to.  Focus on the flying and enjoy, you're the future of the service.

  10. 17 minutes ago, ThreeHoler said:

    Too bad he lifted a lot of that letter from a bad ass Marine who died defending his Harriers at Bastion.

    http://www.grandforks.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/763766/leadership-lessons-commanders-guidance-marine-aviation-style/

    Doesn't necessarily make it any less meaningful.  The message is good and a breath of fresh air from the usual BS.  Huggy's right, it's a great time for the community, lot's of good things happening now and in the near future.

  11. 16 hours ago, DEVIL said:

    Get back to work dude...Backseat night landings have just the right amount of "fuckit" involved for my taste.

    You're mom said the same thing last night...

    I should get back to work...these 5 hour days are grueling!

    • Upvote 1
  12. 17 hours ago, GKinnear said:

     


    What was it's t/o weight? Even a C-17 can climb when it's empty/light. Just saying...

    Sent from my SM-N920T using Baseops Network Forums mobile app
     

     

    Good question, plus I don't know if that video was initial T/O or a touch and go or what the weight was.  By comparison, a T-38C with the PMP mod only puts out about 6.6K lbs of thrust in full AB at sea level.  (A model is slightly less, about 5.8K lbs).  If you've ever tried to do a respectable AB climb in the 38 it takes a long ass time to accelerate, even light weight.  Anyway, I'm assuming the T-X is going to have a better thrust to weight, which will be nice.  It sure as sh*t won't be worse.  T-38 is about .65, and by comparison, the interwebs says the T-50 is .95.

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