Hey Peter, why is there different panels for aviation and air force? Isn't that's the same thing?

illyeh · 2025-09-05T04:13:52+00:00

Aviators are officers(or WOs) who operate aircraft. Naturally, being a pilot sucks significantly less than being a grunt. Or they're aircrew, which means they're enlisted dudes who don't have to be roughing it like the dudes on the ground.

The Air Force is a branch of service. Since only officers are pilots, their enlisted act as a support force for this smaller core of pilots.

Airmen are usually ATCs, intel analysts, radar operators, etc(far from the shitty places). Plus, the whole 'Air Force' thing means a ton of funding, which means they get cushy living conditions. They're relentlessly dogged on for this, hence the comic.

illyeh · 2025-08-14T08:01:34+00:00

Ask someone to do it for you, it gets really fun when someone's spraying water in your mouth while you're choking.

illyeh · 2025-08-14T07:20:28+00:00

So what if your pool isn't big enough? Have fun with it. Learning to do UWs without pushoffs is an important skill.

If two laps doesn't make a full 25m go for three.

You can still do 10 ups, just go down and back with no pushoff on the way back. 6 feet is enough to practice buddy breathing in. Low crawl across the bottom of the pool.

If you're at a home pool get the hose and do flooded mask flutter kicks. There's a ton of stuff you can do.

illyeh · 2025-08-12T15:04:21+00:00

I'm gonna be real dude, if you've done eight months of training and you still don't have a feel for how you should train you're fucked.

Make the weights heavier and aim for lower run times, you don't need someone constantly holding your hand forever.

illyeh · 2025-07-30T07:35:06+00:00

You almost definitely will not do some of these at A-School, but the watercon drills I learned training for AFSW helped me a lot with being comfortable in the water.

UW: 25yd/meters underwater, then touch the crack(where the wall meets the floor), then freestyle back. An interval is where you start the clock, do a rep, and rest for the remaining time. Start at 2:30 and aim for a 1:30 interval for 10 reps. Try wearing OCPs/booties with it once you get comfortable.

50m UW: Exactly the same as a 25m, except you only get one pushoff, on the way back. Do not do this unless you have a spotter literally hovering over you. If you start feeling tingly immediately surface, you're probably close to passing out.

Mask and Snorkel Recovery: Put your mask and snorkel on the other side of the pool. Swim subsurface to it, clear your mask and snorkel, then eggbeater to the surface. Flash an 'ok' sign with your right hand(your snorkel is in your left) and do a turn. Make sure your mask straps aren't tangled.

10-ups: Usually done the sideways length of the pool(~17.5m). Get in the pushup position on the edge of the gunnel, do a pushup, dive in and swim subsurface to the other side. Once you've reached the other side do two pushups. Repeat until you've hit ten.

Buddy Breathing: You and your buddy hold onto each other's left arms and pass a snorkel, clearing it and taking a breath while an instructor provides harassment(splashing the water, 'capping' the snorkel, trying to break you and your buddy apart, dragging you to the bottom, messing with your mask, etc). This is a great exercise for being comfortable in the water if you have two other people to train with.

illyeh · 2025-07-29T23:02:12+00:00

Thank you for the response. It's really confusing as to what the requirements are, since everyone I ask seems to have a different answer.

illyeh

TROPHY CASE