Air Force to resume training Flights

[LtRGFRANK]

After being grounded for Months US based Aircraft will resume training flights. ABOUT TIME.

[Jack's Son]

Sequester ??

[carbinephalen]

? Huh.

 

My unit's A-10's have been flying non-stop for the past year. T-38's and T-6's have also been used for sure as a new pilot told me that is what he flew on two months ago. Could you explain "training" flights?

 

Could we get a source perhaps as well?

[Randy]

About 10 fighter squadrons were grounded due to the sequester. The 27 FS here at Langley and the 336 FS at Seymour are two I know about. Also all airshows and flyovers were canceled. Having worked on fighters my whole career, I know how much training it takes to maintain the edge our pilots enjoyed. Our politicians at work, willing to sacrifice military readiness to prove a sorry point.

 

Randy

[Cobrahistorian]

Hmmm... the birds from Shepperd (T-38s) haven't stopped buzzing us here at Sill. In fact, they just lost an airplane yesterday, but both crew ejected safely.

[Randy]

Those are not fighter planes, that's the main thing they grounded. Additionally, Sheppard trains pilots from all over the world, so I doubt they would stop those classes. Glad the guys made it out, always hated that when I was working jets. Saw way too many accidents over the years.

 

Randy

[hink441]

I live just outside NAS Oceana and I have not seen any decrease in OPTEMPO here.

 

Chris

[Cobrahistorian]

Randy,

 

Yeah, i figured that was the case. Trainers and airlift keep going and fighters sit. We're hurting here on the green side of the fence.

 

Jon

[hawkdriver]

We haven't stopped training flights, but the parts money has literally dried up and training will come to an end soon. Fuel money is almost gone, AFTP money is going away faster than sand in a sieve. Furloughs are taking more than %20 of our training time. And to top it off, we deploy in three months, what a fine, "how do you do". I think they are just getting us ready for the massive cut back in military funding next year and the RIF that is coming in TY-15. Not a good time to be a career guy in the military, but we have to find a way to fund the DHS somehow.

[Randy]

Randy,

 

Yeah, i figured that was the case. Trainers and airlift keep going and fighters sit. We're hurting here on the green side of the fence.

 

Jon

The kicker is I just saw a report where the USAF are short about 200 fighter pilots. Now they are in the heavy recruiting mode trying to get guys to sign a 9 year contract with a $225,000 signing bonus. The logic of all this escapes me when tied to everything else going on. I know they don't want to lose guys to the airlines but maybe if they tried to keep the ones they have happy? Talking to some of the guys the edge is gone, and it will take months of continuous flying to regain it. This was never a problem while I was in. The Chinese are laughing their butts off at this I bet....

Randy

[F 106 Pilot]

I know as former USAF fighter pilot that if I went more than 15 days with out climbing into a cockpit I felt I was a little behind the curve and the longer you go the worse it gets. I was told by an older fighter pilot when I was a young 2LT. If you don't fly in 15 days go down and take a flight in the simulator just to keep your skills sharp. This guy was one of the first pilots to get 100 missions in an F 105 in Vietnam he was truly one of the best ever but he told me that is what he did so I followed suit. Ben

[Cobrahistorian]

As a Guard Apache pilot, it was murder climbing back into the cockpit after 3 weeks of not flying. I usually scheduled my AFTPs in 3-day blocks around a drill weekend so I could get 5 days of continuous flying in. That first flight was always ugly. I can't imagine what the guys on the sharp end are dealing with now... that's just brutal...