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Completed, What Worked

Birdbrain

Well-Known Member
pilot
Gooooood Morning Air Warriors!

After almost 28 weeks of Primary training at NASWF I am completed. I'd like to pass on some nuggets of wisdom that were either passed on to me by other students and instructors or that I discovered through training. These will be general tools for success in Primary that, for the most part, I did not utilize in highschool or college.

Firstly, time management. You will be doing yourself a favor by prioritizing and executing flight school studying to free up your future so you can attack your future closest alligators. For example, would you rather cram in discuss items or a system the night before a flight and stay up late with worry because the EPOD has 15 notes, warnings, and cautions or would you rather spend an hour or two every day over the weekend studying and simply review the night before the flight?

Second, knowledge. The more you know, the less you guess. Guessing was usually the progenitor to doing something dumb in the cockpit for me and in the air you do't have time to think. For example, guessing where exactly you fly while waiting for Jax Center to get back to you concerning the NMOA if they are delaying while cruising along at 200kts at ~10,000' is not an opportune time. It's one line buried in the FWOP but one you could encounter every day in Contacts. Know it.

Thirdly, reps. Knowing something is great but the only way to cement your hard earned knowledge is reps. For example, after learning the EPs on paper for about a month I spoke the EPs while driving to base and then again driving home. At first it was a struggle, but as I did more reps I became more comfortable. I took away that comfort by turning the radio on for another distraction. Because of this self training EPs were never something to worry about for me throughout Primary. If you don't get in reps like that the knowledge will flutter away as the Primary firehose is cranked full blast.

Fourthly, study buddies. Good study buddies hold you accountable for bringing knowledge to the table, good study buddies allow you the opportunity to learn from a fellow student when they know something you don't, and good study buddies allow you the opportunity to teach a fellow student when you know something they don't. On the other hand, bad study buddies don't do any of that. Make good study buddies. Note: Your friends from OCS/ROTC/USNA may not always make the best study buddies, but that doesn't mean you need to burn bridges with them.

Fifthly, chairfly. The ability to mentally put yourself in flight and focus intently on a profile helps with real world flights. For example, you may only get 10 landings in a Contact flight or 3 approaches in an Instrument flight, but if you go back home that night with your good study buddy and go through the actions and thoughts over and over you will create solid habits for the plane. This comes back to reps as well, as you can only get so many reps in the airplane but you can get as many reps as you want at home with a good study buddy playing ATC, an IP, the wind components, or whatever. If you've flown 1000 times in your mind you should never fear the flight itself.

Lastly, grades. They are NO FACTOR. You cannot control anything but your own attitude and performance so smile, put in your best effort, listen to what the IPs are telling you, and apply lessons learned in the plane to your next maneuver or next event. Grades be damned. I noticed that guys who get wrapped around the axle with MIF and NSS multipliers and all that nonsense really don't seem to enjoy living in the moment of Primary. You can learn from your past but if you obsess about it you'll forget about the present. Playing lots of golf helps with this one...

It gives me great pleasure to look back on Primary with a grin and a laugh or two. I hope your Primary experience turns out similarly.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me.
 

Meyerkord

Well-Known Member
pilot
Gooooood Morning Air Warriors!

After almost 28 weeks of Primary training at NASWF I am completed. I'd like to pass on some nuggets of wisdom that were either passed on to me by other students and instructors or that I discovered through training. These will be general tools for success in Primary that, for the most part, I did not utilize in highschool or college.

Firstly, time management. You will be doing yourself a favor by prioritizing and executing flight school studying to free up your future so you can attack your future closest alligators. For example, would you rather cram in discuss items or a system the night before a flight and stay up late with worry because the EPOD has 15 notes, warnings, and cautions or would you rather spend an hour or two every day over the weekend studying and simply review the night before the flight?

Second, knowledge. The more you know, the less you guess. Guessing was usually the progenitor to doing something dumb in the cockpit for me and in the air you do't have time to think. For example, guessing where exactly you fly while waiting for Jax Center to get back to you concerning the NMOA if they are delaying while cruising along at 200kts at ~10,000' is not an opportune time. It's one line buried in the FWOP but one you could encounter every day in Contacts. Know it.

