'New' IFS

[Mustang83]

For those wondering, IFS is now 25 hrs for both SNFO and SNA, to be completed in 50 days at either Annapolis, Quantico or Pensacola (5 airports). The only difference between SNFO and SNA is the final cross country which SNA must do solo, while SNFO's, if the instructor thinks they need it, can do a ghost solo cross country.

 

[usmarinemike]

What's a "ghost solo cross country?"

 

[Kycntryboy]

Its where the intstructor sits next to as if it were a normal flight only on this one he/she is not supposed to say anything and just be a safety observer. Kinda gay and takes the fun out of it.

 

[A4sForever]

Its where the intstructor sits next to as if it were a normal flight only on this one he/she is not supposed to say anything and just be a safety observer. Kinda gay and takes the fun out of it.

Sounds like an FAA checkride from Tokyo to Honolulu .... except we know more than the Fed .... and usually send him back to have a seat, a meal, a movie, and a nap ...

 

[usmarinemike]

sounds like a dual XC to me. You still pay for the instructor and you may or may not be able to log it as PIC time. Yeah, that's quite gay.

 

[jride200]

IFS is now . . . at either Annapolis, Quantico or Pensacola

I attend OCS in Newport very, very soon. I was formerly of the understanding that my IFS will be in Pensacola. Although I suspect Annapolis tends to be largely for Naval Academy guys and Quantico largely for the Marine side, any idea of the likelyhood that my IFS will be in Annapolis or Quantico? I'm just wondering if I will be living anywhere between OCS and API?

 

[White_Male]

They are actually "required" to go on this cross country? What does the Navy consider to be a cross country? 50 NM? I took about 4 Air Force nav guys through IFS. Basically, the syllabus called for an "area solo" at the end, which only one did and he had about 40 hours previous.

The guys starting from scratch? There was no way that I would let them take the plane out by themselves let alone on a cross country. The no time previous guys soloed with the three takeoffs and landings at about 20-21 hours. Requiring a solo cross country at 23.5 hours may be a little ambitious.

One mitigating factor to take into account was the airport that we were training from. We were based out of KSAT, so we were dealing with Class Charlie and had to fly about 15 minutes before we could start doing anything other than climbing and straight and level. Then 15 minutes back. Plus all the time it took them to get off the ground because only one of them would memorize the frequencies and actually practiced the phraseology other than in the airplane. I don't know if we ever made it off the ground in less than 10 minutes.

 

[usmarinemike]

The guys starting from scratch? There was no way that I would let them take the plane out by themselves let alone on a cross country. The no time previous guys soloed with the three takeoffs and landings at about 20-21 hours. Requiring a solo cross country at 23.5 hours may be a little ambitious.

Not so ambitious. I did my training in a Part 61 school and had around 21 hours when I did my first solo XC (had to look it up in my logbook). A Part 141 school with a solid syllabus and several flights a week should really get somebody ready to do their solo XC by 25 hours. That's how the Jeppesen syllabus is set up. Sounds like part of it was probably having to fly out of Class C, but it also sounds like a few of them were turdbags. Is IFS a pass/fail event and was there any incentive to make it more than a check in the box?

 

[xj220]

I attend OCS in Newport very, very soon. I was formerly of the understanding that my IFS will be in Pensacola. Although I suspect Annapolis tends to be largely for Naval Academy guys and Quantico largely for the Marine side, any idea of the likelyhood that my IFS will be in Annapolis or Quantico? I'm just wondering if I will be living anywhere between OCS and API?

Annapolis IFS is Academy only. If you're a Marine, you'll probably do it at Quantico but I'm not entirely sure. All ROTC and OCS guys do IFS down in Pensacola during A-pool.

 

[llnick2001]

One mitigating factor to take into account was the airport that we were training from. We were based out of KSAT, so we were dealing with Class Charlie and had to fly about 15 minutes before we could start doing anything other than climbing and straight and level. Then 15 minutes back. Plus all the time it took them to get off the ground because only one of them would memorize the frequencies and actually practiced the phraseology other than in the airplane. I don't know if we ever made it off the ground in less than 10 minutes.

I did my solo xc out of BWI (class B and the dc ADIZ) with less than 24 hrs.

 

[cisforsmasher]

^^ i did the same. They defined it as more than 50 miles from the home field so I flew to some place in DE (sussex?) and back. I stopped on the ground, marked my territory on the taxiway and flew back. It would take up to five minutes just to get a word in on Potomac approach on the way home. I think I only had one solo landing which i am sure that was a no no.

 

[usmcecho4]

[/COLOR]
...Is IFS a pass/fail event and was there any incentive to make it more than a check in the box?

IFS is pass/fail. However at the school I went to (Manassas Aviation Center) they did grade us on the maneuvers we performed (1-5 like in flight school). I don't think anything ever happened with those grades but it gave us something to talk about. I think that making IFS anything other than pass/fail would be tricky given the differences between schools/instructors/aircraft/locations/etc..

Semper Fi,
usmcecho4

 

[xj220]

Yeah, especially since all that IFS is is an introduction to flying and to make sure you're a little familiar with what's going on before you actually begin flight school.

 

[Dingobat]

[/color]

Not so ambitious. I did my training in a Part 61 school and had around 21 hours when I did my first solo XC (had to look it up in my logbook). A Part 141 school with a solid syllabus and several flights a week should really get somebody ready to do their solo XC by 25 hours. That's how the Jeppesen syllabus is set up. Sounds like part of it was probably having to fly out of Class C, but it also sounds like a few of them were turdbags. Is IFS a pass/fail event and was there any incentive to make it more than a check in the box?

I did my first XC solo at 17.3 hrs down in AZ. It was only into Charlie airspace granted, but I can still remember almost every second. One of the happiest times in my life, no fear at all, just exhilaration. On a 2nd note, if any of you gentlemen ever have the opportunity to pick up an amphibious quali. (ASES/MSES) on the civilian side of things, JUMP ON IT. An open-air cockpit Piper J3 with floats is just a hell of an experience you will never forget! /threadjack

 

[Steve Wilkins]

The guys starting from scratch? There was no way that I would let them take the plane out by themselves let alone on a cross country. The no time previous guys soloed with the three takeoffs and landings at about 20-21 hours. Requiring a solo cross country at 23.5 hours may be a little ambitious.

Holy crap. Are you serious? When I soloed, I had a little over 8 hours, and that was out of Orlando Exec. I think I would have kicked my instructor in the balls if he made me wait till I had 20 hours.

One mitigating factor to take into account was the airport that we were training from. We were based out of KSAT, so we were dealing with Class Charlie and had to fly about 15 minutes before we could start doing anything other than climbing and straight and level.

Come on, are saying there is NOTHING you can do in that 15 minutes on the way to the practice area?

edit: I'll have to look in my logbook to see when I did my first solo xc