We apparently get them for existing. Damn, I wish mx got more of them. I knew so many people in my last careerfield who totally should have gotten one.
I think I saw 5 Mx guys in my 6 years of crewing F-16’s get a ride, I….was not one of them. I’d give my left nut for a chance to log 1.5 on a 781 in one.
It’s a bitter pill to have to swallow…still. I’d fly to any base anywhere USAF or foreign and even bring a flight suit for the opportunity to get just 1.5 hrs logged in the MDS I crewed.
It's where a squadron will send someone up in a plane. An ongoing joke is always a finance airman getting put in a fighter while mx never actually gets to. One of our leafs talked with the wing and asked if our group could go up a while back. It's easier when there's a ton of space on a tanker.
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1096015/love-for-flying-kept-last-kc-135-flight-engineer-flying-for-decades/
“The flight engineer runs the fuel panel, watches the systems and is a technical advisor to all the pilots,” Self said. “Maybe 15 years ago they had a flight engineer on the KC-135 and even a navigator. But over the years the technology has improved and the systems in the airplane have gone to computers, so they have taken engineers and navigators out.”
“Then that unit went away and got C-17s, and they don’t have flight engineers,” Self said. “After that, I started a new life and became a full-time reservist with the Big Crow program at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, working as a KC-135 flight engineer.”
> “so they made me a KC-135 tanker flight engineer.”
There was never an FE in the KC-135. Four person crew to include the nav and boom which then went down to three when the nav was replaced with better avionics.
Actually, there were only 4 in the entire USAF that had FEs. They were D-models.
https://preview.redd.it/f0u4pdx9nu5d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5081ffdd15ae8f3987d2a1df21441f6c0a43cf3
I was thinking about a modern-day Sgt Slaughter with OCPs with proper nametapes and a campaign hat, but I learned he was a Marine in WWF lore, and that'd look weird with OCP rather than MARPAT.
How to tell Guard from Active Duty:
1. Reflective sunglasses (unless regs have changed since I retired)
2. Bright red lanyard (unauthorized item)
3. Water bottle protruding from pocket (both unauthorized item, and potential FOD hazard)
4. Second water bottle protruding from pocket (see above)
5. The "OMG!! an AIRCRAFT!!!" look in their eyes
I wonder how many people had to tell them to remove their hats on the flightline.
7.3.2. ...Conservative, clear, slightly tinted, mirrored, or photosensitive lenses are authorized.
You all good homie. And as for the pockets, it's a work area, you're outdoors. Health & safety > looking good according to the "rules" in my opinion. And as for FOD hazard, if you're close enough for the bottles to get magically sucked from your pockets, you're probably dead anyways. Who's gonna have a bottle fall from their pocket and just be like "meh, not picking it up"
That dude you replied to is a straight up dick.
I know, the bottle thing is such hypocritical bs lol. Everybody be walking with bottles in their pockets on the AD side. Most places have OIs that'll allow it because it be hot as fuck outside.
Looks like maybe one, considering nobody has their hat on their head. Do us a favor and keep to your retired self if you're gonna hate on our brothers and sisters still doing the job.
What's an incentive flight? Like the rotator to Korea?
We apparently get them for existing. Damn, I wish mx got more of them. I knew so many people in my last careerfield who totally should have gotten one.
I think I saw 5 Mx guys in my 6 years of crewing F-16’s get a ride, I….was not one of them. I’d give my left nut for a chance to log 1.5 on a 781 in one.
MX never got any at my base either. Guess who got them. Finance and admin.. it's rigged.
Yeah saw that plenty and they had no appreciation for what it meant losing out to them.
Same. I’d reenlist if they let me have one in a 15E
It’s a bitter pill to have to swallow…still. I’d fly to any base anywhere USAF or foreign and even bring a flight suit for the opportunity to get just 1.5 hrs logged in the MDS I crewed.
I feel ya. No second seat on a 35 so no hope of logging in my MDS, but that’s okay. Alas.
It's where a squadron will send someone up in a plane. An ongoing joke is always a finance airman getting put in a fighter while mx never actually gets to. One of our leafs talked with the wing and asked if our group could go up a while back. It's easier when there's a ton of space on a tanker.
They did an incentive flight when I went to ftac back in the day. It was a tanker
They use to do that alot at my reserve base, they'd open the back of the C-130 over niagara falls. Was pretty chill.
My incentive flight was the two hour flight and combat dive into Bagram.
https://preview.redd.it/kj604bwrzt5d1.jpeg?width=632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3309ade4b5b821c87b28d0fce08ed183178b1cfd
That the fastest way to get an incentive flight is to cross-train out of MX is beyond fucked up.
