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Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)

Meyerkord said:
You'll hear the term "chair flying" a lot in primary. Just set up a profile of what you want to during your flight, and simulate it. Go from engine startup to engine shutdown. What switches are you moving? What are you saying on the radio? What are you looking for on your instrument display? What should the plane be doing if I do x/y/z? Always try to anticipate what's going to happen next so you're ready for it. If something happens that you weren't expecting, it can really throw you off, so always try to anticipate, but remain flexible to changes.
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I wholeheartedly agree. I had a few students that were too rigid in the plane. They had trouble dealing with the unexpected change. Remember that a plan is a starting point. Things change....don't let it throw you off.
 
ea6bflyr said:
I wholeheartedly agree. I had a few students that were too rigid in the plane. They had trouble dealing with the unexpected change. Remember that a plan is a starting point. Things change....don't let it throw you off.
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Kingsville RI Sim check, IP kills my TACAN and then steps out for a cigarette break or 4. The plan went to hell, helmet fire ensues, and the chairflying meant nothing.

At the time I thought he was an asshole, but then I had my first single-seat, single-ship no shit emergency at night in semi crummy weather. Now I realize that it's all good training to get you ready to use those skills when you need them.
 
Politics101 said:
Stupid questions. How intense is the math aspect in API/primary? I've never been a huge math stud and have been selected for SNA. Also, how did you guys warm up for flying?! I've made it up in my mind I want to be a pilot but the thought of potentially landing on a carrier has a few jitters going for me.
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There’s not much math and it’s not very difficult. Unless and until you get into test flying or engineering or something similarly exotic, pilot math is mostly arithmetic and rule of thumb. You do need to be quick and accurate under pressure, though.
 
Uncle Fester said:
There’s not much math and it’s not very difficult. Unless and until and IF you get into test flying or engineering or something similarly exotic, pilot math is mostly arithmetic and rule of thumb. You do need to be quick and accurate under pressure, though.
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Had to add that
 
Politics101 said:
Were you guys ever nervous at any point during flight school in regards to actually flying the airplane?
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I can say that it’s a totally normal feeling to be nervous about that. I know I stressed a lot about it, but after awhile you get used to it, like anything. I’d say that a healthy amount of nervousness can keep you on your toes and if you use that to your advantage (ie motivating you to chairfly and study) you’ll be just fine.
 
Politics101 said:
Were you guys ever nervous at any point during flight school in regards to actually flying the airplane?
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If you're NOT stressed about some aspect of flying/briefing etc. (And you aren't a super high time pilot already) you're the 1 in a million.

At every stage I have stressed to some degree about the training (OCS, IFS, API Primary) but after doing the event (flying, tests, inspections) I realized that preperation, taking instruction gracefully and fixing defincies was the "secret" to success. Before you know it, a flight is just another day (that's nauseatingly awesome) and like a good workout it beats your ass but when you see the improvement in your skills there's no better high.

I used to think when people said about the military "I accomplished things I never thought I could" was a bunch of BS from low aspiring scaredy cats. I've realized that I was completely wrong (and a bit of a jerk) and that if you're willing to face your fears and apprehension you will find yourself doing things naturally and expertly that used to seem insurmountable.

When I get anxious about things now, I think in two months (or even weeks) this won't even be on the radar and I'll do it like second nature. So why worry?
 
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