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Blue Brains?

Taz24th

Taz24th

Proud member of Class 903
Quick question. Heard the term "blue brains" used in a couple of forums. What are blue brains? I know I'll probably find out in primary, but I'm just curious what is all about. Some people are saying it has routine checklists, gouge, and basic calculations. What is the real deal on its use and restrictions on what is allowed as blue brain material? Thanks guys, and yes I'm still in the A-pool holding pattern so no crap about being over-ambitious:icon_tong . Just a general info question here is all.

-Cheers
 
Some people are saying it has routine checklists, gouge, and basic calculations.
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Yes...VFR course rules, checklists, etc....

is the real deal on its use and restrictions on what is allowed as blue brain material?
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Its an issued book....you can make notes in it...but you pretty much just use it as is.

Oh...don't forget the hairspray...you'll find out.
 
A "blue brains" is a set of knowledge for a flight. It's normally routine knowledge, like frequency cards, course rules, local navaids, checklists, approach plates, etc. It gets the name "blue brains" because when you get to a squadron, you get a book of plastic insert pages and the cover of it all is blue. I don't keep the cover on mine, I don't know who does.

My blue brains is attached to my kneeboard, it has:

-Normal checklists
-Divert information
-Area waypoints, navaids, and diagram
-China Lake course rules
-Photocopies of local approaches
-Frequency card
-Combat checklists

It sounds like a lot, but it's not that thick. I have a lot more information in the In-Flight Guide that is given to us by the wing here. That stays in my nav bag unless I need it.

Here is a picture:

img02961lq1.jpg


Some people don't attach it to their kneeboard (common in Primary). They'll have a seperate book in their navbag.
 
Most Navy and USAF fields will have an "in-flight guide" with all the field/area specific info for local units and those on Det there. That's where lots of this stuff comes from. It will also evolve once you get to the fleet with operational type stuff. We have a classified equivalent called a TACAID that contains relevant mission related materials. I presume other communities do the same.

Brett
 
As far as flight school goes, most of the stuff in the in flight guide/blue brain is routine enough that you know it or esoteric enough that though you'll almost never need it, it's a good idea to have it written somewhere for once in a blue moon. Good to have in case, for instance, your radio is mischannelized and the brain cell which contained the manual freq for button 1 just died.
 
Your kneeboard bluebrains will evolve over flight school too. New studs in T-45s have a HUGE thick one, with information they don't yet know they don't need on the kneeboard. By the time you're done with T-45s, it's very thin and refined.
 
Especially once you fly with a certain sim instructor who has his own idea of what belongs on a kneeboard.
 
I never had local (i.e. homefield) approaches on my kneeboard until one of the French IP's suggested it after we RTB'd IMC one day. It's come in handy, that's for sure. I also have a copy of PAR/ASR approach mins under the clear plastic on the 9G
 
As far as Primary goes, I've never encountered an IP who inspects the contents. They can tell if you're reading something that should be memorized. I recommend starting out with all the brain-sheets they give you, and after the first few flights, remove anything that doesn't appear applicable. Make sure you keep the radio freq's for when you discover a mischannelized radio on your first solo.
 
scoober78 said:
Got to tell ya...I think that brain cell was dead before I got here....:D
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No kidding. I don't think I've ever memorized a UHF freq except for the base freq and the ship's land-launch. But then again, I'm mildly retarded.
 
gatordev said:
No kidding. I don't think I've ever memorized a UHF freq except for the base freq and the ship's land-launch. But then again, I'm mildly retarded.
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I, for some reason, have TAC-2 for our squadron memorized. I don't know why, it just stays in my brain.
 
Yeah, I'm the same way w/ the ship's land-launch. It still sticks w/ me for some reason.
 
Thanks everybody for the responses. Yall really cleared up the definition for me, and I'll take the advice of kneeboard management to heart when I get there. Fly Navy are you in VFA-122, cuz I flew with them in Summer 05 and had an absolute blast. A cool group of instructors out there, and they really know their stuff. Good luck to ya Fly Navy.

-Taz24th
 
Taz24th said:
Thanks everybody for the responses. Yall really cleared up the definition for me, and I'll take the advice of kneeboard management to heart when I get there. Fly Navy are you in VFA-122, cuz I flew with them in Summer 05 and had an absolute blast. A cool group of instructors out there, and they really know their stuff. Good luck to ya Fly Navy.

-Taz24th
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Yep, in -122. Wasn't here in 05 though. It's a good time, go jets ;)
 
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