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Specialist. Enlisted. Her wanted poster has her in the uniform of an enlisted airman.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/...

According to Air Force Times: https://www.airforcetimes.com/...

No, the US airforce currently has a ~2,000 pilot shortfall, so drones can't be causing a decline in the number of pilots coming out of the airforce, because there aren't enough in it in the first place.

The reason for the shortfall is that many are suffering burnout from years of high operational tempo due to deployments to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, and because civilian airlines simply pay more.

As such, retention seems to be the biggest problem - being a fighter pilot looked like a sexy job on Top Gun, but when you realise it means 8 hour flights in a cramped cockpit by yourself with only a tube to pee in and only getting to fire one or two missiles a year at best on a training ground, it kind of gets a lot less sexy. With that taken into account, at that point, sitting in the nice relatively spacious cabin of a civilian airliner for 8 hours with one or two co-pilots to keep you company, getting paid way more, and with a proper toilet to use, and warm meals served to you on the job looks a lot more appealing.

https://www.military.com/daily...

https://www.airforcetimes.com/...

Really though, it implies if the airforce is struggling too that there's just not enough pilots in general. I'm not sure if this is a US problem, or a global problem however, it's possible that non-US carriers are simply paying even more again and pulling US pilots overseas.

Agreed, when it comes to the F-35, slashdot gets bombarded with the uninformed and the Anonymous Cowards. Short memory is an unfortunate human trait. As ejecitons from contemporary aircraft have never been problematic or ever killed pilots? Or is it simply that further testing of the Martin-Baker designed seat produced questionable result when constraining lightweight pilots? But I know it's more fun to simply trash talk the F-35 instead of preventing further deaths.

Other than being 5 years old, Leper colony link: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20080929/NEWS/809290335/Hundreds-of-Reaper-Predator-pilots-needed
Very bottom of the page: Not a U.S. Government Publication, so to Google we go.

UAV career field takes flight
Nonrated officers, retirees, trainees and...

Hundreds of Reaper, Predator pilots needed
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 29, 2008 13:03:17 EDT

The Air Force will soon have nonrated officers flying combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Granted, it won’t be in an F-16 cockpit but behind a joystick 6,000 miles away, flying an MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper from Nevada or New Mexico.

Bottom line: These new career unmanned aerial vehicle pilots will be dropping bombs in combat and flying a 10,000-pound aircraft in a congested airspace without completing undergraduate pilot training.

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced the new UAV pilot career field Sept. 16 — part of a two-pronged approach to fill the Air Force’s need for hundreds of UAV pilots.

But the service also will explore the possibility of luring retired and recently separated pilots back into uniform to fly UAVs, and the idea of allowing enlisted personnel to fly UAVs has yet to be ruled out, according to Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley. A decision on that is expected within 90 days.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x18246

I'm used to seeing a slender article in the middle of a page flanked by white space where ads/junk are being blocked by my HOSTS file.

The link for 'leper colony' : http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20080929/NEWS/809290335/Hundreds-of-Reaper-Predator-pilots-needed
has everything but an article, just the header "Hundreds of Reaper, Predator pilots needed"

Checking without a HOSTS file as I did want to read it: I'm shown:
The "Want to read more?" and subscriptions below, the "article" is part of the subscription
div id="premiumcontent-summaryparagraph" class="gel-hidden"
"The Air Force will soon have nonrated officers flying combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan."

Now I'm not sure if there really is an article to read or not, pay a buck to find the above was it.
Just saying if you have to disable your HOSTS file to read something, it was meant to be blocked in the first place.

Well, thank goodness that these will be engineered to critical standards, not that of your average PC.

Yea, just like the F22 Raptor, right?

Indeed, my earlier post never posits that the auto-drive system will never fail

No, but it does blame any potential failure on the concept of improper road signage, not equipment malfunctions. At least, that's what I presume you meant by "missing signs marking the street as closed is a real possibility if they didn't follow NTSB guidelines in marking it."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the idea of self-driving cars; I believe they would help cut down the number of fatal accidents, since there would inevitably be less idiots causing them. What I have a problem with is all the Google-dick-sucking that goes on anytime someone (like me) posits any sort of doubt or question as to the infallible nature of such a system. Programmers write bugs and hardware fails, and no amount of personal attacks or wishy-washy bullshit will change those absolute facts.

