On the last day of classes, after their final class, graduating seniors at the Air Force Academy jump into the fountain on the Terrazo (Quad) while still in uniform.

My daughter and her fiance taking their jump:

Going to school here, and not there, what is their reasoning for the flight suit vs BDU's?

Canyon- congrats to her! I'm sure some of my players needed life-jackets and arm floaties though...

Thanks ph. I didn't know folks used the floaties and such. For comic effect only, the fountains are what, 2 foot deep?

Nav - she was scheduled to fly that day. Flight suit is for powered flight, glider or parachute training.

Class of 2011 is the last class in those BDUs. All following classes changed to something else. ACU maybe? I forget the acronyms.

Another point of explanation. The yellow (gold) caps are issued and worn during BCT (Basic Cadet Training) the summer before their freshman year. When the academic year starts, the caps are pretty much retired until their senior year, when the caps are worn for a few special days. Like the last day of class.

Each class has their own color, either gold, red, blue or silver. Class of 2011 is a Gold class, and when the class of 2015 shows up in June for BCT, they'll be the next Gold class.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 5/10/2011 8:36a).]

Ahhh, okay. From what you mentioned, we have something similar to each of those.


Their new uniform would be ABU's.

Canyon - congrats for your daughter. Maybe if she ends up dealing with nukes she'll run into ADjr.

too young

Oh the irony of USAFA uniforms

What's the irony?

Yea, what he said. I mean, I want to laugh and all..

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What's the irony?

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"We need the latest and greatest camouflage so we can hide in the... uh... middle of an air base.

Really crappy to do this on Canyon's thread about his daughter.

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We need the latest and greatest camouflage so we can hide in the... uh... middle of an air base.

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You may have heard me say this before, but my brother is a LTC in the Chair Force (his term, not mine). One of his biggest gripes is the lack of their own uniforms for that exact reason! Woodland BDU's on a paved airstrip!

But still, congrats to your daughter Canyon! Awesome!

[This message has been edited by Say Chowdah (edited 5/11/2011 6:47p).]

The Air Force has it's own uniform. Maybe you should tell your brother. I'm pretty sure it will be required for everyone soon.

Oh and sorry I didn't say it sooner but congrats, Canyon! You should be very proud of your daughter!

[This message has been edited by redcrayon (edited 5/11/2011 7:05p).]

hardly anyone on active duty wears the BDU's anymore. I think it's this Oct when everyone is required to switch over to ABUs. I never wear my BDUs and guess it's time to breakdown and buy ABUs

^ So if you aren't wearing BDUs, and you don't have any ABUs, what, exactly, are you wearing to work?

Thanks, she did it all herself. The comments don't bother me, I just didn't catch the joke. And as I said, the class of 2011 was the last to be issued the woodland pattern. All the lower classes have made the switch. I think the new LTs have another year or two before the new ABU (or whatever) will be required.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 5/11/2011 9:44p).]

Congratulations. I think a lot of the Academies. I'd be very proud of my kid if they got a pilot slot out of the academy. Too bad she won't be a rotor head. They make for great folk.

I didn't get the irony either. Infantry aside..Most people don't leave the FOB or airfield much, and if they do, they aren't exactly hiding out in the bush.

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The Air Force has it's own uniform. Maybe you should tell your brother.

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I'm sure he knows this. But thank you. Our conversation was 3 years ago.

ABU's:

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One of his biggest gripes is the lack of their own uniforms

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Sorry. Your use of the present tense in the quote above confused me. I'm sure he's already wearing the new USAF ABU's.

My vernacular was based on the fact that I was unaware of the uniform change. This makes him happy I am sure. It addressed all the things he complained about. He said the uniform should provide cover in a paved/urban environment rather than a woodland environment as the average Airman isn't in that situation frequently.

[This message has been edited by Say Chowdah (edited 5/11/2011 10:33p).]

And they're wash and wear!

Hey - I starched my BDU's in basic training! That was a very long time ago!

1st; flightsuit

OP, congrats to your daughter.

That ABU or whatever looks like a total abortion. I know the Marines kind of got things started by going to their own camo pattern, but wow at least it was done right. The Army's ACU looks terrible to me, and the Navy's smurf cammies are almost too ridiculous to insult. I just feel bad for the guys stuck wearing it.

Since I started this thread to brag on my daughter, I thought I would resurrect it rather than start a new one. My junior birdman, returning from her first solo


. by ., on Flickr

Now's she's back at her permanent base, ready to start UPT. Wow.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 9/14/2011 8:05a).]

Does DOSS Tx, know she's flying their airplane?

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Most people don't leave the FOB or airfield much

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I think of it more as we're TRAPPED here.

Nice, I learned to fly fixed wing in a DA20 (Diamond) aircraft. They are great birds and much more user friendly than Cessnas. Hope she enjoyed it.

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Does DOSS Tx, know she's flying their airplane?

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Yes, I know about the epic Doss thread on the Outdoor Board, and the name cracked me up, too. I even had some Doss stickers from TexAgs, but I couldn't find them in time to send them to her at Pueblo.

Fly-

I think the Katana was nice enough, but with the Pueblo airport at 4,726 msl, its 125hp motor was less than impressive.

The weird thing is that she soloed from the right seat. I couldn't figure out why students were on the right until I checked out Wiki

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DA20 C-1 "Falcon"
Military trainer version. Powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) Continental IO-240-B engine. Instruments moved in front of the right seat, where the student sits. This puts the stick in the student's right hand and throttle in the left, similar to fighter aircraft

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I missed this thread the first time around. Congratulations - I can't believe it's been four years already. I can only imagine how proud you must be.

Sometimes I really miss that place.

Interesting...I found it a little weird to have the throttle in my right hand at first. The aircraft doesn't need all that much HP, makes you a better pilot...like a Huey does.

The really perplexing thing about the new ABU for the air force. They aren't fire retardent.

So in Afghanistan if you are going off base you ahve to be wearing fire retardent clothing. So you either have to go get a flight suit, or you are issued army ABU's (similiar, just different pattern)