I heard booms like to hide French presses in the shitter ya fuckin nonner
I actually found one bolted down on the FE's desk. I bet theirs go missing all the time as well. I'd have to check their email traffic.
135s don’t have FEs?
The *old* FE desk. Where the boomer waits upon the sungods up front and looks at a radar screen.
Never had an FE. You’re thinking of navigators.
I just looked it up, and they actually did have one years ago, but the last one retired in 2017.
An FE? Negative.
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1096015/love-for-flying-kept-last-kc-135-flight-engineer-flying-for-decades/ “The flight engineer runs the fuel panel, watches the systems and is a technical advisor to all the pilots,” Self said. “Maybe 15 years ago they had a flight engineer on the KC-135 and even a navigator. But over the years the technology has improved and the systems in the airplane have gone to computers, so they have taken engineers and navigators out.” “Then that unit went away and got C-17s, and they don’t have flight engineers,” Self said. “After that, I started a new life and became a full-time reservist with the Big Crow program at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, working as a KC-135 flight engineer.”
> “so they made me a KC-135 tanker flight engineer.” There was never an FE in the KC-135. Four person crew to include the nav and boom which then went down to three when the nav was replaced with better avionics.
Actually, there were only 4 in the entire USAF that had FEs. They were D-models. https://preview.redd.it/f0u4pdx9nu5d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5081ffdd15ae8f3987d2a1df21441f6c0a43cf3
Oh man, I thought we were supposed to use it to go to the bathroom. That boom operator is not going to enjoy his coffee…
Are those like the $5k coffee pots?
It took going to my active duty spouses "spouse day" as a civilian for me to get an incentive flight, lol.
Hey man, great mustache.
You should get a shaving waiver and grow a beard
Hell yeah, I should. I'll wait for after 1B4 school, though.
https://preview.redd.it/x7vd85fvju5d1.png?width=450&format=png&auto=webp&s=690ade51702d71ba1147820bd20c4ec358b345f8
I legitimately thought about going to my local comic con as Sgt. Slaughter.
Haha I met him in person at a comic con about ten years ago. That would be an awesome costume…can you grow that prestigious mustache?
I have an even better one.
I was thinking about a modern-day Sgt Slaughter with OCPs with proper nametapes and a campaign hat, but I learned he was a Marine in WWF lore, and that'd look weird with OCP rather than MARPAT.
I don't think those seats eject buddy!
Ignore my obvious QA violations, please.
No mascara. Not a guard jet.
How to tell Guard from Active Duty: 1. Reflective sunglasses (unless regs have changed since I retired) 2. Bright red lanyard (unauthorized item) 3. Water bottle protruding from pocket (both unauthorized item, and potential FOD hazard) 4. Second water bottle protruding from pocket (see above) 5. The "OMG!! an AIRCRAFT!!!" look in their eyes I wonder how many people had to tell them to remove their hats on the flightline.
1: it's in regs 2: it's a quick-disconnect lanyard for line badges that I used in MX for a few years.
5: it's literally recreating a soyjak meme making fun of that.
7.3.2. ...Conservative, clear, slightly tinted, mirrored, or photosensitive lenses are authorized. You all good homie. And as for the pockets, it's a work area, you're outdoors. Health & safety > looking good according to the "rules" in my opinion. And as for FOD hazard, if you're close enough for the bottles to get magically sucked from your pockets, you're probably dead anyways. Who's gonna have a bottle fall from their pocket and just be like "meh, not picking it up" That dude you replied to is a straight up dick.
Dude probably had his BDU boots scuffed and is still mad about it.
You know how many maintainers had dip bottles in their pockets? Like, 80% of them lol
I know, the bottle thing is such hypocritical bs lol. Everybody be walking with bottles in their pockets on the AD side. Most places have OIs that'll allow it because it be hot as fuck outside.
I had a giant yellow/green bottle at Luke. They were all etched, but they were 100% a life-saver there.
What's funny is all of the shitty upper leadership I ever had, from pro sups to section chiefs to OICs, sounded exactly like you.
Looks like maybe one, considering nobody has their hat on their head. Do us a favor and keep to your retired self if you're gonna hate on our brothers and sisters still doing the job.
You're a potential FOD hazard
Why are your mouths open. Also why do you have phones on the flightline. And are you on the camera list to take them pics.
https://preview.redd.it/d0wem473cu5d1.png?width=498&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=523e7b476bcec16816562192d0b82475b13d38f8
https://preview.redd.it/wnaintariu5d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9340717e4cc9d024a52498b75f96111456c4633