Thirdly, reps. Knowing something is great but the only way to cement your hard earned knowledge is reps. For example, after learning the EPs on paper for about a month I spoke the EPs while driving to base and then again driving home. At first it was a struggle, but as I did more reps I became more comfortable. I took away that comfort by turning the radio on for another distraction. Because of this self training EPs were never something to worry about for me throughout Primary. If you don't get in reps like that the knowledge will flutter away as the Primary firehose is cranked full blast.

Fourthly, study buddies. Good study buddies hold you accountable for bringing knowledge to the table, good study buddies allow you the opportunity to learn from a fellow student when they know something you don't, and good study buddies allow you the opportunity to teach a fellow student when you know something they don't. On the other hand, bad study buddies don't do any of that. Make good study buddies. Note: Your friends from OCS/ROTC/USNA may not always make the best study buddies, but that doesn't mean you need to burn bridges with them.

Fifthly, chairfly. The ability to mentally put yourself in flight and focus intently on a profile helps with real world flights. For example, you may only get 10 landings in a Contact flight or 3 approaches in an Instrument flight, but if you go back home that night with your good study buddy and go through the actions and thoughts over and over you will create solid habits for the plane. This comes back to reps as well, as you can only get so many reps in the airplane but you can get as many reps as you want at home with a good study buddy playing ATC, an IP, the wind components, or whatever. If you've flown 1000 times in your mind you should never fear the flight itself.

Lastly, grades. They are NO FACTOR. You cannot control anything but your own attitude and performance so smile, put in your best effort, listen to what the IPs are telling you, and apply lessons learned in the plane to your next maneuver or next event. Grades be damned. I noticed that guys who get wrapped around the axle with MIF and NSS multipliers and all that nonsense really don't seem to enjoy living in the moment of Primary. You can learn from your past but if you obsess about it you'll forget about the present. Playing lots of golf helps with this one...

It gives me great pleasure to look back on Primary with a grin and a laugh or two. I hope your Primary experience turns out similarly.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me.
Concur with literally everything above. I too selected this past week (from Corpus) and all this gouge is spot on.
 

RoarkJr.

Well-Known Member
Gooooood Morning Air Warriors!

After almost 28 weeks of Primary training at NASWF I am completed. I'd like to pass on some nuggets of wisdom that were either passed on to me by other students and instructors or that I discovered through training. These will be general tools for success in Primary that, for the most part, I did not utilize in highschool or college.

Firstly, time management. You will be doing yourself a favor by prioritizing and executing flight school studying to free up your future so you can attack your future closest alligators. For example, would you rather cram in discuss items or a system the night before a flight and stay up late with worry because the EPOD has 15 notes, warnings, and cautions or would you rather spend an hour or two every day over the weekend studying and simply review the night before the flight?

Second, knowledge. The more you know, the less you guess. Guessing was usually the progenitor to doing something dumb in the cockpit for me and in the air you do't have time to think. For example, guessing where exactly you fly while waiting for Jax Center to get back to you concerning the NMOA if they are delaying while cruising along at 200kts at ~10,000' is not an opportune time. It's one line buried in the FWOP but one you could encounter every day in Contacts. Know it.

Thirdly, reps. Knowing something is great but the only way to cement your hard earned knowledge is reps. For example, after learning the EPs on paper for about a month I spoke the EPs while driving to base and then again driving home. At first it was a struggle, but as I did more reps I became more comfortable. I took away that comfort by turning the radio on for another distraction. Because of this self training EPs were never something to worry about for me throughout Primary. If you don't get in reps like that the knowledge will flutter away as the Primary firehose is cranked full blast.

Fourthly, study buddies. Good study buddies hold you accountable for bringing knowledge to the table, good study buddies allow you the opportunity to learn from a fellow student when they know something you don't, and good study buddies allow you the opportunity to teach a fellow student when you know something they don't. On the other hand, bad study buddies don't do any of that. Make good study buddies. Note: Your friends from OCS/ROTC/USNA may not always make the best study buddies, but that doesn't mean you need to burn bridges with them.

