Check out this article from Air Force times. Apparently this particular FAIP thinks hand flying ability no longer matters since the T-1 students are going on to fly autopilot aircraft anyway. I am 69% certain we have a Wing Exec here....I feel bad for her poor students.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130513/NEWS/305130012/Vance-AFB-pilot-instructors-take-pride-job

A few of my favorite excerpts are below:

During transition, the first phase of T-1 training, instructors look for “good hands,” or pure flying ability.

“After that we don’t,” she said. “We know the people we’re sending on, they’re going to go to aircraft where they’re going to fly with the autopilot on. You don’t need the best hands to be the best Air Force pilot."

Don't ever talk to the media. Ever.

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by Ram

Well, she does have a point.

I never considered good hands a requirement to be able to drop the gear, find the right airport, or make it past the threshold, maybe I was wrong. Perhaps this is the root of the problems.

When she was a student pilot, Bosch wanted to fly the C-17. Now after meeting C-17 pilots who return as instructors, she has changed her mind.

“It’s a busy lifestyle,” she said. “I’ve been busy here, and I don’t really want that again.”

Now her top choice is the KC-135 tanker.

Yeah, because we all know -135s don't go anywhere or do anything that results in a "busy lifestyle".

edit: fix quote, better pic

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by JarheadBoom

"After that we don't," she said. "We know the people we're sending on, they're going to go to aircraft where they're going to fly with the autopilot on. You don't need the best hands to be the best Air Force pilot."

I would expand this to say that you don't even have to even be "good" at flying to do very well career wise in the Air Force - in fact it hardly matters at all as long as you jump through the right hoops!

Hence ~80% of the frustration on BO.net

I'll bet that Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski could show 1st Lt. Michelle Bosch what "good hands" can do!

I'll bet that Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski could show 1st Lt. Michelle Bosch what "good hands" can do!

Hey-O!

**Rimshot

Though it is indignant for the peanut gallery to hear such utterance from booger eating FAIPs and however easy it is to discredit their perspective due to lack of exposure (not their fault mind you), the jist of the argument is about right. I have met plenty of mediocre hands, some outright scary, I've had to seeing-eye help/rescue in the jet who have cleaner FEFs than mine. Being good on test day doesn't mean you're good.

It's lowest common denominator fellas. Hands don't really mean shit past a nominal threshold of performance. Which is why FEFs and OPRs aren't reflective of an aviator's net daily skillset. In Blue's defense, the job is designed for all of us to be carbon copies of each other, just like the airlines, so individual differences in mechanical aptitude for flying don't mean one iota nor are recognized or awarded, outside a few niche special flying programs that require overt demonstration of above-average ability in order to get in.

As to the rest of the article. Man, those two sound beat down, especially the T-1 chick. Talk about soul-crushing sour grapes. Somebody send these two a "3 rules of life" postcard with rule #1 highlighted in neon yellow. So, other people undeservingly get better deals than you...Um, welcome to Life?? Could be worse, she could be on a RC box watching her nail polish dry (is that comment degrading to women? lol). The power of perspective...

I'm not a pilot, but do you think this guy could have saved a plane without serious hand-flying skills?

When she was a student pilot, Bosch wanted to fly the C-17. Now after meeting C-17 pilots who return as instructors, she has changed her mind.

“It’s a busy lifestyle,” she said. “I’ve been busy here, and I don’t really want that again.”

LOL

I blame their leadership. Who lets an Lt talk to the media unsupervised? Isn't PA's primary job to prevent this sort of public buffoonery?

When she was a student pilot, Bosch wanted to fly the C-17. Now after meeting C-17 pilots who return as instructors, she has changed her mind.

“It’s a busy lifestyle,” she said. “I’ve been busy here, and I don’t really want that again.”

Well, I guess all that flying gets in the way of her attending CGOC meetings, working on her masters, and planning this years Xmas party.

As a FAIP, I feel it's one thing to bitch to your bros about stuff like this, but to have it put in AF Times is a little much. Sounds like a lot of public whining to me. Also, hand flying isn't important? Last time I checked, the auto pilot doesn't takeoff, land or AR in my jet. Hell, half the time it loses 300' in a turn.

Somebody send these two a "3 rules of life" postcard with rule #1 highlighted in neon yellow. So, other people undeservingly get better deals than you...Um, welcome to Life?? Could be worse, she could be on a RC box watching her nail polish dry (is that comment degrading to women? lol). The power of perspective...

I thought the 3 rules of life were:

1) Never trust a fart.

2) Never waste a boner.

3) Never miss an opportunity to shut the ###### up.

what are they on this postcard?

Hope she enjoys her first double track w/the autopilot inop.

Or hell, first sortie downrange with the autopilot inop. Hello 10 hours of hand flying.

I thought the 3 rules of life were:

1) Never trust a fart.

2) Never waste a boner.

3) Never miss an opportunity to shut the ###### up.

what are they on this postcard?

1. Life is not fair.

2. Timing is Everything.

3. There is no Justice.

Chuck

"You see them as your little prodigies and your children. You want to foster them into being really good pilots. After I’m done with them they are going to get their wings. It’s our job to make sure they’re ready for that responsibility. Getting them there is kind of a cool thing.”

WTF?!?

Being chosen a FAIP is something of an honor....

as a former student of hers, I'll say she was a very hard working FAIP and a scheduler, long after the other FAIPs had turned on the beer light she would still be working hard to get the schedule sorted out. She did such a great job we only flew one weekend the entire phase 3, where other flights were sending out 2-3 sorties a weekend. She was also a good instructor.

As for treating studs like children....red headed step children is more accurate. Generally a nice person but had the USAFA, female something to prove attitude.

1. Life is not fair.

2. Timing is Everything.

3. There is no Justice.

Chuck

Thanks. This^^^^

Please send her to the C-130 when she's done being a FAIP so she can please demonstrate to me how to use the autopilot to fly a tac arrival to the assault zone. I don't think anyone has figured that out yet.

as a former student of hers, I'll say she was a very hard working FAIP and a scheduler, long after the other FAIPs had turned on the beer light she would still be working hard to get the schedule sorted out. She did such a great job we only flew one weekend the entire phase 3, where other flights were sending out 2-3 sorties a weekend. She was also a good instructor.

As for treating studs like children....red headed step children is more accurate. Generally a nice person but had the USAFA, female something to prove attitude.

Great at queep, shitty hands. Gonna be a superstar.

Great at queep, shitty hands. Gonna be a superstar.

To be fair, scheds isn't queep.

I only flew with her a handful of times but she was a good pilot and instructor.

Also I wasn't aware going on a XC a weekend a month to nice places and partying it up was so bad and was considered being gone a lot.