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A-Pool info

FLGUY

“Technique only”
pilot
Contributor
There's been a few changes to how A-Pool works in the last few months, so I thought I'd give everybody the current gouge, current as of February, 2017.

Muster: You will muster in the auditorium every weekday at 0700 in khakis. Coming in late will likely result in you getting voluntold to watch someone piss, or to stand in doorways to the building, asking for people to show their CACs. Every day the lead Ensigns ask for volunteers to do various jobs. If nobody volunteers, they just pick random people in very creative ways. You will most likely be chosen for something eventually. Volunteering for a stash job while in A-Pool (working at the museum, in the flight management office, or even over at NETC) can get you out of physically mustering on most days, and only requires you to call and phone muster. If that kinda thing interests you, ask the lead ensigns.

APIT: Which is the Command's term for the PRT that is conducted on the chip trail, will now be administered upon check-in, starting this month. The APIT consists of your usual Push-ups, Curl-ups, and a 1.5 mile run on the chip trail. You must score a "good low" for each event in order to pass. Failing to do so results in a "Pink Sheet", and you being put into a "PT hold" type thing where they work you out for a few weeks and give you another shot. The chip trail is .5 miles long, so you need to run three laps. It adds a bit of time onto your normal run score, due to the terrain and congestion of running on a relatively narrow path. The APIT will no longer be conducted on the first Friday of API, as the above mentioned one will suffice.

PT: NASC requires all A-poolers to PT in the gym Monday Wednesday Friday from 0800-0900. It is ran by a few civillian trainers, and the exercises range from sprints, and seemingly endless sets of push-ups and planks, to.....line dancing. And no, I'm not kidding.

IFS: If you have a Private Pilot's licenses, you will automatically be classified as a "validator". This simply means you will skip IFS. You can not opt-in to IFS if you have a license, as they check the FAA database. If you have a decent amount of hours, but no license, you have to show your logbook to the IFS folks and they determine whether or not you will skip IFS. If you need IFS, you will be put onto the "awaiting IFS" list. Studs typically class up around roughly 20ish per week for IFS, so you will most likely not be waiting too long. Once in IFS, you leave A-pool and are not required to muster or go to command PT until you finish IFS. Upon completing IFS, you are put onto the "Awaiting API" list, and resume normal A-pool. functions. If you were a validator, you go straight to the "Awaiting API list" upon check-in. This usually results in you classing up a month-ish early, compared to those who do IFS and checked in the same week as you.

NSS: NASC currently requires a 35 NSS average to pass API.

Pink Sheets: Don't get these. Two gets you a PRB, and three means you are kicked out of aviation. Can be awarded in IFS, API, or even from doing stupid things in A pool.

NAMI: The flight physical here is usually viewed as easier than previous ones from your various commissioning sources. If you had no issues before, you will likely not have any here. If you had any issues with previous flight physicals, work with NAMI. We've seen multiple people fight for their slots after being given a bad examination in their ROTC/OCS/Academy flight physicals. People have gone from NFO back to Pilot (only if you had a previous issue that NAMI deemed incorrect or not important from previous flight physicals), people get DQ'ed from Pilot, but go NFO, and people change designators entirely. The docs here are pretty good about working with you if you have any issues. Fight for your career if you have to, even if it takes you an extra 6 months in A-pool waiting on a waiver or redesignation. You've made it this far.

Overall, its a pretty relaxing time. Commonly referred to as the last time you will ever have this much freedom/social life/lack of stress before flight school. It ranges from a few weeks, to many months, so enjoy it while it lasts.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Do any of the prior NASC types have any insight as to why API insists on doing the chip trail PFA vice on a running track or a road? Seems oddly anachronistic.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Do any of the prior NASC types have any insight as to why API insists on doing the chip trail PFA vice on a running track or a road? Seems oddly anachronistic.

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Really though I imagine it's rationalized as NSS maintenance. It never came up during my time in the schoolhouse.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Meh, if the twenty-somethings can't score a "good low" then they have bigger problems to worry about.
Totally agree with you and @Uncle Fester on both points. I could care less about the "it slows me down" whine, it just seems odd that they'd bother to keep maintaining it when any road will do.
 

FLGUY

“Technique only”
pilot
Contributor
While on the subject, the current gouge going around is that your APIT/PRT/Whateveryoucallit score is averaged into 6% of your API NSS. I haven't heard it from the DIVOs specifically, but does that sound about right from those of you who have been here as staff?
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
While on the subject, the current gouge going around is that your APIT/PRT/Whateveryoucallit score is averaged into 6% of your API NSS. I haven't heard it from the DIVOs specifically, but does that sound about right from those of you who have been here as staff?

Sounds about right.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Do any of the prior NASC types have any insight as to why API insists on doing the chip trail PFA vice on a running track or a road? Seems oddly anachronistic.

Probably the same reason they kept the O Course around for decades, another filter to screen people out. The O Course was finally done in by the USAF, they had too many folks fail or get injured and NPQ'd on it so it went away as a requirement followed a year or two later with it being swept away in one of the hurricanes.
 

Duc'-guy25

Well-Known Member
pilot
Totally agree with you and @Uncle Fester on both points. I could care less about the "it slows me down" whine, it just seems odd that they'd bother to keep maintaining it when any road will do.

Who says they maintain it? Last time I ran it didn't look like it had been maintained since they had Tomcats.
 

hscs

Registered User
pilot
Probably the same reason they kept the O Course around for decades, another filter to screen people out. The O Course was finally done in by the USAF, they had too many folks fail or get injured and NPQ'd on it so it went away as a requirement followed a year or two later with it being swept away in one of the hurricanes.
Yeah the straw that broke the back for USAF was a leg break that rivaled Joe Theismann's
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Probably the same reason they kept the O Course around for decades, another filter to screen people out. The O Course was finally done in by the USAF, they had too many folks fail or get injured and NPQ'd on it so it went away as a requirement followed a year or two later with it being swept away in one of the hurricanes.
Did that O-Course in Aircrew School. An absolute ass kicker, but it was definitely a big confidence bump.
 
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