"The 1980's are calling for their foreign policy back" -- Barack Obama :)

That wouldn't be fair to the Russians. After all, they are still spinning up the old Soviet practices, aping the Cold War, and they apparently aren't done with them yet. It certainly appears that the Russians would rather be the enemy than be ignored.

Russia restarts Cold War patrols
Report: Russia may base bombers in Cuba
More Russian bombers flying off Alaska coast
Report: Russian Nuclear Attack Sub Patrolled Waters Off Gulf for a MonthUndetected
Canada does not like Russian nuclear bombers patrolling Arctic territory
Japanese, South Korean jets trail Russian bombers over Pacific
UK jets greet Russian bombers
New Russian Anti-Missile Facility Opens in Kaliningrad
Russia claims new missile can overcome missile defenses

Not even including the life insurance policies that most pilots would have. Back in 1996, it was about $250,000 when my father passed due to Benzene induced leukemia (since the USAF was Benzene happy at the time). That didn't even include the MGIB chapter 35 benefits and Tricare benefits I and my sister received. A quick look at the current policy shows it as $400,000. You could retrofit at least 4+ jets for the cost of killing one pilot.

The pilot training costs dwarf insurance payouts. This article says it costs $2.8M to train a fighter pilot.

PRK has been allowed by the USAF for all aviation positions since 2001, and Lasik was allowed in 2004 for particular aviation positions, and in 2007 this restriction was removed completely.

Fighter pilots can certainly fly after having laser eye surgery.

Also, you can fly in the USAF without having perfect vision - according to the following Air Force Times, 41% of active USAF pilots require corrective lenses to carry out their duties.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-eye-surgery-widens-pilot-pool-022811w/

Computers don't make mistakes, but sensors fail. $1.4 billion says that sensors aren't infallible.

It's amazing what you can do when you've got an object in space that you can set up with minimal overhead. I mean, hey, its not like those big expensive spy satellites have a limited fuel or anything. Sure, Libya had always been kind of a nuisance, but I assume there weren't that many spy satellites within range before. One of the features of this thing was that it had oversized engines for what it was, meaning it could make drastic orbit changes at short notice. Anyone know how long its been in this orbit over Libya?

It's been speculated (more assumption...) that the X-37B could be a test platform for new surveillance equipment. Could be they have some new cameras with some awesome resolution to test out. Might be some kind of new sensors, or maybe some kind of a mirror or laser communication relay, to bounce a signal for someone covert down in Tripoli. For all we know, it could be some crazy new concept we won't hear about for another 20 years.

Anyone know if its orbit brings it within close proximity of any other satellites? Some people have said it could be used to interfere with the satellites from other countries. Maybe, its secretly plotting to activate SkyNet in conjunction with another satellite that recently went up and we have no idea what its doing..

Or, for all we know, its just a camera, the same one they've been using on the other spy satellites for years. Just one that has lots of fuel, and thus, lots of orbit changes before coming down to be refueled and given newer tech cameras.

The world may never know. Or may already know, and just not know it.

There's been some work on plant derived oils used for aviation fuel, as well as from coal. I think Virgin did some tests with palm oil, at least blends, http://motherjones.com/environment/2008/01/virgin-airlines-powered-pond-scum and the AF has been looking as well. Let me see.... OKey doke, here is a ref, made from coal (ya, still nasty, but domestic supplies are hugemongous theoretically): http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/05/airforce_synthetic_fuel_050509/

As to a wild ass way for heavy lift cargo, using no petroleum fuels, how about huge lighter than air craft, with those thin film printable photovoltaics (the "new amazing breakthrough" ones that appear here weekly, like today, then disappear the next week...) all over the lifting bag shell, and then electric motors and props? Just a thought, in a popular science cover story way..... Most likely they would have to follow the old clipper ships model of following the "trade winds" and currents, just at a higher altitude....

Or just not ship as much stuff in the air, cargo or people. Build and grow more local, slow down this globalism a little, eat local, vacation more local, etc. Business travel..dang, work on better teleconferencing. Commuters, leave a place (the home) with a computer on a desk, travel to another place with a computer on a desk, then go home again, forever... because....I have no idea why this hasn't completely stopped yet.. Physically moving meatbags, twice a day, by the millions and millions, to sit in front of a computer screen is IMO the biggest failure of the computer information age, bar none.

Slowing down wars, dropping such a huge demand for petroleum there as well..that could help. "War" in general, pun intended, is just too profitable. Ike warned against it, said they would accumulate too much control over policy, because the profits are obscenely huge, including this artificially enhanced demand for more petroleum fuels.

