Vance AFB Primary

[funkonomics]

Got another question:
How is performance scored for a SNA training with the AF? Is the NSS used, or is the scoring in-line with the AF method? If scoring for the Navy guys is the same used for the AF, how is that converted to a competitive scale by which to judge against those training in CC, for instance?

 

[dingo155]

As far as the AF converting to a Navy NSS is concerned, there is no simple answer.

I am currently in the T-6A

at Moody and have been asking around as much as possible. The latest word that I have found is that only our flights count (no Sims, Academics, Popularity Rating (AF Thing), and Check rides are worth this same as a normal flight). That being said the AF grades on a slightly different mentality. They want to see a progression on grades from day one through the finish, so at the start of each block you are UNABLE to do everything (go figure).

They then take your daily flight scores (from the 66 flights we get) and compare them to the last 60 people (AF and Navy) to graduate from this base (or Vance as the case may be) and see how you stack up. If you are #30 out of the 60 people you get a 50 NSS.

As far as everything else with the AF, it is not that bad, yeah you have to be here longer everyday, but you have to study, so you end up knowing the plane better (I have seen the results of Vance training in the fleet, on the boat and it DOES make a difference). You get more hours here (around 90) and you don't have to do intermediate (coming out of Moody).

The T-6 is awesome, blows the T-34 and the T-37 out of the water. Total glass cockpit, full EFIS system, G-suit, Full Oxygen, pressurized cockpit, the list goes on... take it if you can get it.

 

[trmat79]

Hey dingo is right but our sims and flights count up here at vance....all in all people bitch about the program but i think it is great...nothing like pulling 6.5 G's in a twin engine jet and yesterday i had my first solo pattern only .....walk out start up taxi out and take off and fly by myself who would have thought



Todd Matson

 

[jarhead]

Originally posted by dingo155
As far as everything else with the AF, it is not that bad, yeah you have to be here longer everyday, but you have to study, so you end up knowing the plane better (I have seen the results of Vance training in the fleet, on the boat and it DOES make a difference).

what kind of results have you seen from the fleet?

the guys i knew while in Advanced that did Primary at Vance had a difficult time adjusting to the Navy training method.

how good you do at "the boat" has nothing to do with where you went to Primary ...

semper fidelis

 

[dingo155]

Just little things. I spent some time with the Blue Diamonds on the Stennis during workups and the couple guys in the squadron (both nuggets) that went through Vance seemed more prepared for their daily flights. When they were asked questions regarding the EP of the day they could spit the answer out very quickly, whereas the others took more time. Maybe it was just them, but it seemed that their training made a difference (at least on the ground). I would agree about the boat - primary correlation... however the general prepardness (at least what I have seen) that is gained in AF training seems to be better.
As far as adjusting to the Navy training, I can't see how that would be a problem... not having 60hr weeks and a general friendliness around the squadron can't be a bad thing...

"Friends don't let friends fly junk (T-34 and T-37)"

 

[trmat79]

I think the way the training goes for the navy guys up here at vance can really be an asset to thier counterparts coming out of p-cola and corpus....we learn things up here that others dont and vice versa. I think the joint training thing is good overall but they have to figure out of few bugs still

 

[webmaster]

The Vance guys that showed up for Advanced (Maritime) in Corpus had a SERIOUS disadvantage coming to grips with the Navy system. Every ground school class, on the first day, they asked who came from Vance. They then told them to get with their Navy counterparts and get to speed on what was expected of them. There was (and probably still is) a trend of those guys going through the first couple SIMs and getting downed for lack of knowledge. We took the sole marine in our class who went through that system and got him up to speed on what he needed to do to prepare, and brought him along to study with us.

He ended up being my fam partner, and he was frankly amazed at having to come to the brief prepared to know all the info cold, vice the instructor teaching you at the brief. Before our first SIM/CPT we spent countless hours in the planes or sims if we could get a chance running checklists and getting familiar with all the switches and proper responses (T44).

Friendliness is all well and good, but I have seen many an instructor go from friendly to pissed off when you show up unprepared.

In many cases, it all boils down to the individual, the farther down the pipeline you get, the more professional and prepared they are, you have gotten rid of all the other ppl who didn't want to be there for one reason or another. Though, I HAVE come across a couple ppl that make me wonder...