The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the commercial airline industry means Air Force pilot retention—a big problem earlier in the year—is in a relatively good position, but the service still needs to prepare for empty cockpits when the economy comes back.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., speaking Oct. 28 at the virtual Airlift/Tanker Association Conference, said the downturn in the industry means USAF is doing a “pretty good” job keeping its pilots around. Before the pandemic hit in March, the service said it was still short about 2,100 pilots. Brown did not provide an update on that number, but said, “Retention is always a challenge, it ebbs and flows with the economy.”
The Air Force keeps a chart that has a “red line” showing the amount of pilots it needs, and a “blue line” showing how many pilots it has, and “those lines never meet,” he added.
Brown is meeting with the A3 Operations, Plans, and Requirements office to determine steps to take, and the upcoming aircrew summit in December will include discussions on issues such as the shortfall. While he doesn’t have a “crystal ball” to predict the Air Force’s specific steps in the future, the service is undergoing some steps now to alleviate the potential return of a big pilot shortfall.
Specifically, the Air Force is focused on production. “If you produce more, retention becomes less of a problem,” he said.
Air Education and Training Command is pushing ahead on initiatives such as Pilot Training Next and Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5, using new technologies like virtual reality to streamline pilot training. These steps “help in some cases with production,” he said.
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While we all know snacking on healthy things, like fresh produce, is good for us, it’s not always the most fun. Trust me, I get it. I grew up in a household with a mom who was an absolute health nut. While I am forever grateful I was taught how to eat right and my mom taught me many valuable lessons when it came to health and nutrition, it is safe to say that I’m not always thrilled when my family and I decide to have grilled chicken breast and veggies for dinner.
With my background and how I was raised with the mindset that food should be used as fuel (and not as a way to entertain yourself), I have tried to take an alternative approach and merge the two for my own kids to show them it can be fun to eat healthy (and still enjoy the flavors) – because life is a balance!
Apples, for example, are extremely tasty and there are tons of different varieties to pick from. Plus, they come with a whole load of great health benefits (hello, quercetin!), but after eating an apple for the 100th day in a row, it’s okay to admit that things start to get a little boring. So that’s where our friend Chelsea from A Duck’s Oven and her magical Air Fryer Apples Chips recipe come into play.
Air Dior
These air fryer apple chips are the perfect (and easy) way to switch things up from your normal snacking routine. First, start with your favorite apple variety, and slice them up into thin rounds. In this case, Chelsea used our tropical Piñata® apples, but any variety will work. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and place them in the air fryer. Let them fry up (following the directions below) and voila! Air Fryer Apple Chips. Chelsea also created a delicious peanut butter yogurt dip that tastes wonderful paired with these apple chips.
So there you have it! A healthy, easy snack option that you can store easily to eat at a later date or snack on right now if you are feeling hungry! Watch the quick video below and let us know what you think of this recipe!
Ingredients
- Apple Chips
- 1 Stemilt Piñata® Apple
- Cinnamon
- Cooking Spray
- Dip
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
Air Diplomacy
Snacking can be fun and healthy with these easy Air Fried Apple Chips and Peanut Butter Yogurt dip.
Air Diplomacy
- Snack
Instructions
Air Diaper
- Thinly slice apple into rounds, removing seeds and hard parts of the core as you go.
- Sprinkle both sides of the apple slices with cinnamon.
- Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Add apple rounds to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 12-16 minutes, flipping apples every 4 minutes. Apples will “jump” while cooking! Cook time will depend on how thick apples are sliced. The apples still may feel “flexible” at the 16-minute point but will firm up while cooling.
- Make the dip: combine all dip ingredients in a small bowl.
- Serve apple chips with dip. Store apple chips in a zipper-top bag at room temperature.