The F-35, F-15 and F-16 communities showed their worth last night. USAF F-15Es shot down over 70+ drones alongside Super Hornets. Israeli F-35Is and F-15s from all generations alongside F-16C/D/Is protected their home country. A great amount of data to gather on how they all worked together. It also...
Jump to postThe additional Air Wings add breadth and depth. The boats can be turned around faster and operate with different Air Wings. So, using the boats more but in different length deployments. You can mix and match your deployments without worrying about a "deployment" cycle for an Air Wing beca...
Jump to postO.K. Lets suppose the DOD gets more money. Would you rather buy two air wings, or one air wing and one carrier? Two Air Wings. Yes, it would cost money and there would be a massive manpower drag in from elsewhere but you "could" do it. From a pilot perspective volunteers first. Then start...
Jump to postWe have one carrier per air wing. We have one air wing per carrier. Seems about right. Given a fixed budget, you could eliminate a carrier to buy an air wing. Would that be good? Given a larger budget, you could buy one carrier and one air wing, or zero carriers and two air wings. Which would you p...
Jump to postMy ANG unit was deployed to support DACT with Langley in, probably late 78 or early 79 before the plane went to Boneyard. Oh, ok. But....that would have been just 2 years after the F-15A/B was inducted and they were only at IOC then. So, I guess that means you would be a F-100F pilot then? Which me...
Jump to postThe F-35 is a fantastic aircraft. It is very much in it's own league of system's capabilities and technology. The US military should attempt to procure as many as possible. The F-35 is not a perfect replacement for the F-16, F/A-18 and the A-10. It can not do the work those jets perform and maintain...
Jump to postI think I'm more of a dinosaur than you. I don't remember any syllabus difference for the fighter , bomber, transport or IP selectees after assignment night. Willy 74-06. Yeah, I was Columbus 85-03. There wasn't much of a difference, maybe half a dozen rides. The FAR guys got some 4-ship rides in t...
Jump to postKalitta says goodbye to the 727.
https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/04/08/kal ... oeing-727/
737-300Fs/400Fs now take over the complete mantle there.
I’m out of the latest, but rumor has it that heavies will go thru a T-6 line then their assignment. T-1s won’t get replaced and they are very long in the tooth. So, we’ll be burning up time in expensive planes training UPT students. Another rumor was the USAF going back to a one UPT pipeline. Prett...
Jump to postMinimum passing grade in High School is usually a 63 or D-. That's where the Air Wing to Carrier ratio stands. We can and have done much better and NEED to do so. Adding just 1 Air Wing to the rotation would be a great start.
Jump to postCan you explain this please? When I look at http://www.gonavy.jp/CVLocation.html, I see every available carrier has one air wing. That's because 2 carriers are out due to long term maintenence, but there will always be two carriers out for this reason. Doesn't the Ford have CVW-8 assigned to it? If...
Jump to postThe C-17 is a stud of an aircraft. Does everything that it is asked of it. It was not always that way. Overall, it had issues like the KC-46 until things were ironed out. The C-17 will be asked to continue as is until its replacement makes it's way. That process has just begun. Let's see what jetzer...
Jump to postThe RAAF will soon be receiving its latest VIP transport (footage starts @ 0.20 of the video) ..... :airplane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQf97aFPHq4 The 737 Max 8 is getting a massive vote of confidence with this order. :thumbsup: Outstanding and congratulations to the RAAF on a great bird.
Jump to postNewer design, far more open architecture and performance specs that beat out the competition. How do you know this? The performance specs for the T-7 are secret. Unless you have secret data, I don't think you can make this claim. Every other trainer has published performance specs. I think all of t...
Jump to postUSAF is already asking about an F-7 to replace Vipers. Do you have a citation for that? The F-35 is the replacement for F-16s. https://www.defenseone.com/business/2023/11/boeing-sets-sights-light-attack-version-usafs-t-7-training-jet/392037/ When I went through flight training we didn't do one anot...
Jump to postJapan is going with the superior aircraft in the T-7. Newer design, far more open architecture and performance specs that beat out the competition. USAF is already asking about an F-7 to replace Vipers. Several of the delays were beyond Boeing's control. The aircraft is moving forward in USAF testin...
