Valid points and no one should have screwed with the T-3 to give it more ooomph but the execution was flawed not the concept of a light GA & Aerobatic training aircraft for the USAF, in this case for professional skills, career incentive and morale. The AF hasn't given anybody any reason for confidence in acquiring airplanes lately but this is chance to begin the long road to redemption.

Valid points and no one should have screwed with the T-3 to give it more ooomph but the execution was flawed not the concept of a light GA & Aerobatic training aircraft for the USAF, in this case for professional skills, career incentive and morale. The AF hasn't given anybody any reason for confidence in acquiring airplanes lately but this is chance to begin the long road to redemption.

Good point. Given the overall budget, it seems an off-the-shelf, IFR-capable GA aircraft for 11Xs in RPA billets and (I would add) nonflying staff billets would be a reasonably cheap way to maintain pilot skills & thus shorted initial qual/requal training in much more expensive jets. If nothing else, the USAF could fund X hrs a month in a similar aircraft at the base flying club or local airport.

Good point. Given the overall budget, it seems an off-the-shelf, IFR-capable GA aircraft for 11Xs in RPA billets and (I would add) nonflying staff billets would be a reasonably cheap way to maintain pilot skills & thus shorted initial qual/requal training in much more expensive jets. If nothing else, the USAF could fund X hrs a month in a similar aircraft at the base flying club or local airport.

Thanks - I'm just going to guess that about 1,200 people direct RPAs in the USAF (WAG of 10% of the 12,000+ pilots in the AF). Assuming they each flew as a 2 place crew 150 hours a year at $300 per flight hour (high estimate) in a light aircraft that comes to $27 million and just a WAG but add 25% for support & logistics and that is $6.25 million for a grand WAG of $33.75 million. Not budget dust but not an impossible amount either. That doesn't account for procurement but figure you would get 150 at $150k and that is $22.5 million, again not a trivial amount but in the grand scheme of the AF, feasible with leadership. Just bar napkin math but this is not a flux capacitor, this is something that can be done.

Just wondering if any dudes at RPA assignments are trying to work fractional deals in the squadron(s)? The AF should have a companion aircraft but if big blue is not interested are pilots putting together ownership on a plane to split the costs and fly?

In case y'all were wondering about the recent FAIP assignments that came out here is what we got at Columbus: 

T-38:

3x F-16

4x A-10

4x F-15E

1x B-2 (top FAIP's first choice)

1x B-1

2x B-52

 

T-1:

2x C-130J Ramstein

C-130J Yokota

C-130J Dyess

C-130J Little Rock

MC-130J Kadena

HC-130 Moody

C-17 Elmo

C-17 McGuire

KC-10 McGuire

KC-10 Travis

KC-135 Mildenhall

E-3 Kadena

2x E-3 Tinker

E-8 Robbins

 

Overall awesome drop for the FAIPs, especially the 38 bros! Keeping the dream alive

Edited August 13, 201510 yr by Thumper3769

J model to Yokota, is that the first one to go to anyone fresh out of UPT (FAIP or stud)? Looks like it's really happening. 

In case y'all were wondering about the recent FAIP assignments that came out here is what we got at Columbus: 

T-38:

3x F-16

4x A-10

4x F-15E

1x B-2 (top FAIP's first choice)

1x B-1

2x B-52

 

T-1:

2x C-130J Ramstein

C-130J Yokota

C-130J Dyess

C-130J Little Rock

MC-130J Kadena

HC-130 Moody

C-17 Elmo

C-17 McGuire

KC-10 McGuire

KC-10 Travis

KC-135 Mildenhall

E-3 Kadena

2x E-3 Tinker

E-8 Robbins

 

Overall awesome drop for the FAIPs, especially the 38 bros! Keeping the dream alive

Why do faips not get afsoc assignments? 

Why do faips not get afsoc assignments? 

MC-130J is afsoc

That's correct, I missed that one. The other 30 aren't. I'm legitimately asking if there's a no faip policy in gunships/u-28/cv-22 or something. 

That's correct, I missed that one. The other 30 aren't. I'm legitimately asking if there's a no faip policy in gunships/u-28/cv-22 or something. 

When I was going through Little Rock I had a sim with a faip who was going to gunships.

Vance T-1 FAIP dropped a gunship in the most recent FAIP drop.

I'm pretty sure a couple years ago they (unexpectedly) threw a bunch of CV-22 assignments to FAIPs

Laughlin had an AC-130W. Would guess it was based on needs.

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I know plenty of FAIPs in gunships.  If there is any pushback on that, it's from AFPC, not us.

Interesting. Thanks all.

J model to Yokota, is that the first one to go to anyone fresh out of UPT (FAIP or stud)? Looks like it's really happening. 

from what I understand this was the first Yokota J model to drop to a FAIP  or student 

CBM 15-14

T38

F15/16 Singapore

F15/16 Singapore

Tornado/F15/? Saudi Arabia

F7 Nigeria

F16 Luke

T1

KC135 Shady J AFRC

HC130J Moody

KC10 McGuire AFRC

KC135 Wisconsin ANG

MQ9 Cannon

UH60J Japan

T1 FAIP

KC135 Fairchild

MQ9 NY ANG

CV22 Hurlburt

E3 Kadena

C130H Dobbins AFRC

MQ9 Cannon

Mi-17 Bulgaria

KC135 MS ANG

C17 Charleston

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    UH60J Japan

Mi-17 Bulgaria

why did their countries send them through T-1s?  Seems a little odd.

Anyone interested in the U28 or AFSOC in general I will be at LAFB for a static/briefing on 14 Sep.

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Seems a little odd.

I thought it was more odd that the 38s only had 1 US student.

Are the Singapore pilots going to dual-qual in the F-15 and F-16? What does the slash mean?

MI-17 was a ALP student. They did not go through T-1s. There was 2 AD U.S. 38 studs. 1 was DQ medically half way through. 

XL 15-14

T-38s

B-52

F-15E

F-16

T-6 FAIP

F-15J x 2 (Japan)

Singapore Fighter

 

T-1s

C-5 Travis AFRC

C-17x3 (Hickam, McChord, Dover)

C-21 Scott

C-130J Ramstein

C-130H MN AFRC

HC-130J x 2 (moody, Davis-monthan)

KC-135 Mildenhall

KC-135 Milwaukee ANG

MQ-9 x 2 creech

T-6 FAIP

RC-135 Offutt

 

 

Are the Singapore pilots going to dual-qual in the F-15 and F-16? What does the slash mean?

Not dual qual...they don't know what they get yet. When they get back home they go through more training and go to either the 15 or 16

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That's a good amount of 38s at XL. At least relative to CBM.

why did their countries send them through T-1s?  Seems a little odd.

The BAF Vice Chief of Staff is a huge proponent of UPT. A few yrs ago, I escorted him and his staff out to Randolph, Laughlin, and Little Rock to see first hand how we train. He was a big fan before, but even more so after the trip. And the bulk of their helos fall under the AF.