This latest leak in the Gulf..the ultimate cost isn't calculated yet, but if it is less than tens of billions I'd be surprised. Now say they had spent those same billions actually constructing plants for manufacturing of those weekly amazing solar breakthrough products, the ones that disappear all the time...

In related news, USAF Gen. Kevin Chilton, head of the US Strategic Command, opined today that the US needs *more* nuclear weapons.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/11/airforce_chilton_111909w/

virtually the entire F-15 fleet was grounded last year because of unanticipated structural failures

Are you talking about the cracks in the frames? I recall that some were discovered long before that but I can't find the Google links.

The F-22 is currently the main hope for maintaining a qualitative edge over other nations......

That's true, but we don't need it right now. It'd make much more sense for the Air Force to use that money to produce more MQ-1's, MQ-9's, and RQ-4's (unmanned aircraft) given that, like it or not, we're gonna be in the Middle-East for awhile.

...in case of large-scale operations against a country with a decent air force...

The cold-war days that gave us Airwolf are long-gone. Yes, there's gonna be plenty of bitching from the alpha fighter-jockeys, but fuck'em -- they're becoming obsolete. The United States has by far the best Air Force in the world, and such a FUD plea for more shiny toys is just greedy and insulting. Even the DoD is tacitly putting the program on hold[propaganda warning]

-- and I hate the Air Force ;)

This is a good summary of China's lines of thinking:

Hypothetical attack on U.S. outlined by China, Air Force Times, January 28, 2008

The democratic Republic of China, commonly called Taiwan -- which America backs and the communist People's Republic of China considers part of its territory -- frequently irritates Chinese leaders with calls for greater independence from the mainland. But while the American military mulls its options, Chinese missiles hit runways, fuel lines, barracks and supply depots at U.S. Air Force bases in Japan and South Korea. Long-range warheads destroy American satellites, crippling Air Force surveillance and communication networks. A nuclear fireball erupts high above the Pacific Ocean, ionizing the atmosphere and scrambling radars and radio feeds.

This is China's anti-U.S. sucker punch strategy.

It's designed to strike America's military suddenly, stunning and stalling the Air Force more than any other service. In a script written by Chinese military officers and defense analysts, a bruised U.S. military, beholden to a sheepish American public, puts up a small fight before slinking off to avoid full-on war.

[...]

Because the American public is "abnormally sensitive" about military casualties, according to an article in China's Liberation Army Daily, killing U.S. airmen or other personnel would spark a "domestic anti-war cry" on the home front and possibly force early withdrawal of U.S. forces.

[...]

The PLA also would likely use less conventional attacks on the American military's vital communications network. The goal, as one Chinese expert put it: leaving U.S. combat capabilities "blind," "deaf" and "paralyzed." Losing early-warning systems designed to detect incoming missiles would be, for the Air Force, the most devastating setback -- one that could force the service to exit the region altogether, according to Rand.

The report that is the subject of this article also discusses options for hardening US military targets and infrastructure. But ultimately, even dedicated military networks have some of the same vulnerabilities as the commodity internet. They are just as sensitive to EM disruption, and some common modes of attack. The other piece you're missing is the more subtle psychological manipulation, which can occur over a much longer term.

This isn't just about DoSing web sites. The attacks that can occur in the information realm span many more areas, and may not even be interpreted or recognized as an attack until it's too late. It pays to be aware of this landscape in a changing world:

A global multipolar system is emerging with the rise of China, India, and others. The relative power of nonstate actors -- businesses, tribes, religious organizations, and even criminal networks -- also will increase.

By 2025 a single "international community" composed of nation-states will no longer exist. Power will be more dispersed with the newer players bringing new rules of the game while risks will increase that the traditional Western alliances will weaken. Rather than emulating Western models of political and economic development, more countries may be attracted to China's alternative development model.

If we place any importance on the positive aspects of Western systems of values and influence (something which moral relativists may find extremely difficult to do), over, say, government and social models in China or Russia, then there should be an awareness about threats against those systems.

See also: Entering the Dragon's Lair: Chinese Antiaccess Strategies and Their Implications for the United States. This entire book is available free and is a great read for those interested in Chinese military strategy.

"overhauling the WUC manual/system (which is another story altogether)."

THERE"S a heroic task. Good luck, and beware counterintuitive user interfaces.
Maybe sneak in a favor to the crew chiefs and get CAMS, etc to accept "255". and "190" How Mal codes for everything. :)

"And, the anti-aircraft environment is too hazardous for a super tucano to survive very long, except in limited anti-insurgency operations."

