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Info on Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS/UAV/RPA)


Guest Matt Daniel

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You volunteered for whatever the Air Force has in store for you. But they will start reaping what they sow in the next few years.

I'm actually thinking of volunteering for global hawks. (christmas leave canx so i could deploy... again. Sort of inspired me to get out of the tanker.) Any word on thier ops? Looking for days working/off, mission length ect...

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The ultimate catch-22... In order to meet the board to return to fly, you must first volunteer to stay in RPAs forever? WTF??? I call BS on that one. I can see the headlines now: "RPA morale soars, 100% volunteer to stay in the community... and they all are accepted."

I guess you missed the "or" portion between requirement 1 and requirement 2. And they are already claiming high retention rate for the past two years (the transition from 8yr to 10 yr commitments).

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You volunteered for whatever the Air Force has in store for you. But they will start reaping what they sow in the next few years.

I'm actually thinking of volunteering for global hawks. (christmas leave canx so i could deploy... again. Sort of inspired me to get out of the tanker.) Any word on thier ops? Looking for days working/off, mission length ect...

Global hawks dudes have to deploy too and are getting tagged with MC-12 deployments. A buddy of mine at beale isn't very happy. I'd ask for a T-6 or T-1 if I were you.

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This discussion might be worth a new thread.

"Stop loss: What is the AF going to do about pilot retention in 2012?"

You forget... All services are going to downsize by 10% per year in 2010, 2011, and 2012, per SECDEF. A 30% cut means that pilots who get out don't have to get RIF'd. We'll take our lumps, our bend-overs, and our bad assignments and like it. Oh, and we'd better get a 90 on the PT test too.

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You forget... All services are going to downsize by 10% per year in 2010, 2011, and 2012, per SECDEF. A 30% cut means that pilots who get out don't have to get RIF'd. We'll take our lumps, our bend-overs, and our bad assignments and like it. Oh, and we'd better get a 90 on the PT test too.

I haven't heard of any pilots being asked to leave yet. If that's not the case please let me know how I can separate and get out of my ADSC.

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I haven't heard of any pilots being asked to leave yet. If that's not the case please let me know how I can separate and get out of my ADSC.

Fail your PT test right before your OPR is due. Get referral OPR. Fail PT test again 90 days later. CC recommends separation. Out the door you go!

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You forget... All services are going to downsize by 10% per year in 2010, 2011, and 2012, per SECDEF. A 30% cut means that pilots who get out don't have to get RIF'd. We'll take our lumps, our bend-overs, and our bad assignments and like it. Oh, and we'd better get a 90 on the PT test too.

I'm almost positive this is incorrect. The SECDEF did institute a policy of reducing CONTRACTOR manning by 10%/year, particularly in the area of Studies and Analysis bodies supporting all those highly important study efforts the Services do to determine what the best way of procuring toothbrushes in the 2020-timeframe will be. There was no announcement I know of from his office here in the beltway of cutting one single military body. The remaining announcements (like eliminating JFCOM) would cut structure (organizations) but the manpower positions would be transferred, not eliminated.

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Rumor has it that in the 11-03 drop the RPA's will be going to whiteman. Finally standing up the new squadron there? Heard that they have been planning on starting up the new squadron there and eventually ellsworth. Anybody have any more details about this?

edit: the RPA'(s) to whiteman were on the drop list.

Edited by Craftsman
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Anybody have any more details about this?

It will be MQ-1s. They are standing up their cadre in the next month; some good people are going to be out there. Las Vegas might not be for everybody, so if you want something different that isn't Clovis, you could go live in Warrensburg or Sedalia.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looking for some help.

Been searching/reading forever but can't find the post a while back linking to some new ISR capes our UAVs are getting/fielding. For the life of me I can't remember the callsign of said program to search for as well. Post had something along the lines of 'this is a freaking cool callsign' and someone else posting a link to an overview slide - 1 UAV with multiple cameras with significant more coverage and multi tasking to allow multiple simultaneous sensor looks. Something like that.

Anyone see that post/link recently or was it lost in the transition to the new UAV forum?

Any help is much appreciated!

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Looking for some help.

Been searching/reading forever but can't find the post a while back linking to some new ISR capes our UAVs are getting/fielding. For the life of me I can't remember the callsign of said program to search for as well. Post had something along the lines of 'this is a freaking cool callsign' and someone else posting a link to an overview slide - 1 UAV with multiple cameras with significant more coverage and multi tasking to allow multiple simultaneous sensor looks. Something like that.

Anyone see that post/link recently or was it lost in the transition to the new UAV forum?

Any help is much appreciated!

Would you like anything else? :bash:

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  • 4 weeks later...

So I heard a rumor the other day the rated guys flying RPAs are going to be given some sort of plane to fly to "keep their hands warm" like the B-2 and U-2 guys get. Can anyone confirm this or is this just a nasty rumor spreading around UPT?

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So I heard a rumor the other day the rated guys flying RPAs are going to be given some sort of plane to fly to "keep their hands warm" like the B-2 and U-2 guys get. Can anyone confirm this or is this just a nasty rumor spreading around UPT?

They have been saying this for awhile. However, the attempts keep getting pushed back. Hopefully they will get it up and running soon. I do believe it is the North Dakota guard that is dual qualed on the RC-26. For counter drug.

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So I heard a rumor the other day the rated guys flying RPAs are going to be given some sort of plane to fly to "keep their hands warm" like the B-2 and U-2 guys get. Can anyone confirm this or is this just a nasty rumor spreading around UPT?

Nasty Rumor. Zero truth, at least in the near future. Basically, they barely have the manning to fill the lines as it is, if they do a "true" companion trainer (eg, the AF runs it...now you have to have someone do the IP cadre, etc...plus MX costs, ramp space, the list goes on.

My suggestion was they simply give some sort of card to everyone (punch card, etc...) for use with a local FBO, and simply pay for something like 5 hours a month for whomever is qualified. That would put all the logistical/MX onus on someone else and just let folks that wnat to do it, do it. It would be WAY cheaper than a "real" companion trainer and just the thought would do a crazy amount for morale.

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And why would big blue care about morale?

Cause the pipeline is not filling all the vacancies from expired commitments around 2013...they "should" start caring about morale...just a little.

Do you want to join in our "when does Stop Loss begin" pool? $20 and you pick a two week period.

FWIW, my morale is kinda up...things are looking good for a PCS to Whiteman. Maybe not for everyone, but that's great news for me!

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