Fifthly, chairfly. The ability to mentally put yourself in flight and focus intently on a profile helps with real world flights. For example, you may only get 10 landings in a Contact flight or 3 approaches in an Instrument flight, but if you go back home that night with your good study buddy and go through the actions and thoughts over and over you will create solid habits for the plane. This comes back to reps as well, as you can only get so many reps in the airplane but you can get as many reps as you want at home with a good study buddy playing ATC, an IP, the wind components, or whatever. If you've flown 1000 times in your mind you should never fear the flight itself.

Lastly, grades. They are NO FACTOR. You cannot control anything but your own attitude and performance so smile, put in your best effort, listen to what the IPs are telling you, and apply lessons learned in the plane to your next maneuver or next event. Grades be damned. I noticed that guys who get wrapped around the axle with MIF and NSS multipliers and all that nonsense really don't seem to enjoy living in the moment of Primary. You can learn from your past but if you obsess about it you'll forget about the present. Playing lots of golf helps with this one...

It gives me great pleasure to look back on Primary with a grin and a laugh or two. I hope your Primary experience turns out similarly.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me.
This type of post is exactly why I keep coming back to this site. Thank you for sharing.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Gooooood Morning Air Warriors!

After almost 28 weeks of Primary training at NASWF I am completed. I'd like to pass on some nuggets of wisdom that were either passed on to me by other students and instructors or that I discovered through training. These will be general tools for success in Primary that, for the most part, I did not utilize in highschool or college.

Firstly, time management. You will be doing yourself a favor by prioritizing and executing flight school studying to free up your future so you can attack your future closest alligators. For example, would you rather cram in discuss items or a system the night before a flight and stay up late with worry because the EPOD has 15 notes, warnings, and cautions or would you rather spend an hour or two every day over the weekend studying and simply review the night before the flight?

Second, knowledge. The more you know, the less you guess. Guessing was usually the progenitor to doing something dumb in the cockpit for me and in the air you do't have time to think. For example, guessing where exactly you fly while waiting for Jax Center to get back to you concerning the NMOA if they are delaying while cruising along at 200kts at ~10,000' is not an opportune time. It's one line buried in the FWOP but one you could encounter every day in Contacts. Know it.

Thirdly, reps. Knowing something is great but the only way to cement your hard earned knowledge is reps. For example, after learning the EPs on paper for about a month I spoke the EPs while driving to base and then again driving home. At first it was a struggle, but as I did more reps I became more comfortable. I took away that comfort by turning the radio on for another distraction. Because of this self training EPs were never something to worry about for me throughout Primary. If you don't get in reps like that the knowledge will flutter away as the Primary firehose is cranked full blast.

Fourthly, study buddies. Good study buddies hold you accountable for bringing knowledge to the table, good study buddies allow you the opportunity to learn from a fellow student when they know something you don't, and good study buddies allow you the opportunity to teach a fellow student when you know something they don't. On the other hand, bad study buddies don't do any of that. Make good study buddies. Note: Your friends from OCS/ROTC/USNA may not always make the best study buddies, but that doesn't mean you need to burn bridges with them.

Fifthly, chairfly. The ability to mentally put yourself in flight and focus intently on a profile helps with real world flights. For example, you may only get 10 landings in a Contact flight or 3 approaches in an Instrument flight, but if you go back home that night with your good study buddy and go through the actions and thoughts over and over you will create solid habits for the plane. This comes back to reps as well, as you can only get so many reps in the airplane but you can get as many reps as you want at home with a good study buddy playing ATC, an IP, the wind components, or whatever. If you've flown 1000 times in your mind you should never fear the flight itself.

Lastly, grades. They are NO FACTOR. You cannot control anything but your own attitude and performance so smile, put in your best effort, listen to what the IPs are telling you, and apply lessons learned in the plane to your next maneuver or next event. Grades be damned. I noticed that guys who get wrapped around the axle with MIF and NSS multipliers and all that nonsense really don't seem to enjoy living in the moment of Primary. You can learn from your past but if you obsess about it you'll forget about the present. Playing lots of golf helps with this one...

It gives me great pleasure to look back on Primary with a grin and a laugh or two. I hope your Primary experience turns out similarly.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me.
Congrats on finishing primary. The most important question is where are you going next?
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
BZ, @Birdbrain!

I still recite EPs and memory items in the car on my way to the airport, along with a lot of the other tried and true study techniques you mentioned.

