Laughlin SUPT graduation was yesterday--the weather was the same as when the Class of 08 graduated from the academy--cold, windy and rain--Despite all of that it was a great day!!!!--son received print out on Wed. that showed a report no later date of Nov. 26 to Travis. After some checking it was changed to Dec.4, his KC10 training starts Dec. 11.
Laughlin SUPT class 10-02 Graduation
- Thread starter AFAMOM08
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Okay....
Tanker TOAD tidbit #1...
a. The KC is a CREW aircraft which means: The mission can NOT be accomplished JUST by the pilots, no matter how important they think they are. Remember: this aircraft has TWO commissioned officers whose sole purpose in the AF is to take some pimple-faced, underweight, geeky airman on a ride so he can sit in a comfy chair for hours on end and do nothing more than pass gas.
b. NEVER ask the boom for "half a cup of water." SMART (read OLD) booms will do precisely as ordered: they'll take a paper cup, cut it in half, and fill it to the rim. Try holding that if there's any turbulence.
Just two tonight...there are more...
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
Tanker TOAD tidbit #1...
a. The KC is a CREW aircraft which means: The mission can NOT be accomplished JUST by the pilots, no matter how important they think they are. Remember: this aircraft has TWO commissioned officers whose sole purpose in the AF is to take some pimple-faced, underweight, geeky airman on a ride so he can sit in a comfy chair for hours on end and do nothing more than pass gas.
b. NEVER ask the boom for "half a cup of water." SMART (read OLD) booms will do precisely as ordered: they'll take a paper cup, cut it in half, and fill it to the rim. Try holding that if there's any turbulence.
Just two tonight...there are more...
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2008
- Messages
- 6,188
Son flew his first mission last week--Fighter drag --will fly second mission, cargo and passenger to the far east next week! Scheduled for deployment next month. His comment was "Still can't believe I'm living my dream to be an AF pilot"!
That feeling DOES NOT GO AWAY!
If it EVER does, he needs to get out of the cockpit.
I've been rated for 26 years now...and it's still the same: get to the runway, pull out onto it and look down that straight line...and the same excitement starts up!!
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
Bullet
10-Year Member
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- Jan 9, 2008
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- 986
Buddy of mine and I spent a few hours in a Pub somewhere in the Far East sharing beers and stories with the KC-10 crew who drug us there (long story, another day). 10% rule applied for most of them (you story can be considered "truth" if at least 10% is actually true! 
).
After a while, we got into a "grass is always greener in YOUR yard" discussion. The Tanker crew expressing their jealousy of the way we fighter crews got all the glory and got to do all the "cool" stuff, my front seater and I expressing our jealousy that they spent 90% of their sorties doing the "real world" mission, while we spent 90% of ours "practicing", and how they got away from home station WAY more than us, and saw places we would probably never get a chance to see. Ended with an "oh well", and acknowledgment from both sides that both sides were JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE MISSION, and the mission succeeded only because we worked together as a team.
Then we just brought more beer for each other, and shared a toast on how we must be the dang-luckiest people in the world to be flying in the USAF.
The rest of the night is "fuzzy" in my memory for some reason...
).After a while, we got into a "grass is always greener in YOUR yard" discussion. The Tanker crew expressing their jealousy of the way we fighter crews got all the glory and got to do all the "cool" stuff, my front seater and I expressing our jealousy that they spent 90% of their sorties doing the "real world" mission, while we spent 90% of ours "practicing", and how they got away from home station WAY more than us, and saw places we would probably never get a chance to see. Ended with an "oh well", and acknowledgment from both sides that both sides were JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE MISSION, and the mission succeeded only because we worked together as a team.
Then we just brought more beer for each other, and shared a toast on how we must be the dang-luckiest people in the world to be flying in the USAF.
The rest of the night is "fuzzy" in my memory for some reason...