The Dumb Ensign...

[Bevo16]

I went to the wrong working area on my first solo. About 10 minutes into flying circles around area 7, the nice ATC guy calls out "Ranger XXX Solo, you claimed area 8 and I am holding you solid in area 7, do you want that area or do you want both of them?"

A moment of terror shot through me thinking that I was going to have a mid-air, then I thought some IP would hear it and I would pink-sheet my solo. I just replied that I would keep 7, and he said "roger that".

Luckily, my fam partner took all of the attention for the day on his solo. He was flying early in the day, and he had to be waved off moments before landing gear up by an IP who was sitting at the hold short (actually, our on-wing who was instructing some other stud that day). He waved off about 2 feet before chewing up concrete with prop. His ass was not spared the same positive fate, and neither did the RDO. All of those guys got very stern talkings to.

On my first PR solo, I remembered the question that ATC asked, and requested both areas 7&8. They gave them to me, and I had some extra sky to fool around in.

 

[BACONATOR]

I went to the wrong working area on my first solo. About 10 minutes into flying circles around area 7, the nice ATC guy calls out "Ranger XXX Solo, you claimed area 8 and I am holding you solid in area 7, do you want that area or do you want both of them?"

A moment of terror shot through me thinking that I was going to have a mid-air, then I thought some IP would hear it and I would pink-sheet my solo. I just replied that I would keep 7, and he said "roger that".

Luckily, my fam partner took all of the attention for the day on his solo. He was flying early in the day, and he had to be waved off moments before landing gear up by an IP who was sitting at the hold short (actually, our on-wing who was instructing some other stud that day). He waved off about 2 feet before chewing up concrete with prop. His ass was not spared the same positive fate, and neither did the RDO. All of those guys got very stern talkings to.

On my first PR solo, I remembered the question that ATC asked, and requested both areas 7&8. They gave them to me, and I had some extra sky to fool around in.

That can't beat my good buddy and HT roommate who pink-sheeted a solo out in Las Cruces (read: NO ATC). How did he do it with absolutely NO oversight from ATC where you could do PLENTY of retarded things and no one would ever know? He cut off a FORM pair at the Initial Point coming back to the field... IP told him to report to the ODO for morale-stripping upon landing.

This was after downing his first Contact Checkride... he had a VERY rough patch there. Never a single problem after that and even got HSC out of HTs... good dude.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

They gave him helos just for that? Thats rough.

 

[OldNavy]

Couple of lessons here. When you're given something to route up, educate yourself on it before just signing off and passing it on (evals, leave chits, etc). Because your DH isn't going to the origin to ask his questions, he's going to ask you.

Specific example was when I was in the squadron literally a month (on deployment no less) and it's time for E-4 evals. The AZC hands me the evals says "Sir, you're the senior rater, if they look good to you, sign them and give them to the AMO." Well, I changed a few things in the comment block, and looked over the rest, but seeing how I never did an eval before, that was like having a blind seeing-eye dog. I assumed that since he was a chief, it was good to go, but the AMO sh!t all over me for the evals being messed up. He also let the AZC know about it too.

Lessons here:

1. Ask questions about things you'll ultimately be responsible for.

2. Regardless of what they teach at OCS, Chiefs don't walk on water, and there are good ones and bad ones, just like anything else in the Navy.

Very true.
I've worked with good Chiefs who I tried to emulate, and I've worked with bad ones who I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire.

 

[Boomhower]

Manning the watch desk at VT-10. Skipper's wife calls the duty desk and asks to be transferred to the Skipper. I accidentally hang up on her. XO calls from a cross country, asks to talk to the Skipper, I hang up on him. XO calls back, 3 more times, I hang up on him each time. He finally calls and asks to talk to the nearest instructor. Said instructor transfers him to the Skipper's office.

Lesson Learned: Either install a private phone number for the Skipper's office yourself or learn how to use the damn phones!

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Manning the watch desk at VT-10. Skipper's wife calls the duty desk and asks to be transferred to the Skipper. I accidentally hang up on her. XO calls from a cross country, asks to talk to the Skipper, I hang up on him. XO calls back, 3 more times, I hang up on him each time. He finally calls and asks to talk to the nearest instructor. Said instructor transfers him to the Skipper's office.

Lesson Learned: Either install a private phone number for the Skipper's office yourself or learn how to use the damn phones!

Thats funny. I probably would have just stopped answering the phone if I were you.

 

[scoolbubba]

Manning the watch desk at VT-10. Skipper's wife calls the duty desk and asks to be transferred to the Skipper. I accidentally hang up on her. XO calls from a cross country, asks to talk to the Skipper, I hang up on him. XO calls back, 3 more times, I hang up on him each time. He finally calls and asks to talk to the nearest instructor. Said instructor transfers him to the Skipper's office.

