Updates on new production aircraft

[1rotorhead]

You're %100 right when it comes to basic flying. I just think people need to be smarter about what and how they train. Every time you get in an aircraft you should focus on basics. What I've seen across the board is guys don't take advantage of every second flying. Too many bubbas blow off training when doing flights like PG and FAM's. If you work on basics during those kinds of flights you don't have to do so many and you can spend more time on the varsity type flying.

 

[bert]

Absolutely agree, but I don't like the idea of not treating the boat at night (and day as well, for that matter) as varsity flying along with the advanced tactics stuff.

 

[Pags]

How so? I am not familiar with the squadron structures of HSC and HSM when the dust settles. How many pilots per squadron?

In my experience some squadrons make it a priority to get everyone their quals (assuming they are up to the task), and others have tactical crews and non-tactical crews, and some even have PG only crews.

The problem is the people:cake ratio. The SWTP syllabus is pretty expansive, and most of the fundamental flights require 2 aircraft. When you have 6-8 aircraft that are gone almost all the time, it gets pretty hard to schedule form events. Couple that with the fact that the squadron is projected to grow to over 50 pilots and you can see that getting everyone their quals becomes something of a task.

And while the fact that if you can do a LL CAL then you can land on spot 4 is a valid one, the problem is that guys fresh out of the RAG don't have the skills to do a LL CAL. All those Area Fams and NVD Profs are necessary to get a guy up to speed when he has maybe 50hrs in the airframe and 6hrs on goggles.

And don't even get me started on currency vs proficiency and how TnR ends up driving the bus on that one.

But I will agree that you do need to maximize every training chance that you get, especially when you're lucky to fly once a week.

 

[Pags]

Absolutely agree, but I don't like the idea of not treating the boat at night (and day as well, for that matter) as varsity flying along with the advanced tactics stuff.

For the average HSC guy, the boat on a dark night is still a varsity event. Couple that with taking a guy out to a Flt I DDG who has the minimum goggle hours and this is his second look at the boat....ever. I don't envy my NVDI buddies at all.

 

[bert]

But I will agree that you do need to maximize every training chance that you get, especially when you're lucky to fly once a week.

Is that all you are getting these days if you aren't deployed or working up?

 

[Pags]

Is that all you are getting these days if you aren't deployed or working up?

Pretty much. We had a couple of weeks where we had one aircraft. That's enough flight time for the skipper and O-4s, but new guys need more flight time just to get comfortable. But, as you know, it ain't gonna happen with one bird.

 

[1rotorhead]

Makes you wonder how you can have new aircraft but none of them up.

 

[Pags]

Makes you wonder how you can have new aircraft but none of them up.

Over half of our birds are on det or in PMI.

 

[1rotorhead]

I can understand birds being gone, but having that many in PMI at one time sounds like a planning problem.

 

[Pags]

I can understand birds being gone, but having that many in PMI at one time sounds like a planning problem.

don't want to make it sound like we're all F-ed up. it's the dets that take the lion's share. we have 3 a/c forward deployed at all times plus whatever other dets are out. but enough about our dirty laundry as we now have 3 a/c.

Mods, can we break this and move it to the private forum?

 

[hscs]

The problem with the all the FAMs has nothing to do with landing on a boat. If you need practice at the boat -- you go to the boat. Most of the FAMs that I see around here focus on EP work. That is why there are simulators that cost as much as the a/c themselves. USE THEM! We didn't pay for them for just the FRS to use. That way -- you can use the flight time for getting their events.

As for the events -- well, yes, the SWTP has a lot of flights, and yes they require 2 a/c. That is how we fight, so you are going to have to get used to that.

One major issue with tactical training, is that no one does large force integrated exercises on the HSC side of the house. If you aren't doing that, then you might as well pack your bags and go home, because you won't be ready.

 

[bert]

The problem with the all the FAMs has nothing to do with landing on a boat. If you need practice at the boat -- you go to the boat. Most of the FAMs that I see around here focus on EP work. That is why there are simulators that cost as much as the a/c themselves. USE THEM! We didn't pay for them for just the FRS to use. That way -- you can use the flight time for getting their events.

Agree, but boats are in short supply, so you have to build monkey skills where you can.

 

[Pags]

Agree, but boats are in short supply, so you have build monkey skills where you can.

Exactly. You take what you can get with the boat.

 

[hscs]

Guys on the east coast are going once a week from what I have heard. We could have a boat every other week if we wanted, and we don't deploy on a boat.

Doing boost off, SAS off, a couple of autos, and then cruising the beach does not help boat flying. I would say putting the plane into a CAL would be far more beneficial. My first squadron, I had 3 FAM flights in a 3 year period. Almost everyone else had about the same -- the world did not end. We used the sims and spent a lot of time TERFing and working ASW. Our planes weren't falling out of the sky around the boat as a result of not having FAMs. I think the telling thing to look at is the number of hours it takes an HSC guy and an HS guy to be considered ready to deploy. The hours are about the same -- how that makes sense with HS's higher number of PMAs is beyond me (except I know it is the excessive FAM flight requirement).

 

[Pags]

Guys on the east coast are going once a week from what I have heard. We could have a boat every other week if we wanted, and we don't deploy on a boat.

We get a boat at best 3 times a month...hopefully wx doesn't mess it up. We can take maybe 3 guys to qualify out to that boat.