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Frustrated, airsick, and miserable.

jabrodo

Active Member
A further update:

Nine flights later, I'm finally out of the C4100 block and back into the sims. Again everyone, thanks for the encouragement and advice!

...like you, barely passed a FPC as a student - then spent 22 straight years in the cockpit.

That might be the most valuable thing anybody here has said. I got myself in this mentality that I'm the only one that's struggling, and that nobody who's had success in their career struggled like me. Hanging out around the squadron this week I found out that two of my classmates are in some hot water as well, one for failing a check ride and the other for a RRU. So I'm not the only one.

I don't remember ever using my pedals except for spins and aero, for the most part. I know, I know..."something something don't fly with trim"...but the Trim Aid Device (TAD) really kicked ass in that plane. Just keep the ball in your scan a bit and if it starts to wander, throw some of those trim clicks at it and it should be fine.

I've started relying a bit less on the pedals, using them pretty much only on takeoff and for power-on stalls. Clicking the trim for cruising around and in the pattern has proven much easier and reliable.

Odie is legit. A fantastic stick and a great person.

Yeah, had him for a few of C3100's. Great guy.
 

AllYourBass

I'm okay with the events unfolding currently
pilot
A further update:
Hanging out around the squadron this week I found out that two of my classmates are in some hot water as well, one for failing a check ride and the other for a RRU.

Not that you're lacking for this advice (based on my following of this thread), but it's of paramount importance that you always show up prepared to brief. As you've seen, the monkey skills can hang you up sometimes, but those snags are often worked out and put behind you. Throughout Primary, Advanced and now in the FRS, I can't think of anything worse than failing a brief before you even get to the aircraft. It just sets such a bad tone for your record as a student. So keep up the hard work and always show up ready to lay that knowledge down :)
 

Mr Spenz

"Your brief saved your flight' - every IP
pilot
Not to be a dick here, but how did you get past your commissioning program? Judging by the fact you said midshipman my guess is NROTC. You have an engineering degree, awesome. But are you really trying to emulate an astronaut just because you have a fascination, I'm confused on that part.

I would advise you not to DOR, but please for others' sake try to figure out what you're doing and why you're there my 0.02.
Don't comment on something you know nothing about...not to be a dick.
 

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
I have an engineering degree as well, and I may have had the same aspirations that he had as well at some point. But by reading his post it seemed firsthand that he got the engineering degree because he wanted to be an astronaut and/or flyer, not because he wanted to be an engineer.

So I guess that would prove that the guy had the work ethic, intelligence, and motivation to achieve his goal of being a pilot? Sounds like a good thing to me, whether or not his purpose for choosing a specific undergrad degree (a largely meaningless piece of paper in this business) matched your criteria of being "correct". Best of luck OP, hang in there.
 

jabrodo

Active Member
This is, unfortunately, not the update I want to be posting.

So after completing the C4100 block, the C4200's & C4300's took me about four months to complete due to being low priority in scheduling (there a push to get out those close to completing around the end of the fiscal year), weather, plane and instructor availability, and hitting warm-up windows. C4200's went great, and 4301-04303 went pretty well too. Unfortunately, I had a quick turnaround between 4303 and 4304, stayed up too late studying, and just shit the bed in the pattern and was unable to finish flight.

I had a bad flight, that's it, but due to my particular circumstances that was the third strike in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs. It was probably going to happen eventually. This was back in the beginning of December and due to the holidays it took a bit longer to jump through all the administrative hoops. I'm now stashed and putting in a package for February POCR board and we'll see what happens.

I just wanted to post this update in case any of you were curious as to what was going on, to say thank you for the support and encouragement, and to sign off. It sucks, but I'm just not quite cut out to be a naval aviator. Further, I don't know how active I'll be on this site from now on, but this account is tied to an email I regularly use. If you happen to stumble across this thread years from now and find yourself in my position, feel free to message me.

Thanks again.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
Best of luck man. It's really not the end of the world. At the end of the day, it's just a job. I hope you get a job in the Navy that you want.
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Best of luck to you. It sounds like you gave it your all and have had a good attitude and hopefully the board will recognize that. Granted, every year and every board is different given needs of the Navy, but I've actually had a couple friends who've gotten to redesignate due to airsickness alone preventing them from finishing the syllabus. All I can say is work with your current chain of command with what you want and get them to be honest on what they think of you in terms of future naval service. It might work out, it might not, but be proud of what you've done.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. COL T.R. Roosevelt, USA

Good luck young man.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
Best of luck. I can only relate to you in the sense that I remember my friends at the time thought that it was the end of the world for them, and I can tell you that literally every single one of them has found success doing something else they enjoy: one guy became a high-up manager at a major retailer, another is a Ski-instructor and absolutely loves his life; another opened his own Real Estate company and does well for himself, many found other jobs within the Navy they enjoy, and several others work for major corporations and started pulling near or have already exceeded 6 figures within 4-5 years of leaving the training command. Best of luck - keep your head up.
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
I had this same talk with SNA's who did not finish the pipeline. Flight School determines whether or not you will be a pilot or NFO - it does not determine your officer qualities.

I didn't appreciate it until I moved up higher in rank but everybody has got a job to perform. The intel bubbas more than anyone else made victory possible at the Battle of Midway (my opinion), logistics makes worldwide fleet movements possible, cyber is perhaps today's most critical component. Pick a new job and make your mark.

If you go reserves, you will want to continue with this site - lotta good gouge in the reserve section - feel free to PM any of us about it if you go USNR.
 
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