Jump to postRight now, the USN is three Air Wings short, aka in the red aka wearing through men and machinery at a rate not sustainable. More Air Wings are required and required now. The current War in the Red Sea shows just how valuable the Air Wing is. Not having enough Air Wings is one of the reasons the Fo...
Jump to postThe Navy needs 12 flat top boats. In a perfect world, 15 would be the magic number. The world's not perfect though and I don't see Ronald Reagan around to assist in that kind of build up. The IKE just got extended. The Nimitz's retirement was pushed back and now a supposed 2026 date is firm. Let's s...
Jump to postIt's just so strange when 763s with the same number of cycles and 40,000 more hours on them are in the queue for conversion. That's where I think a "smart" operation could be gobbling up MD-11s and running a tidy operation. Available at fire sale rates and still offering a ton for both do...
Jump to postN295UP ferried to ROW looks like 2 years out from its last heavy mx. 91k hours and 17k cycles as of last December. The most interesting movement seems to be Air bridge 748F VP-BIN ferrying out of Moscow bac to the lessor at PVG. Wonder where she'll fly next? 295 is done. she is retired. It's just s...
Jump to postI wonder how much life those B767-200 have left. Are we talking in general or just the Amerijet ones? If the latter I haven't seen an AJY 762F up since they apparently lost their final DHL route, which was a CVG-SLC daily a few months back. As for 762Fs in general I think CAM sees them as good spar...
Jump to postwhich the AF is gobbling up Which Shanahan's DoD forced on them. In the 21st century, the F-15 has the same problem as the Hornet, they both lack stealth. They are both obsolete. Well, looks like you hooked your ride right from the get go. https://www.realcleardefense.com/2024/02/14/air_national_gu...
Jump to postLook at the first jets into Afghanistan for the USN. 3 squadrons of up to date F/A-18Cs and 1 squadron of 1972-1973 production F-14As. Guess which squadron lead the strike missions???? You may be saying this implicitly, but wasn't that partly because the F-14As had an absolute advantage over the F/...
Jump to postI'm pretty sure for most naval missions an F-35 is much better than an F-18, so why are you all anti-F-35? F-35 production is at maximum rate. If the US Navy wanted 50 additional F-35C before 2030 then another customer will have to go without. You are robbing Peter to pay Paul. I'm not saying you'r...
Jump to postCongratulations to Ethiopian and Boeing. I look forward to seeing the 777-9 in Ethiopian colors.
Jump to postI think the biggest takeaway of today's order is that (at least on the mainline side of things), this is 100% an expansion order. Not replacements. There will be a replacement order for the early gen 737-800's, A319's, A320s, and 777-200ER announced later this decade. Many people were expecting tha...
Jump to postOn the Air Wing side, (which is the whole reason for having the boats), operating for so long, with less than needed just adds stress. I would like to see someone step up and ask Congress for the $$$ to fund an additional Air Wing operationally and for the purchases up front. We need 48 Super Horne...
Jump to postI think the biggest takeaway of today's order is that (at least on the mainline side of things), this is 100% an expansion order. Not replacements. There will be a replacement order for the early gen 737-800's, A319's, A320s, and 777-200ER announced later this decade. Many people were expecting tha...
Jump to postWow...we discussed what a "win" would be for each manufacturer. Boeing getting 737-10s ordered was one of them. This was "supposed" to be majority A321s and then some 737-8s... The 737-10 getting ordered and garnering 50% of the order against the A321 is very interesting. Nobody ...
Jump to postEvery extension is fraught with uncertainties. Those 50 year old carriers have multiple points of possible failure. It happened to the Nimitz just a couple years ago after her yard time, resulting in another few months of delay. These events push other carriers, in return, to delay their yard time....
Jump to postPray tell, just what efforts and resources are you proposing that can get the job done? I follow navy and civilian marine facility and personnel assets fairly closely - they're booked. The Navy itself was about 7000 people short of recruiting goals in 2023. FIFTO is not a solution, which we need. S...
