81–90 of 175 posts
country doesn't need that many pilots if it doesn't wage endless wars, though.
how else would we go into deeper debt? the budget deficit and debt is not going to grow on it's own.
https://www.quora.com/What-percentage-of-the-Federal-US-budg...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As an American voter, I can assure you my choices have always been war or war.
There have always been 3rd-party choices on the ballot.
In 2016 I voted for HC (no love) as a vote against DT. Some things are more existential than others.
I can't fathom how the answer to the pilot shortage couldn't simply be "pay them more". They are flying $100 million dollar planes, pilot salary must be a drop in the bucket.
Seems like the Air Force is trapped in a vicious underhiring/overhiring cycle. When I was in college I did Air Force ROTC. A lot of my peers had pilot slots; I was poised as a 17D (Cyber Ops). After graduating, my training date was put on hold virtually indefinitely. Eventually I got an email that the Air Force had commissioned way too many officers and were looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/…
And...there is the other end. My brother is a pilot and was retired by the Air Force because he had been in so long...so out he goes. Now he is a contractor flying drones for them getting paid 3x as much while drawing a hefty retirement. My brother loved the Air Force and wanted to stay...now he gets to stay and get paid a boat load more. Air Force brass not very smart.
While some people could be tempted with "paid 3x as much..." most will pass on this opportunity, learning you actually have to drop bombs and undoubtedly kill people for your tripled pay rate.
Especially pilots with biplane experience, I'm sure. Why are we building manned warplanes?
I had a friend of mine (also with a fully paid Undergrad and Grad in engineering) with the same experience get tapped to do Honor Guard Duty for six months. Seriously.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except they do. Pilots also fly in humanitarian aid, fly out civilians and medical casualties, carry out Search and Rescue, and perform reconnaissance during natural disasters.
Civilian pilots can, and do, all those things. And in much cheaper aircraft to fly/maintain.
Seems like the Air Force is trapped in a vicious underhiring/overhiring cycle. When I was in college I did Air Force ROTC. A lot of my peers had pilot slots; I was poised as a 17D (Cyber Ops). After graduating, my training date was put on hold virtually indefinitely. Eventually I got an email that the Air Force had commissioned way too many officers and were looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/…
Edit: Downvote me if you like, but that's the reason I was given when I asked an Air Force pilot.
Seems like the Air Force is trapped in a vicious underhiring/overhiring cycle. When I was in college I did Air Force ROTC. A lot of my peers had pilot slots; I was poised as a 17D (Cyber Ops). After graduating, my training date was put on hold virtually indefinitely. Eventually I got an email that the Air Force had commissioned way too many officers and were looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/…
> looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/obligation - seemed like a good deal How’s that a good deal? Presumably you wanted to join and now that’s something you’d never get to do?
Seems like the Air Force is trapped in a vicious underhiring/overhiring cycle. When I was in college I did Air Force ROTC. A lot of my peers had pilot slots; I was poised as a 17D (Cyber Ops). After graduating, my training date was put on hold virtually indefinitely. Eventually I got an email that the Air Force had commissioned way too many officers and were looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/…
> looking for people to voluntarily leave with no commitment/obligation - seemed like a good deal How’s that a good deal? Presumably you wanted to join and now that’s something you’d never get to do?
Even if OP did really want to be in the Air Force, having an obligation washed away like that with no penalty sounds like a pretty good deal.