Lesson Learned: Either install a private phone number for the Skipper's office yourself or learn how to use the damn phones!

I still screw up dialing DSN numbers to offbase locations, and usually have to ask someone how to call both base extensions and outside lines. I usually just give up and call the number from my iphone to avoid looking completely retarded.

 

[BACONATOR]

I still screw up dialing DSN numbers to offbase locations, and usually have to ask someone how to call both base extensions and outside lines. I usually just give up and call the number from my iphone to avoid looking completely retarded.

I usually hang up on one or two people per watch before figuring it out, or claim ignorance and give the person the extension to call themselves..

 

[navy09]

I usually hang up on one or two people per watch before figuring it out, or claim ignorance and give the person the extension to call themselves..

The "Ensign Salute" (a shrug) is essential...

Reminds me of the time I was turning over with this douche as AUXO and he put one of my ENs up to convincing me I needed to order new spark plugs for the RHIB's diesel engine before we got underway the next day.

 

[BACONATOR]

The "Ensign Salute" (a shrug) is essential...

Reminds me of the time I was turning over with this douche as AUXO and he put one of my ENs up to convincing me I needed to order new spark plugs for the RHIB's diesel engine before we got underway the next day.

Yes, and it's become the JG shrug relatively recently...

 

[bunk22]

Manning the watch desk at VT-10. Skipper's wife calls the duty desk and asks to be transferred to the Skipper. I accidentally hang up on her. XO calls from a cross country, asks to talk to the Skipper, I hang up on him. XO calls back, 3 more times, I hang up on him each time. He finally calls and asks to talk to the nearest instructor. Said instructor transfers him to the Skipper's office.

Lesson Learned: Either install a private phone number for the Skipper's office yourself or learn how to use the damn phones!

Ha, I had to stand duty at the wing in Corpus one day between primary and intermediate flight training. I hung up an O-6 a few times and an Admiral who called...maybe CNATRA, I forget. I was so frustrated that I couldn't operate the stupid phone, I answered "Hello" at one point when it rang and it was the Commodore...his response was..."is that the best you can do?" Yeah, I was a douche

There was also the time as a LT and SDO when I had to pick up the legal officer, an O-4, after he got a DUI at MCAS Miramar. So I make the wise decision to give him his keys to get stuff out of his car after I picked him up from the Marine police. He gets in his car and drives off though he didn't get far, he got arrested again. I had no idea he was going to drive off in the car of course. I had to stand tall in front of the CO on Monday morning where he had to make the decision as to bring me up on charges of dereliction of duty as the Marine Corps OIC had demanded (he did not...he also had two DUI's in his past). This O-4 was a primary IP who had dicked me over in primary and damnit if he didn't do it again at my fleet squadron. He was the bigger D-bag!

 

[Clux4]

Never hold on to information. Make sure you share it up and down the chain as appropriate.

 

[BigRed389]

Ha, I had to stand duty at the wing in Corpus one day between primary and intermediate flight training. I hung up an O-6 a few times and an Admiral who called...maybe CNATRA, I forget. I was so frustrated that I couldn't operate the stupid phone, I answered "Hello" at one point when it rang and it was the Commodore...his response was..."is that the best you can do?" Yeah, I was a douche

There was also the time as a LT and SDO when I had to pick up the legal officer, an O-4, after he got a DUI at MCAS Miramar. So I make the wise decision to give him his keys to get stuff out of his car after I picked him up from the Marine police. He gets in his car and drives off though he didn't get far, he got arrested again. I had no idea he was going to drive off in the car of course. I had to stand tall in front of the CO on Monday morning where he had to make the decision as to bring me up on charges of dereliction of duty as the Marine Corps OIC had demanded (he did not...he also had two DUI's in his past). This O-4 was a primary IP who had dicked me over in primary and damnit if he didn't do it again at my fleet squadron. He was the bigger D-bag!

Sweet irony.

 

[Boomhower]

I usually hang up on one or two people per watch before figuring it out, or claim ignorance and give the person the extension to call themselves..

Ever since then, in the fleet, RAG, even civilian world, I always give the extension for them and say"...just in case I accidentally hang up on you." Either way, I never hear from them again. That day as an Ensign has scarred me.

 

[fc2spyguy]

While on a BI flight in primary, instructor was +/- 100 altitude the entire time after completion of training, and I think to myself 'Glad I'm not the only one who can't hold the altitude.' Then I realize, I thought that out loud, and had the mic keyed. . . oops, yeah, that was not my best graded two flights.