Yeah...so about these P-3 things...

[scoober78]

Well guys...got some...ahem....interesting news today. Selected. Sheet was Jets, E2/C2, and rotary. I got P-3's.

Since this was something I hadn't ever really thought about, I have some questions. I am interested in getting as much flight time...D yeah...i know) as possible, and I have heard that EP-3's are a good way to go in this regard. Additionally I have always wanted to end up in the Pac. NW...so this seems like a good fit. Primarily what type of flying are these guys doing? Det locations? Missions?

As far as the pipeline goes, I am headed to VT-35...the RAG is in Jax no? What type of completion time do guys normally see out of there? Are we talking about 6 months, a year?

Lastly, P-8...Department Head tour or pie in the sky? I am just a bit concerned that I may be headed for a dying community. I would love to hear otherwise.

Additionally, as I said, this isn't a possibility I even remotely thought about so...any additional gouge on the community, current flight hour availability etc....would be helpful.

 

[zab1001]

Well guys...got some...ahem....interesting news today. Selected. Sheet was Jets, E2/C2, and rotary. I got P-3's.

Them's the breaks.

Since this was something I hadn't ever really thought about, I have some questions. I am interested in getting as much flight time...D yeah...i know) as possible, and I have heard that EP-3's are a good way to go in this regard. Additionally I have always wanted to end up in the Pac. NW...so this seems like a good fit. Primarily what type of flying are these guys doing? Det locations? Missions?

You'll get some good info on here, but your best bet is to bend the ear of every instructor in advanced, VP and VQ. Ask them what missions they loved, and what they hated. No one is going to be able to tell you the about the sensitive "cool" stuff over the net.

You should pick a platform based on mission before flight hour rumors. That's a dynamic issue that could change tommorrow.

As far as the pipeline goes, I am headed to VT-35...the RAG is in Jax no? What type of completion time do guys normally see out of there? Are we talking about 6 months, a year?

You already know if you're going to 35 vice 31? Be prepared for that to change and despite what anyone tells you, it doesn't matter.

Lastly, P-8...Department Head tour or pie in the sky? I am just a bit concerned that I may be headed for a dying community. I would love to hear otherwise.

Still on track. I dunno what VQ is planning for a new platform. Regardless, if your community dies, they'll figure out something for you if you haven't blown it.

 

[Brett327]

Still on track. I dunno what VQ is planning for a new platform. Regardless, if your community dies, they'll figure out something for you if you haven't blown it.

Unless you flew Intruders in the mid-90s.

Brett

 

[zab1001]

you're old

 

[Steve Wilkins]

you're old

Hey at least he finally graduated college.

 

[KBayDog]

Hey at least he finally graduated college.

Let's not put the cart before the horse, my friend.

 

[Brett327]

you're old

And yet I feel young enough to bang me some undergrads. Good thing I don't believe in Hell.

Brett

 

[A4sForever]

Unless you flew Intruders in the mid-90s.

Brett

Speaking of which .... I have seen several EA-6's coming into the NUW break the past few days .... @ warp overdrive .... something approaching 90 degrees AOB in the break with those P-408's goin' "wuuuu-u-mp .... woooo-o-o-o-o-o ... " you can feel it right in your chest ... which is a sure sign of big throttle chopped to little throttle in the break. Certainly NOT former A-6 drivers ... they're all gone ....

I even saw one P-3 in the break at something approaching 60 degrees AOB in the break .... ???? All the way around the turn to downwind. What is NUW coming to ??? !!!

It's enough to make you look up just to see what's goin' on .... I love those boys ...

 

[Fezz CB]

CONGRATS and Welcome to VP!! BTW, I called your bitch-ass There are a bunch of VP bubbas here that can hook you up with the gouge on the RAG and all that is Jax.

 

[Brett327]

Speaking of which .... I have seen several EA-6's coming into the NUW break the past few days .... @ warp overdrive .... something approaching 90 degrees AOB in the break with those P-408's goin' "wuuuu-u-mp .... woooo-o-o-o-o-o ... " you can feel it right in your chest ... which is a sure sign of big throttle chopped to little throttle in the break. Certainly NOT former A-6 drivers ... they're all gone ....

I even saw one P-3 in the break at something approaching 60 degrees AOB in the break .... ???? All the way around the turn to downwind. What is NUW coming to ??? !!!

It's enough to make you look up just to see what's goin' on .... I love those boys ...

There are still a few out there. The front office in my new squadron are both Former Attack Guys.

Brett

 

[PropStop]

P-8 IOC is 2013 so by the time you come around for your DH tour you'll be well in the window for the P-8. The P-3 will still be around until 2019 or so. There's going to be a bunch of major upgardes to the P-3 in the next three years to help sustain it through it's sundown. If you went to the FRS for your shore tour you would stand a good chance of being a P-8 instructor - that'd be a sweet gig.

VP isn't going away, no need to worry about that.

VQ guys do typically get more hours. The war though, has been good for VP hours. I walked out of the squadron with just over 1000 total time. Most people were leaving with 800ish, but I expect the current crop of guys to walk away with closer to what I have.

Det sites for VP tend to be more varied. Our planes don't require the security VQ does so we're more flexible in where we can go. In VP you'll go to a lot of cool places. VQ tends to have fewer det sites but they do travel in style. They've got a different and larger pot of money for being on the road, usually have better room arrangements and more sets of wheels per crew.

VP should be interesting in the next few years.

 

[HeyJoe]

EP-3 follow-on

I dunno what VQ is planning for a new platform.

Well, until last year and Army flummoxing yet another big ticket program...(Sgt York DIVAD, XM2001 Crusader, RAH-66 Comanche and then.... ) Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) was to replace their Guardrail and Navy EP-3 platfroms with an Embraer airframe until it was stillborn like so many other Army led programs. So now the P-8 may end being the platform of choice as Navy isn't going to waste any more scarce funds on Army solution that didn't do its homework.

 

[Brett327]

Well, until last year and Army flummoxing yet another big ticket program...(Sgt York DIVAD, XM2001 Crusader, RAH-66 Comanche and then.... ) Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) was to replace their Guardrail and Navy EP-3 platfroms with an Embraer airframe until it was stillborn like so many other Army led programs. So now the P-8 may end being the platform of choice as Navy isn't going to waste any more scare funds on Army solution that didn't do its homework.

Makes sense, I guess. What's the conventional wisdom on the longevity of the USAF RJ platform? Seems like we're getting our money's worth out of all those 707 models.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Makes sense, I guess. What's the conventional wisdom on the longevity of the USAF RJ platform? Seems like we're getting our money's worth out of all those 707 models.

Brett

Think 2040 or 2050, and that is not a joke....... Compared to airlines they have very few flight hours, and have a lot of time left on thier airframes, and they do a really good job with them in PDM (including big engines and new glass cockpits). I saw a presentation on the work being done to an RC-135S, very impressive. They stripped about half the skin off and even replaced some of the frame. Of course the worst corrossion was you know where, funny how that happens......

 

[Brett327]

Think 2040 or 2050, and that is not a joke....... Compared to airlines they have very few flight hours, and have a lot of time left on t hier airframes, and they do a really good job with them in PDM (including big engines and new glass cockpits). I saw a presentation on the work being done to an RC-135S, very impressive. they stripped about half the skin off and even replaced some fo the frame. Of course the worst corrosion was you know where, funny how that happens......

Has there ever been talk of merging the Navy & USAF in that mission area? I've worked with both, each with their pluses and minuses, but they seem to essentially provide the same products. Any UNCLASS experiences/opinions you'd care to relate - compare & contrast?

Brett