What's wrong with the Air Force?

[Buddy Spike]

1 hour ago, HuggyU2 said:

When did USAF fighter/attack quit flying night overheads?

 

I don't think we did them in the b-course and I remember guidance coming out about at least having PAPI or ILS in 2009ish.  

Did them in the Navy in the Hornet all the time.  

[17D_guy]

I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but it's making me want to start on my PPL.

[go_cubbies22]

2 hours ago, Hacker said:

Well, aside from being a former "fighter guy" I also have spent the last 5 years wrangling #300,000 airliners around, so I'd like to think I have a little insight there as well. I took that photo I posted of a poster on the wall of where I work.

Nowhere did I say it wasn't an area where people have and do make airmanship mistakes.

I was making (theoretical) fun of a military branch, who kills people and breaks things in some of the most hazardous-to-life actions and locations in human existence, allowing the force's skills, training, and currency to degrade to a point where something as basic as a visual approach becomes "more challenging" than the mission things.

Copy all.  My post was after a “few” beers so didn’t catch that and called you out instead, my bad. 

Edited November 15, 2020 by go_cubbies22

[HossHarris]

Re: fighters touching down short of the captains bars/glideslope ...

most fighter vol 3’s say to touch down 500-1000’ down the runway. In a 38 you can’t do that unless you’re starting your flare well short in the underrun. 
 

Runway length is almost always a factor, especially with EPs. When a few hundred feet might matter, it’s good to have the practiced ability to land on brick 1. 

[di1630]

When did USAF fighter/attack quit flying night overheads?
 

I did a lot of night overheads and 15 degree night SFO’s were standard when I was on exchange in Europe. As were night form t/o and landings.

I imagine USAF quit in the 80’s or so. Just a guess.

UPT based do night overheads to get pattern reps but the IP flies the pattern and SP gets the jet on final,


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

[Sprkt69]

6 hours ago, di1630 said:

I did a lot of night overheads and 15 degree night SFO’s were standard when I was on exchange in Europe. As were night form t/o and landings.

I imagine USAF quit in the 80’s or so. Just a guess.

UPT based do night overheads to get pattern reps but the IP flies the pattern and SP gets the jet on final,


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Night overheads still alive in some parts of the USAF

[ClearedHot]

On 11/15/2020 at 12:24 PM, HuggyU2 said:

When did USAF fighter/attack quit flying night overheads?

 

Pointy nose Fighter/Attack quit long ago.  Real Attack still does them to this day.

[Guest nsplayr]

1 hour ago, ClearedHot said:

Pointy nose Fighter/Attack quit long ago.  Real Attack still does them to this day.

We do not fly night overheads in the MQ-9, so I’m not quite sure what you’re referencing /sarcasm 😆

[ClearedHot]

1 hour ago, nsplayr said:

We do not fly night overheads in the MQ-9, so I’m not quite sure what you’re referencing /sarcasm 😆

That's because the MQ-9 fleet is not big enough to support that accident rate.

[DFNJ]

Is the night overhead not available at bases? I know at Edwards it's an option.

I take a sadistic pleasure in the look on my wingmen's faces when I brief our RTB gameplan is to come into the break as section or division at night. 

[ClearedHot]

Flying at HRT the Navy pogues from Pcola and Whiting would always trash our pattern, sometimes four or five at a time.  After the three times being told to extend my base while doing two engine training in order to accommodate a T-34, I cleaned up my Gunship and departed VFR to the west.  A few minutes later I checked in with PCola and reported initial Runway 25...it was a fucking bomb burst of white jets trying to get out of the way.  After a low approach I requested closed and the tower was fuming (do they have a SOF?)  I then requested to go tower to tower at Whiting.  They initially cleared me but the tower controller must have called Whiting and told them what I did so they told me they were "saturated and could not accommodate practice patterns." 

I got called up to the OG/CC's office the next morning and he asked what happened...apparently the Navy wasn't too happy.  I told him it was a continuing theme with them dorking up our pattern and how they ruined three consecutive two engine approaches (two engine work was challenging and you had to be low on fuel to get to the training allowed weight so you didn't get a lot of second chances).  He laughed and told me to have a great day.  I didn't see another T-34 in our pattern for two months. 

[Hacker]

4 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

Flying at HRT the Navy pogues from Pcola and Whiting would always trash our pattern, sometimes four or five at a time.  After the three times being told to extend my base while doing two engine training in order to accommodate a T-34, I cleaned up my Gunship and departed VFR to the west.  A few minutes later I checked in with PCola and reported initial Runway 25...it was a fucking bomb burst of white jets trying to get out of the way.  After a low approach I requested closed and the tower was fuming (do they have a SOF?)  I then requested to go tower to tower at Whiting.  They initially cleared me but the tower controller must have called Whiting and told them what I did so they told me they were "saturated and could not accommodate practice patterns." 

I got called up to the OG/CC's office the next morning and he asked what happened...apparently the Navy wasn't too happy.  I told him it was a continuing theme with them dorking up our pattern and how they ruined three consecutive two engine approaches (two engine work was challenging and you had to be low on fuel to get to the training allowed weight so you didn't get a lot of second chances).  He laughed and told me to have a great day.  I didn't see another T-34 in our pattern for two months. 

Awesomeness like this does not belong in the "What's wrong with the Air Force?" thread.

🥃

[bfargin]

21 minutes ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

The only way I'd go back to that part of the world is with a fully nuke loaded B-52/B-1/B-2 but I know a couple of guys who enjoy it over there.

[Homestar]

1 hour ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

The Deid?  What's not to like?  There's a pool, the Better People Center, and steak and shrimp every Friday.

 

[pawnman]

As deployment spots go, AUAB isn't too bad aside from the brutal heat 10 months out of the year.

