USAF to try civilian to AF track
12-08-2017, 06:50 AM
#51
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Originally Posted by KA350Driver
Full disclosure: I’m not a military pilot.
12-08-2017, 07:06 AM
#52
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Originally Posted by Vincent Chase
This explains a lot. There's so much more to being a military pilot than just flying 150 hours a year like google told you.
And for the record this isn’t an Air Force problem or even a military aviation problem. It’s just a military problem. Good officers leave the service from every branch and military specialty for better opportunities in the civilian sector every day and their complaints are the exact same as aviators. Aviation isn’t special in this regard.
My bonafides or lack thereof as a military pilot are completely irrelevant to this discussion. As are yours. In fact, I could make the argument that the military leadership’s or military pilot’s should hold less credibility because they are the people responsible for the current problem. Now, that may be taken a bit too far but I could certainly make that argument.
12-08-2017, 07:17 AM
#53
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Stipulating that many who make General in the AF don’t have huge backgrounds in the cockpit; at least, wearing wings means they’ve likely been there on a dark night being asked to make the AR and get the mission done. It’s always easier for the man who doesn’t have to do it, but having been there helps.
Put me down as opposed to “fly only”; but there is a case for it.
KA350
My C-5 unit had precisely 4 pilots per plane; try running them 24/7 with 60% of the average airline manning. And every operation requires augmented crews that come out of that 4 pilots. In combat support ops, it’s a lot more than you’re guessing.
GF
Put me down as opposed to “fly only”; but there is a case for it.
KA350
My C-5 unit had precisely 4 pilots per plane; try running them 24/7 with 60% of the average airline manning. And every operation requires augmented crews that come out of that 4 pilots. In combat support ops, it’s a lot more than you’re guessing.
GF
12-08-2017, 08:39 AM
#54
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Joined APC: Apr 2010
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More like...
Originally Posted by KA350Driver
Full disclosure: I’m not a military pilot. But how much flight time does an average military pilot fly? My google searched tell me about 150 hrs a year for fighter guys. I’d assume it’s more for heavy pilots. I realize that there is a lot of time that goes into mission/training planning as well. Let’s call it 3 hours of planning to every 1 hour of flying. That gives us 600 hours of actual mission oriented work per year. The average American works about 2000 hours a year. Now, I’m sure that there is plenty of other worthwhile tasks that must be accomplished aside from flying and mission planning but I’m quite sure that a lot of the asspain and headache that wears pilots out to the point that they need a break with a staff/educational tour is self induced nonsense by the military. Workload can absolutely be reduced to the point that an operational tour isn’t so much of a grinder. When the Air Force figures out how to do this it will go a long way towards solving the problem.
Pretty typical, and that wasn’t a heavy planning day for my role in the mission.
12-08-2017, 09:45 AM
#55
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Originally Posted by KA350Driver
Now, I’m sure that there is plenty of other worthwhile tasks that must be accomplished aside from flying and mission planning but I’m quite sure that a lot of the asspain and headache that wears pilots out to the point that they need a break with a staff/educational tour is self induced nonsense by the military. Workload can absolutely be reduced to the point that an operational tour isn’t so much of a grinder. When the Air Force figures out how to do this it will go a long way towards solving the problem.
12-08-2017, 09:48 AM
#56
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Originally Posted by KA350Driver
My bonafides or lack thereof as a military pilot are completely irrelevant to this discussion. As are yours. In fact, I could make the argument that the military leadership’s or military pilot’s should hold less credibility because they are the people responsible for the current problem. Now, that may be taken a bit too far but I could certainly make that argument.
12-08-2017, 10:47 AM
#57
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Joined APC: Nov 2014
Posts: 137
[QUOTE]
Im well aware of how missions are passed down. Thank you.
You’ve yet to correct me. Feel free to educate me. The
Once again, we’ll aware of what’s going in the world and how the NCA works.
They’re failing miserably. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
No, it’s exactly as big as I’m assuming. You’d know this if you bothered to read all of my posts.
Originally Posted by Vincent Chase
Oh, you still don't get it. The AF can make life rosey for pilots? The AF is not the entity that causes their problems. It's the NCA.
Your assumptions are that the typical Air Force pilot only flies around the flag pole and spends 3 hours trying to figure out how to do that.
reality is that the National Command Authority sends each pilot on an all expenses paid trip to (insert your best guess of a craphole here) every 18 months or so. It's not the Air Force that sends them. It's far above that. The Air Force is merely a force provider.
They're trying to figure out how to provide the best capable force given the requirements of the NCA.
The problem is so much bigger than you apparently are assuming.
12-08-2017, 10:58 AM
#58
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Posts: 137
Originally Posted by Vincent Chase
This is what I'm talking about...you seem to think because you haven't been there, you know how to fix the problem. You also seem to think that because I've been there, I'm unqualified to explain. In your view, I'm the one who made the problem in the first place. Not sure you'll ever understand, so I'll stop trying to help.
The deployment cycle, while part of the problem, only plays a small role in the current shortage of pilots.
12-08-2017, 11:08 AM
#59
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Posts: 55
Originally Posted by KA350Driver
Full disclosure: I’m not a military pilot. But how much flight time does an average military pilot fly? My google searched tell me about 150 hrs a year for fighter guys. I’d assume it’s more for heavy pilots. I realize that there is a lot of time that goes into mission/training planning as well. Let’s call it 3 hours of planning to every 1 hour of flying. That gives us 600 hours of actual mission oriented work per year. The average American works about 2000 hours a year. Now, I’m sure that there is plenty of other worthwhile tasks that must be accomplished aside from flying and mission planning but I’m quite sure that a lot of the asspain and headache that wears pilots out to the point that they need a break with a staff/educational tour is self induced nonsense by the military. Workload can absolutely be reduced to the point that an operational tour isn’t so much of a grinder. When the Air Force figures out how to do this it will go a long way towards solving the problem.
12-08-2017, 11:12 AM
#60
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Joined APC: Nov 2014
Posts: 137
Originally Posted by ducgsxr
This ranks in the top 5 most uninformed posts about the scope of the duties and obligations as an officer/aviator in the US Military. I’m sure others will chime in but flying related tasks cover about 1/3 of my job as a Naval Aviator.
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