Tom you are absolutely correct.. I can't imagine flying on the Airbus. Pretty sure Boeing is going to get the contract for the Tanker. Japan is already flying one with great results.

Avid,
Agreed on the politics side of the discussion. They talked a big game, and like everything else, it didn't deliver everything as promised. I too am pretty furious as to why there is even a discussion about buying a foriegn tanker. Why would you even look at another company when the last Boeing tanker has lasted this long? The thing was new when my grandfather was in the Air Force, and that plane will be flying when I retire(if they don't kick me out in the next 16 years!). Boeing is where it is at, and all of the tanker bubbas I know say the same thing.
On a side note, how is Travis as a base? I'll be up for a PCS once I finish this MC-12 gig, and it is pretty high up on my ADP.
Other side note, how sweet would it be if they would let you get a shot of your avid in Fred?

I can't stand either of you guys.

I can't tell you how many times I've showed up at the FBO to find a C-17 or a C-5 on the ramp (our base had the gov't fuel contract) and the crew showing up at the same time. All 37 of them pile out of the two crew cars that they kept all night because the counter girls like a man in uniform and proceed to devour all the coffee and donuts before starting their half-day preflight. I swear I've showed up and walked out to our respective rides at the same time, me in my shirt and tie, you in your earplugs and multiple reflective PT belts, and I've flown a trip and returned to find your crew chief standing outside watching you flap your spoilerons. Go fly already! Sheesh!




In all seriousness, you were RON after dropping off wounded at BAMC in SAT, so thank you for your service. I didn't need any donuts anyway.

PilotMikeTx wrote:I can't stand either of you guys.

I can't tell you how many times I've showed up at the FBO to find a C-17 or a C-5 on the ramp (our base had the gov't fuel contract) and the crew showing up at the same time. All 37 of them pile out of the two crew cars that they kept all night because the counter girls like a man in uniform and proceed to devour all the coffee and donuts before starting their half-day preflight. I swear I've showed up and walked out to our respective rides at the same time, me in my shirt and tie, you in your earplugs and multiple reflective PT belts, and I've flown a trip and returned to find your crew chief standing outside watching you flap your spoilerons. Go fly already! Sheesh!




In all seriousness, you were RON after dropping off wounded at BAMC in SAT, so thank you for your service. I didn't need any donuts anyway.

That is funny, you ARE kidding right!!!???
I have a neighbor, in Afghanistan right now, who is an Air Force officer, and way up on the food chain as in being the top guy over there in aircraft maintenance and repair. His wife tells me he wants to go for a ride when he gets back. I already know what I'm going to do: as we walk in my hangar, I'll explain to him how, probably unlike what he is used to, I just don't get in the plane and go fly, I make sure everything is up to snuff and safety is foremost blah blah. Then I'll do a 10 second walk around, kick the tires, and say "looks good to me, let's go flying!"

PilotMikeTx wrote:I can't stand either of you guys.

I can't tell you how many times I've showed up at the FBO to find a C-17 or a C-5 on the ramp (our base had the gov't fuel contract) and the crew showing up at the same time. All 37 of them pile out of the two crew cars that they kept all night because the counter girls like a man in uniform and proceed to devour all the coffee and donuts before starting their half-day preflight. I swear I've showed up and walked out to our respective rides at the same time, me in my shirt and tie, you in your earplugs and multiple reflective PT belts, and I've flown a trip and returned to find your crew chief standing outside watching you flap your spoilerons. Go fly already! Sheesh!




In all seriousness, you were RON after dropping off wounded at BAMC in SAT, so thank you for your service. I didn't need any donuts anyway.

Hahaha.. Wish I got paid by the hour on the days when our upload, refuel, and preflight take twice as long as the actual flight. When we go to the Middle East and back everday we get out of bed is guaranteed at least 20 hours and most times we run right to our 24 hour duty day limit and that doesn't take into account the 2 hours it takes to put the jet to bed and get checked into a room. It takes a lot of time to load 36 pallets that weigh in at almost 200,000 lbs and pump 332,500lbs of fuel (51,000 gallons) onto that beast. After all that then you have to wait for 73 Space-A pax that have an average age of about 75 take 15 minutes each to get up 40ft of stairs leading to the troop compartment. The quickturn checklist actually only takes me about 15 minutes it's all the other logistics that take forever. It's fun stuff though I love it..can't imagine doing anything else. I've been to places and seen things that I never imagined I'd ever get to do thanks to flying for the Air Force.

A good friend of mine flies UH-60s for the Army. He says it takes 4 days to plan an air assault mission. But when he's on medivac duty, it's 10 minutes from call out to takeoff. I always laugh my ass off when he starts telling me Army Aviation stories. Unfortunately, he's not trying to be funny.

PilotMikeTx wrote:A good friend of mine flies UH-60s for the Army. He says it takes 4 days to plan an air assault mission. But when he's on medivac duty, it's 10 minutes from call out to takeoff. I always laugh my ass off when he starts telling me Army Aviation stories. Unfortunately, he's not trying to be funny.

It often does take 96-hours to plan a true "Air Assualt", but aviation is only involved in the last 72 hours. I train Army units on this process and often it takes that full period to plan, brief, and rehearse the synchronization of all the assets that are necessary to accomplish the ground tactical commander's objective(s). The most scared I've ever been in an aircraft was in the first five minutes of a 30-aircraft air assault when my flight of five UH-60s got cut off by two AH-64 on the way into the PZ. We determined afterward that the failure was in not having rehearsed in a walkthrough this portion of the operation (the simplest portion).

Most flights, both combat and garrison, only take 2-3 hours from show to takeoff. This is due to the lack of synchronization and deconfliction necessary when operating as a simple flight of two. MEDEVAC/CASEVAC only take 10-minutes to launch, but they go through the same 1-2 hour long preflight and mission preperation at the start of their shift.

Having said that, today I drove down to the airport and hopped in my 180 with the family and flew in flip-flops and short with aobut 5-minutes prep time down to Beaumont for some Joe's Crabshack. Didn't need no 96-hours to plan that.

Brett