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Random questions about API

JonSmith89

Another 60R Driver
pilot
If I am moving myself to Pensacola alone for IFS and API, but having my wife and kid join me in Whiting for Primary (assuming that's where I will go for Primary) will I have to pay out of pocket to get them there?

As someone said, you will get some reimbursement (gas, etc) for your families travel. That being said, make sure they save all of their receipts. I didn't get paperwork for this until I checked into Whiting.
 

IronDuke

New Member
Hello everyone. Excuse me if this has been answered on another thread. After OCS when you head down to Pcola, where do you initially live? Do you stay on base until you find housing or should that be taken care of prior to reporting?
 

JonSmith89

Another 60R Driver
pilot
You can try to take care of it prior to coming down, but most likely you will be in the BOQ (Navy lodge/Gateway Inn). If you're not married you'll have plenty of opportunities to find roommates. If married I would look around earlier so you can be prepared. Hope this helps and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Hello everyone. Excuse me if this has been answered on another thread. After OCS when you head down to Pcola, where do you initially live? Do you stay on base until you find housing or should that be taken care of prior to reporting?
 

IronDuke

New Member
You can try to take care of it prior to coming down, but most likely you will be in the BOQ (Navy lodge/Gateway Inn). If you're not married you'll have plenty of opportunities to find roommates. If married I would look around earlier so you can be prepared. Hope this helps and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Thanks for the info! Just gotta make it through OCS first.
 

JollyGood

Flashing Dome
pilot
Hello everyone. Excuse me if this has been answered on another thread. After OCS when you head down to Pcola, where do you initially live? Do you stay on base until you find housing or should that be taken care of prior to reporting?

During Candio Phase of OCS, you will have internet access along with your cell phone. That way you can find some places to live and maybe line up a few roommates from your OCS class who will be heading down to Pensacola as well.
 

Journey1985

New Member
Son called this morning because he didn't pass his fitness test at the start of API. Apparently the heat and humidity really affected his time and ability to finish. I'm guessing he was also not keeping up with his fitness while going through IFS. He said that getting a pink slip for fitness failure today eliminates all hope he may have had to redesignate to pilot in the future. He also indicated that it would also hurt him when it came time to select aircraft for primary as an NFO. Is this all really true?
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
Son called this morning because he didn't pass his fitness test at the start of API. Apparently the heat and humidity really affected his time and ability to finish. I'm guessing he was also not keeping up with his fitness while going through IFS. He said that getting a pink slip for fitness failure today eliminates all hope he may have had to redesignate to pilot in the future. He also indicated that it would also hurt him when it came time to select aircraft for primary as an NFO. Is this all really true?

It probably eliminates the .001% chance he had of re-designating from NFO to pilot in API itself, but probably not forever. NFO to pilot is a difficult transition to make in general. If he applies for it they would be more concerned with his performance in flight school and the fleet than an API failure.

As to the second question, an NFO will have to answer, but my guess would be no. Again, they will be more concerned with his NSS in primary and the quality spread (not sending everyone with the highest grades to the same platform).
 

utswimmer37

"Descent Planning"
pilot
API counts for something like half a flight in the overall NSS so primary will be the tell all for him. His worry right now shouldn't be the platform he gets as much as if he will finish API. You get three pinks and you're out or you make things extremely hard on yourself. Two failures in the same event can be a killer too so light a fire under him.
 

JonSmith89

Another 60R Driver
pilot
What Brenbuck said. NFO to Pilot in API is hard enough as it is, however there are NFO to Pilot board that he can apply for down the road should he decide to.


Aircraft selection shouldn't really be impacted by the PT failure on that terrible chip trail. Tell him to pass the PT stuff (he can do it) and perform well in API academics and more so in Primary when he gets there. Good luck.


Son called this morning because he didn't pass his fitness test at the start of API. Apparently the heat and humidity really affected his time and ability to finish. I'm guessing he was also not keeping up with his fitness while going through IFS. He said that getting a pink slip for fitness failure today eliminates all hope he may have had to redesignate to pilot in the future. He also indicated that it would also hurt him when it came time to select aircraft for primary as an NFO. Is this all really true?
 

Journey1985

New Member
Thanks for your comments everyone. He gets that a switch to pilot is a slim chance but he had it in his mind that he was doomed for the remainder of his career and I was having a hard time believing that.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Thanks for your comments everyone. He gets that a switch to pilot is a slim chance but he had it in his mind that he was doomed for the remainder of his career and I was having a hard time believing that.

Doomed? No. As others said, API is a very minor part of your overall NSS and PT score is a minor part of your API grade. It won't impact his platform selection at all.

However comma. I was an API instructor for a few years and sat on quite a few boards, and when you have a bad day academically or flight-side, the less pink in your record, the better. Especially failing stuff like PFAs. It's the difference between a board/skipper/commodore looking at your jacket and thinking "seems like a good student who just had a bad day or isn't quite getting a concept" and "what a dirtbag".

Yeah, yeah, I know...heat and humidity and the NASC chip trail sucks. It's still a requirement and has been since the Earth cooled. What happens is, kids finish the Academy or OCS or whatnot and drop their PT regimen, because the Fleet standards look so much easier than wherever they commissioned. It doesn't take but a few months of beer and Gulf Coast fried delights and no gym before those Fleet standards suddenly become a lot more challenging. I speak from experience on that one. I remember huffing my way around that chip trail in August when I was an API stud, going "what the hell's going on?" I passed, but it wasn't pretty.

So let this be a wakeup call for your boy. I'm in most things all for the philosophy of "if the minimum wasn't good enough, it wouldn't be the minimum," but not in flight school. He should try to crush everything he can crush, because there will be bad days and rough spots, and reputation proceeds you.
 

Dangy

Pew pew pew
pilot
I failed my PIT run by 3 seconds. Apparently, you still had to run the chip trail even if it's in a middle of a thunderstorm... Still got a ass chewing. But I kept my head up.

One pink sheet isn't so bad. It's not the end of the world. Like utswimmer said, the entire API program counts for half a flight at primary. He just has to keep pressing on and focus on that prized flight suit. The way I look at it, he is still on track to become an aviator until brass says otherwise.
 

Donald Auld

Member
Hello all, I was selected SNA in the June 30 board. I've heard tons of different stories about how you aircraft selection goes. Is it basically your "ranked" best to worst in API, then told the needs of big navy and you make an aircraft selection in order by "rankings" based on needs?
 
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