What exactly is this role? The job description doesn’t tell me a lot about the day to day. Anyone done a similar role and can share?
I’ve heard that improv is a great thing to do to build confidence and think quick on your feet. I’m thinking of starting to improve in my personal and professional life. Is that true? What has been your guys experience and journey when it comes to improv?
I honestly still can't believe I'm typing this, but I just got the word that I was selected for a pilot slot!
The waiting process has been absolute torture, and there were so many moments where I convinced myself my scores weren’t high enough or that I messed up something in my interview.
Just wanted to give a massive thank you to everyone in this sub. The advice on AFOQT prep, TBAS tips, and just the general sanity checks during the waiting periods kept me grounded.
To everyone else still in the pipeline or waiting on a board: don’t lose hope. Put in the work, study for the tests, and don't count yourself out.
Next stop: OTS and UPT! See you guys in the skies. 🫡
Hey everyone, still shaking a little bit while writing this from my gate at MIA. I just had the absolute weirdest and most terrifying experience of my life and I need to know if this is standard procedure or if I’m now on some kind of government watch list.
I’m currently flying to Bogotá, Colombia for a street photography trip (connecting through Miami). I’m a freelance graphic designer, totally clean record, never even had a speeding ticket.
I was going through security at my home airport, put my backpack through the X-ray, and everything stalled out. The TSA agent (guy named Harris) calls over his supervisor, they start squinting at the screen, and then Harris looks at me and says, "Step over here, please."
Instead of just doing a bag search at the table like they normally do, he grabs my backpack and tells me to follow him. I had to awkwardly shuffle down this secure hallway holding my shoes and laptop to my chest like an idiot.
They take me into this tiny, windowless concrete room with just a metal table and a couple of plastic chairs. A supervisor named Vega comes in and starts hit hitting me with the heavy questions: Where are you going? What’s the purpose of your trip? Did you pack this bag yourself? Did anyone ask you to carry anything? I was sweating bullets because her tone was so intense.
Then Harris snaps on some rubber gloves and starts pulling out my gear. Out of the side pocket, he pulls this heavy, cylindrical object wrapped completely in black electrical tape.
Instantly, the supervisor locks eyes with me and her whole vibe changes. I panicked for a second because I genuinely forgot I put it in there — it was a vintage 1970s Soviet camera lens (a Helios 44-2) that I literally bought on eBay last week. The seller from Ukraine had wrapped it in layers of tape to protect it during shipping, and I just tossed it in my bag before leaving.
They used shears to cut the tape open right in front of me. I thought for sure I was going to jail if the seller had hidden something inside it. Fortunately, it was just the lens.
The supervisor completely relaxed, sighed, and told me that the "dense lead-glass and heavy brass casing" of old Soviet lenses completely blocks the X-ray, so on their screens, it just looks like a solid, shielded mass (which apparently looks like an explosive component). She told me next time I must take vintage glass out of my bag and put it in a separate bin.
They let me go and I had to sprint to my gate with my shoes untied.
Has this happened to anyone else traveling with old camera gear? Am I flagged in their system now? I’m terrified for my return flight or what’s going to happen when I go through customs in Colombia.
I understand that it’s been historically competitive, but has anything changed in the last few years? It’s been a dream of mine to fly fighter jets and want to give it a go, but only if it’s realistic.
I just got married in September and miss being single. It’s a persistent thought and I feel guilty or like I rushed into marriage and potentially made a mistake.