Pretty much applies to anything in a large conventional war, since gunships are merely targets if the enemy still has an air force. Helos in a AAA environment (heck, "dense small arms" environment) are in for an equally rough ride. IMO someone, probably not the USAF, should prepare for long, long term limited anti-insurgency ops. The idea that only large conventional wars are worth preparing for and this other stuff will pass is why our opponents ensure it does not.

Leadership scrapped the versatile aircraft mix we had after Desert Storm and now the "party line" has produced aircraft that are too expensive to risk in combat. Expensive aircraft are "loss effects multipliers" because we have ended economies of scale.

The Army isn't terrified of using helos up close, but the USAF is down to the A-10, and the light F-35 isn't designed to take punishment and be repairable like the Warthog. I realize that the USAF mission has to be air dominance above all, and that the other stuff is peripheral, but the servicing of tactical targets by slow-movers is still required. If we can pull it off with UAVs then we can get the AF out of some of that business.

The Army is already buying UAVs, which have great potential since they don't infringe on the Key West agreement. If the Army can take over more of these missions, the Air Force won't even have to debate the issue and can pursue its own agenda focusing on major conventional wars.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_shadow_uav_042408w/

The Air Force Times announced today that there will be no Cyber Commnand?...

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/10/airforce_corona_decision_100708w/

but AirForceTimes completely disagrees with them. "Final word: One nuclear, but no cyber command"

...Get everyone to associate the Air Force with high speed high tech computer hacking and security so that they have a better image for hiring...

There's a reason why the Predator stays over the desert. Predators have crashed numerous times and do not have FAA approval to fly over populated areas in the US. Do we really think this thing from Honeywell that most definitely has less flight time than the Predator is air-worthy enough to fly over a super populated area like Miami? If this thing crashes and kills someone, I hope the city is sued into oblivion.

Quite a few AF officers, including comm and info officers (who most likely will serve in AFCYBER) were recently forced out of the AF through various force shaping actions. These actions included officers that the AF had spent a lot of training and education dollars on so that they could get Master's degrees. (At AFIT for example) And now it appears that the AF is regretting the force shaping and RIF actions. In early February 2008 (the same month many were forced out), the AF submitted a $385 million unfunded request to Congress to plus-up active duty end strength by almost 14,000. Also, a Dayton Daily News article on 10 February 2008 quoted General Bruce Carlson, the AFMC Commander, recently saying that the AF is "reconsidering the policy [PBD 720] it adopted two years ago" and "we cut too much." The article also quoted U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, as saying "The Air Force has said that they don't believe their reduction in personnel is a wise thing to do, that the demands on them are not going down."

2. Are there any short-term plans to possibly ask any of the officers that were recently cut to come back to active duty?

3. If the unfunded request is approved/funded, how does the AF plan on getting those 14,000 personnel? (Experience and leadership abilities do not just grow on trees.)

Actually many F-15s have been permanently grounded...
Variants A, B, C, and D all have manufacturing defects that led to the Missouri incident where the cockpit seperated from the airframe. Upon inspection it was found that everyone of these models showed stress and metal fatigue caused by milling down a support rib to thinly. They are not repairable and many will be destroyed in place where they are.

'E' models are only allowed to fly in emergency situations right now and pulled from all primary missions. The air force is using this as an excuse to bet more F-35's and f-22's approved and on rush order. Currently 1100 of the 1500 F-15's are permanently grounded...
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/defense_fighterdebate_080213/

There are spaces in OP's URLs, so they don't work (not to mention they're not links). I'm a kindly soul with time to kill, so here is the Boeing link, and here is the Air Force Times link.

Here's one:
Air Force Times
This story is now a little bit dated (it was written after doubts had been raised but before CBS acknowledged their documents were false), but that has no impact on its accuracy. There isn't anything in here that isn't in the other sources I cited and that hasn't been known since the White House released the batch of records records earlier this year, but it doesn't hurt to hear it one more time. Of course, Twirlip will shrilly denounce it as a DNC mouthpiece ("everybody knows the Air Force is the liberal branch of the military") and try to use his circular logic to refute it ("everything I say is true; I say it isn't true; therefore, it isn't true").


And yes, I know the Air Force doesn't produce the Air Force Times. It is the same company that does USA Today. Gannet is pretty conservative, though (in the status-quo preserving, media-conglomerate sense).