It's built up, housing is decent, wifi is good, pool, two theaters, large BX, several gyms, decent, if repetitive, food options.

4 six-month deployments between 2009 and 2015.  Plenty of worse places to be deployed.  Can't speak for OPSTEMPO in the command post.

Usually you can get a car for a job like you're describing.  If you're in BPC, you'll have your own room with a shared kitchen and bathroom.  Not too bad.

Edited November 25, 2020 by pawnman

[Chuck17]

8 hours ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

AFPC asked?? ...And...”Is being a commander a good job??” (If you’re getting ready to retire, only YOU can answer if you want to go remote to the desert or go quietly into the sunset...)

What squadron at the Deid are we talking about anyway?

Okay, forgetting the bizarre nature of such questions, yes, Sq/CCs all have vehicles, and all Sq/CCs live in their own dorm room (I had two) with a bathroom, kitchenette, etc., in a Sq/CC dorm - no roommates. 

Also: booze. It helps.

Chuck

Edited November 25, 2020 by Chuck17

[pawnman]

18 minutes ago, Chuck17 said:

AFPC asked?? ...And...”Is being a commander a good job??” (If you’re getting ready to retire, only YOU can answer if you want to go remote to the desert or go quietly into the sunset...)

What squadron at the Deid are we talking about anyway?

Okay, forgetting the bizarre nature of such questions, yes, Sq/CCs all have vehicles, and all Sq/CCs live in their own dorm room (I had two) with a bathroom, kitchenette, etc., in a Sq/CC dorm - no roommates. 

Also: booze. It helps.

Chuck

"Command post".  Not "Commander".  At least, that's how I read it.

[Tonka]

9 hours ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

There is really nothing amazing that can come out of this... You're best outcome is to break even.  I know 4 or 5 guys that have separated at 18 & 19 years because of something like this dropping in them.  Do your job, bring honor to u and the country but there comes a time to start thinking about what is best for you. Retiring is harder than it looks, trying to do it from a location where the majority of people either don't want to be there or don't want you to be there will be impossible to do right.... Trying to put together a resume, do job interviews, setup moves, etc...Just say no.

[ThreeHoler]

Newsflash: MyCS is a troll and wasting everyone’s time. Welcome back Shazam and whatever else you called yourself before.


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

[Chuck17]

8 hours ago, pawnman said:

"Command post".  Not "Commander".  At least, that's how I read it.

Whew okay that makes way more sense. My bad on reading comprehension FAIL.

So far as CP jobs at the Deid: Eww, no. Nice folks there however, always very helpful with a thankless job.

Cheers,
Chuck

Edited November 25, 2020 by Chuck17

[M2]

19 hours ago, MyCS said:

AFPC asked if I would be interested in a command post position at Al Udeid. Is this a good assignment right before you pull chocks for retirement? I plan on marrying my old lady right before the deployment. 

Does this job provide you with wheels to get around? What is the living situation like in regards to sharing room?

[Tonka]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:03 AM, MyCS said:

My functional told me yesterday they just retired a guy from over there. You're the second person who has mentioned this potentially being problematic. Probably best to set a retirement date for 7-8 months after returning back home if that makes any sense. TAPs plus outprocessing about 2-3 months and then my 120 days of terminal leave. 

He/She might be a wonderful person, but in general they're flesh peddlers and they are trying to make you happy about the $hit sandwich you are about to eat.  I would say 7-8 months is a minimum, you have to factor in some extra time for an unforeseen "extension" to your deployment (and then cross streaming an in-processing and out-processing, good luck - the people at MPF are not our best and brightest)...   mainly because of this: no one in the military really cares to help you retire (YMMV). Regardless of what you hear or what other people experienced... in general it is all on you, you really have to become an expert, especially if you have ANY medical issues - those last 12+ months are pure gold while you are on AD to either: get them corrected/improved or get records of the treatment so when your knee blows out at 60 you have the VA to fall back on.  There are 100Ks of separated/retired individuals that didn't take care of themselves the last 12+ months and it has cost them dramatically over their post-military life... many of them had something like this forced on them and they had no choice, you'd be rolling the dice by volunteering for it.

So what benefits are you seeing from this?  Good job, good experience? bank BAH? your last 24 months you really need to start changing your mindset to what is best for you... if you've got a great job and you can land on your feet anywhere then great, otherwise you should have a 36 month plan (24 months before to 12 months after, with back up plans for a pandemic) and I if given the choice I would not want a deployment in the last 12 months if I could help it...

Here is a decent guide for retirement from the ARMY: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Documents/2020 US Army Retirement Planning Guide.pdf 

But again, what is in it for you? I don't see it... a deployment to Germany where I can live high on the hog for 6 months - awesome, count me in.  It would have to be an insane amount of $/other reasons to get me to want to spend another non-flying day in the desert.

[17D_guy]

On 11/26/2020 at 7:48 PM, Tonka said:

 mainly because of this: no one in the military really cares to help you retire (YMMV).

 

Started retirement in Mar during the first wave of shutdown.  Couldn't agree with this statement more.  You do not want to be figuring this shit out, TAP'ing, job hunting and dealing with whatever relationship issues you may/may-not have in the mean time.

[Sua Sponte]

Never take advice on how to get out of the military from those who are still in the military.

[JTsundevil]

Not to hijack away from MyCS. But according to Air Force Mag, retention problems are a thing of the past. Removing bonuses, possible forced cross training, and AD to reserve/guard options. Ringing a bell from the 2013-2014 time frame? Can only hope they know what they’re doing here.

Playing devils advocate, with a surplus of people, what’s the right move for the Air Force? Is there a way to eliminate the ebb and flow we seemingly have at least once a decade?
https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-retention-soars-amid-covid-19-uncertainty/


Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app