Airplanes

[GyroF-16]

And we're back to how it depends on how contested the environment is over that particular patch of battlefield. A drone may be less optimal, but it's cheaper than spending muli-million dollar pilots & aircraft.

Also, how much of current CAS targeting is eyeball alone? And wasn't a major fault of the various friendly fire incidents with the A-10 due to a lack of sensors?

There probably have been some friendly-fire incidents with all CAS platforms. For the last 15+ years, A-10s have had better targeting pods than I trained with back when I learned CAS. I’m not saying ONLY eyeballs, but having the eyeballs, brain, and other sensors all over the target area will provide the best tools for maximizing SA and safe, effective weapons employment.

[Trigger]

I vote to pony up now and buy more capability for the “Highly Contested” environment. You and I are some of the younger guys to have flown in an IADS and seen real SAM launches.
I think the next real conflict will be with Iran, China, or Russia (or some combination thereof), and we won’t be able to employ airpower with impunity, as we’ve come to believe is our national birthright.
I’d rather pay more dollars now than more blood later.

I dunno Gyro, NGAD is going to be prohibitively expensive. To get the range, payload and endurance they want, the thing is going to be the size of an F111, and I’ll bet it will cost $600M including R&D. If we are having difficulty buying F-35As at $85M a copy, I can’t see us buying very many 6th Gen NGADs.

[Trigger]

There probably have been some friendly-fire incidents with all CAS platforms. For the last 15+ years, A-10s have had better targeting pods than I trained with back when I learned CAS. I’m not saying ONLY eyeballs, but having the eyeballs, brain, and other sensors all over the target area will provide the best tools for maximizing SA and safe, effective weapons employment.

The irony here is the best FAC-A platform will be the F-35. With its robust 5th-Gen sensor suite, it can find/fix better than A-10s/F-16s with Advanced Targeting Pods and eyeballs. Plus the datalink is better. The EOTS (EO Tgt Pod) is not as good as Sniper/Litening, but it is getting there. The DAS is great day and night, and there is good fusion between the EOTS and the MFA (radar). It has great endurance, great survivability at medium altitude, and can be the FAC/traffic cop for all the other delivery platforms. However, There is a bunch of institutional inertia holding it back from this mission. We shall see in time.

[Caballoflaco]

First B-21 flight…

https://twitter.com/@twitter/status/1723000724987007104

[Caballoflaco]

https://twitter.com/@twitter/status/1724885454577631433

[GJM]

Coast Guard crash in AK:

https://www.flyingmag.com/coast-guar...ska-rescue-op/

[GJM]

We spent Monday thru Wednesday this week training in a MD500E at MD Helicopters in Mesa. Our instructor is Rappo, a twenty year friend, who started his career at Bell, and then flew a 500 in SE Alaska, before joining MD. Rappo is a world class instructor and every minute with him is a delight. The 500 is like a Ferrari, and doing some loss of control maneuvers like settling with power and loss of tail Roger effectiveness with an uncommanded turn to the right is very Extra 300 like, in terms of how fast the ship rotates. We are back this coming M-W, and can't wait.

[Suvorov]

We spent Monday thru Wednesday this week training in a MD500E at MD Helicopters in Mesa. Our instructor is Rappo, a twenty year friend, who started his career at Bell, and then flew a 500 in SE Alaska, before joining MD. Rappo is a world class instructor and every minute with him is a delight. The 500 is like a Ferrari, and doing some loss of control maneuvers like settling with power and loss of tail Roger effectiveness with an uncommanded turn to the right is very Extra 300 like, in terms of how fast the ship rotates. We are back this coming M-W, and can't wait.

I’ve always wondered how the 500 flies compared to the Jet Ranger? Obviously the two are similar on paper but I always found it worth noting that the 160th SOAR opted for the 500 over the Bell when the Kiowa as already on the books. I have also heard said that Lady Bird Johnson’s stock in Textron may have had something to do with the Jet Ranger becoming the Kiowa. Nothing of this take away from my admiration of the Jet Ranger but does make me wonder as other than a few observer rides, my helicopter knowledge it relegated to the Rotor Flight Manual, Microsoft Flight Sim, and Radio Control

I envy you rotor heads…….

[TC215]

We spent Monday thru Wednesday this week training in a MD500E at MD Helicopters in Mesa. Our instructor is Rappo, a twenty year friend, who started his career at Bell, and then flew a 500 in SE Alaska, before joining MD. Rappo is a world class instructor and every minute with him is a delight. The 500 is like a Ferrari, and doing some loss of control maneuvers like settling with power and loss of tail Roger effectiveness with an uncommanded turn to the right is very Extra 300 like, in terms of how fast the ship rotates. We are back this coming M-W, and can't wait.

I’ve got several hours in a 500 and an OH-6. I had a much easier time with them (and their lack of hydraulically-boosted controls) than the Jetrangers and L-models I’ve flown.

[mmc45414]

I’ve always wondered how the 500 flies compared to the Jet Ranger? Obviously the two are similar on paper but I always found it worth noting that the 160th SOAR opted for the 500 over the Bell when the Kiowa as already on the books.

I really enjoyed this audiobook by 160th pilot Greg Coker, if you like the 500 you might enjoy it also. And it is always a bonus when it is narrated by the author, IMO.

my helicopter knowledge it relegated to the Rotor Flight Manual, Microsoft Flight Sim, and Radio Control

I also really enjoy this thread but from time to time need to remind myself I am an unrated schumk with ~15hr in a Citabria and maybe only three solo flights...