I think you're going to enjoy advanced.
 

kejo

Well-Known Member
pilot
Lastly, grades. They are NO FACTOR. You cannot control anything but your own attitude and performance so smile, put in your best effort, listen to what the IPs are telling you, and apply lessons learned in the plane to your next maneuver or next event. Grades be damned. I noticed that guys who get wrapped around the axle with MIF and NSS multipliers and all that nonsense really don't seem to enjoy living in the moment of Primary. You can learn from your past but if you obsess about it you'll forget about the present. Playing lots of golf helps with this one...

THIS. Work hard, put in the effort, enjoy and appreciate what you are doing and it'll all shake out. Congrats man.

R,
A helo pilot
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Congratulations @Birdbrain!

Even now that I fly in the world of puny LSA's and extra-slow aircraft the things you mention are important. Keep the mindset you have not just through advanced...but throughout your entire flying career.

What did you select? And, @Meyerkord (you frigate lovin' Corpus kid) where are you headed? (and please tell me you were a "Boomer," not one of those new-age "Ranger" guys).
 

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
Boomer all the way ? I don't associate with those oddball Ranger folks. I'm headed to Milton for helo advanced in a couple weeks. Fortunate enough to get my #1 choice and very excited to get started!


Good stuff man, it's weird watching 12-18 peeps coming back from Corpus while all the Milton people of the same vintage are in contacts...

Guess 18 weeks in primary pool will do that ?‍♂️.
 

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
If you got any T-6 questions, I'll be around :D

Contacts seems pretty straight forward, my problems were with my damn stomach fighting me every bit of the way.

Spinny chair seems to have fixed that for the time being. Not looking forward to aero though...
 

Meyerkord

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contacts seems pretty straight forward, my problems were with my damn stomach fighting me every bit of the way.

Spinny chair seems to have fixed that for the time being. Not looking forward to aero though...
I was the same way. Sick on my first 5 flights, spinny chair for a week, got better, sick 1 more time in aero, and sick one last time again in forms after not flying for 2 weeks. Part of the reason (among others) I didn't list jets on my dream sheet despite having the grades to do so. I'd say keep doing the chair every once in a while before you get to instruments, then you can break for a while.
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
Spinny chair seems to have fixed that for the time being. Not looking forward to aero though...
There are only like four or five aero maneuvers you have to perform to "safe, but limited proficiency" to pass the aero safe for solo check and there is a lot of time on the checkride to get them done during your high work... as long as you don't have to pass the controls to the IP and you can keep the airplane inside your box in the working area, then you'll pass. If that means doing one maneuver, flying straight and level at 150~ish knots while you look outside at the ground and wait for the nausea to pass, making gentle turns to stay in the box, doing the next maneuver, flying straight and level some more... well, you get the idea.

You'll still have to do at least one Immelmann, split-S, and cloverleaf during the regular block, but you have four flights to do those to "safe, but limited proficiency."

I mean set your goals higher than "I barely passed" but understand that some otherwise perfectly good SNAs get through aero while dealing with airsickness.

Technique for pukers- save the aileron roll for last.

The IPs know that guys like you aren't going to try and tear it up on your aero solo.

Personally, I always respected the pukers for their grit.

Bad technique for your aero solo- setting max endurance in the MOA until you hit xx fuel, staying up for so long that your line in TIMS schedule executor changes color and the tower ODO calls the squadron ODO because you're overdue on their tracking too. :p
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Boomer all the way ? I don't associate with those oddball Ranger folks. I'm headed to Milton for helo advanced in a couple weeks. Fortunate enough to get my #1 choice and very excited to get started!
Say, if all goes well you can shoot for (zombie) SH-2’s and get a det on one of the (zombie) Knox Class frigates!?
 

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
I was the same way. Sick on my first 5 flights, spinny chair for a week, got better, sick 1 more time in aero, and sick one last time again in forms after not flying for 2 weeks. Part of the reason (among others) I didn't list jets on my dream sheet despite having the grades to do so. I'd say keep doing the chair every once in a while before you get to instruments, then you can break for a while.

After see how much better it made me, I'm gunna be in that chair every weekday I'm not in the plane for the foreseeable future.

I won't say the jets is off the list but I think im coming to see some of what you alluded too. Like OP said the grades aren't my concern anymore and I'm just in it for the ride.
 
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