Jump to postIt is hard to get the message over, but until there is another dry dock or two, and shipyards can find more skilled workers 'whatever efforts' won't work. ps Naval Base Kitsap is getting ready to plan (not build yet) another drydock. I completely understand what you are saying. Other efforts will t...
Jump to postA good start and glad to see it.
Jump to postThe most latest reports seem to fall far more in line with what has been rumored for a while. It also follows AA's narrowbody makeup over the past several years. Honestly, the A350 rumor article just came out of left field and was a little "odd". An order for 60 A321s and 40 737-8s would b...
Jump to post[threeid][/threeid]
I think we could see a split on the narrowbody for Boeing and Airbus. Hard time seeing Boeing not be in a widebody order as AA just deferred 787s.
bennett123 wrote:Surely there are cheaper ways to knock down drones.
We do have dry dock and manning issues but discussing the shortfall doesn't fix the overall shortfall of flat tops and Air Wings. Let's discuss how we fix the shortfall, not the issues that may inhibit us getting where we need to be. The current carriers need to be extended through whatever efforts ...
Jump to postThe next 10-15 years course has been set. 1: Buy more new UH-60Ms under a long term contract. Stop the UH-60V refurbishment. So the Blackhawk continues to be a critical asset and plankholder. New metal, not refurbished. 2: Green light on newer Block CH-47s. New machines and a massive turnaround from...
Jump to postCongratulations to Thai Airways and Boeing. The 787 is truly a beast and just getting started.
Jump to postATI is possibly getting ready to strike. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/pilots-at-amazon-s-biggest-air-cargo-carrier-mulling-strike/ar-BB1hWHnU?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=fc1bdc3327d64130b4d63b737f5344f3&ei=63 I'm sure Purple and Brown management are sharing a six pack and watching how that...
Jump to postBoeing does not operate the Dreamlifters themselves, they just own the planes. Operations are contracted out to Atlas Air. Nothing about the Air Mail Act of 1934 prevents the LCF from being certified for non-Boeing cargo…Boeing could do so and sell LCF conversions to third parties for all regulator...
Jump to postPurchase of an additional factory built 747-400F for the Challenge Group. Unknown where the aircraft is being procured from at this time. Scheduled to provide service between Europe and Asia https://theloadstar.com/challenge-group-acquires-new-boeing-747-400f-aircraft/ It's a former Singapore/Air A...
Jump to postIs there anything that prevents Boeing from recertificating the 747LCFs to handle non-Boeing freight? "The Air Mail Act of 1934 restructured the air mail system. Aviation holding companies were dissolved and airlines were separated from aircraft manufacturers." Boeing does not operate the...
Jump to postI thought Israel banned four engined AC to and from its airports. They reversed it, because it was stupid. https://www.aircargonews.net/airlines/freighter-operator/challenge-airlines-welcomes-u-turn-on-israels-four-engine-aircraft-ban/ You win the prize of making me spit my coffee all over my compu...
Jump to postIgnoring that the article is over two years old, what is "sub-optimal", what "regulatory issues" did it raise and how is it bad for "international relations"? Air Mail Act of 1934. Vertical integration of manufacturers and operators. Is there anything that prevents Boe...
Jump to postPurchase of an additional factory built 747-400F for the Challenge Group. Unknown where the aircraft is being procured from at this time. Scheduled to provide service between Europe and Asia
https://theloadstar.com/challenge-group ... -aircraft/
Airbus is about to replace the dormant Antonovs with Belugas. The FAA has given green light for those operations. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-01-25/airbus-launches-cargo-airline-beluga-fleet That is sub-optimal and it is going to raise some regulatory issues if Boeing...
Jump to post2 Bones frees up others to focus elsewhere. The Swordsmen, Rampagers, Gunfighters, Wildcats and Zappers were busy in Yemen.
Jump to postKudos to the information and professionalism demonstrated in this. I'd take a Blackhawk pilot over a smiley and fake CEO anyday.
Jump to postMOL made a very wise move. UA made a ton of noise and put things into the news. All Boeing could do was sit and take it. MOL though stole all of UA's leverage against Boeing by saying, hey the 737-10 is a stud and I'll take every one ANYONE else doesn't want. So now, MOL potentially gets earlier 737...
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