Hello All,
I am here in advanced and (anyone else here with me can vouch for this) rumors are flying around here that are out of control.
I am going to post what I have heard, and if possible I would appreciate people who actually know what's going on (like people in the Fleet for example) posting replies as fact...
BUT, I would also really appreciate it if people could post any rumors they have heard that I am failing to mention.
1) We are going to be allowed into the reserve squadrons after winging... ... I actually verified this one with the XO of Vt-31 but didn't get into any details. He said "Yes!" -that is what he had been hearing. Maybe not "allowed" into but forced-into is more like it.
2) The Navy has to get rid of pilots.. specifically 25% of P3 pilots one way or another... Supposedly the P-3 community is 25% overmanned and it will be either not promoting or actually paying people to leave in order to get back down to size. I think every day I hear another story about how BLOATED the Fleet is right now with pilots in general and that it puts us at risk of the heave-ho.
3) There are less than 120 (and decreasing) P-3's left in service and they are limited to 20-30 hours a month when not on depolyment... meaning if we get to our squadrons and they aren't about to go on deployment, it will take forever to get through out quals. Also, the 6-month on, 18-month "off" deployment cycle will really limit in terms of profeciency.
4) I am hearing this a lot.. from an instructor at Whiting originially... The p-3 mission is going away. We are in a dead-end community. The current planes will time out within the next 2-3 years and we will fulfill the p-3 mission alternatively until the Boeing comes along, at which time the Navy will decide MMA is too expensive for a mission which the Air Force and helo squardons can now do. Even if we stretch the current planes until 2010, the Navy will realize they just can't afford the MMA. The thought being that the current p-3 mission is not a Navy mission and that the Air Force can do surveilance, so how can they justify THAT much money. Also, a big one is that the MMA projected cost is actualy about half of what it will actually cost given equipment that "we really need" on it what wasn't in the original numbers. Not too specific, I know.
5) They are thinking about not giving wings to the bottom 25% or so of advenced completers to ease things up at the FRS.
That's about all for now... thanks! I know rumors are always flying around, but it seems like a particular epidemic right now!
Please post anything else anyone has heard around here...
I am here in advanced and (anyone else here with me can vouch for this) rumors are flying around here that are out of control.
I am going to post what I have heard, and if possible I would appreciate people who actually know what's going on (like people in the Fleet for example) posting replies as fact...
BUT, I would also really appreciate it if people could post any rumors they have heard that I am failing to mention.
1) We are going to be allowed into the reserve squadrons after winging... ... I actually verified this one with the XO of Vt-31 but didn't get into any details. He said "Yes!" -that is what he had been hearing. Maybe not "allowed" into but forced-into is more like it.
2) The Navy has to get rid of pilots.. specifically 25% of P3 pilots one way or another... Supposedly the P-3 community is 25% overmanned and it will be either not promoting or actually paying people to leave in order to get back down to size. I think every day I hear another story about how BLOATED the Fleet is right now with pilots in general and that it puts us at risk of the heave-ho.
3) There are less than 120 (and decreasing) P-3's left in service and they are limited to 20-30 hours a month when not on depolyment... meaning if we get to our squadrons and they aren't about to go on deployment, it will take forever to get through out quals. Also, the 6-month on, 18-month "off" deployment cycle will really limit in terms of profeciency.
4) I am hearing this a lot.. from an instructor at Whiting originially... The p-3 mission is going away. We are in a dead-end community. The current planes will time out within the next 2-3 years and we will fulfill the p-3 mission alternatively until the Boeing comes along, at which time the Navy will decide MMA is too expensive for a mission which the Air Force and helo squardons can now do. Even if we stretch the current planes until 2010, the Navy will realize they just can't afford the MMA. The thought being that the current p-3 mission is not a Navy mission and that the Air Force can do surveilance, so how can they justify THAT much money. Also, a big one is that the MMA projected cost is actualy about half of what it will actually cost given equipment that "we really need" on it what wasn't in the original numbers. Not too specific, I know.
5) They are thinking about not giving wings to the bottom 25% or so of advenced completers to ease things up at the FRS.
That's about all for now... thanks! I know rumors are always flying around, but it seems like a particular epidemic right now!
Please post anything else anyone has heard around here...