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Are primary students still going through A.F. primary?

Jamin'G

Member
pilot
The policy still seems to be alive and well. Seems like some studs like it more than others. I would think it would be an interesting perspective into how another service does business, but not having any experience in that regard I could be wrong. As an interesting side note, we've actually got Air Force EWOs flying Growlers up here in Whidbey. Word on the street is they'll be sending pilots soon as well.
 

Wudgles

Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
pilot
The policy still seems to be alive and well. Seems like some studs like it more than others. I would think it would be an interesting perspective into how another service does business, but not having any experience in that regard I could be wrong. As an interesting side note, we've actually got Air Force EWOs flying Growlers up here in Whidbey. Word on the street is they'll be sending pilots soon as well.

I agree that it'd be cool to do an exchange tour with another service, but I wouldn't want to do it during training. I joined the Navy to be a Naval Officer and a Naval Aviator, and I want to be trained as such. Do you end up as a Naval Aviator if you do Primary/UPT at Vance? Yes. Are you trained as a Naval Aviator during your time in Enid, OK? No, you're trained as an Air Force pilot.

Now, later on in my career, I think it'd be a blast to do a tour playing with someone else's toys and seeing how they do things.
 

81montedriver

Well-Known Member
pilot
I agree that it'd be cool to do an exchange tour with another service, but I wouldn't want to do it during training. I joined the Navy to be a Naval Officer and a Naval Aviator, and I want to be trained as such. Do you end up as a Naval Aviator if you do Primary/UPT at Vance? Yes. Are you trained as a Naval Aviator during your time in Enid, OK? No, you're trained as an Air Force pilot.

Now, later on in my career, I think it'd be a blast to do a tour playing with someone else's toys and seeing how they do things.

I thought it was pretty cool to see how other services did things. Did it make me less of a Marine Corps Aviator doing Navy and Air Force flight training? Absolutely not. But after training with the Navy and Air Force for 2 years, it made me much more appreciative of the way the Marine Corps operates.
 

Wudgles

Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
pilot
I thought it was pretty cool to see how other services did things. Did it make me less of a Marine Corps Aviator doing Navy and Air Force flight training? Absolutely not. But after training with the Navy and Air Force for 2 years, it made me much more appreciative of the way the Marine Corps operates.

That's a great point that I'm sorry I left out of my original post. Good catch.
 

usmarinemike

Solidly part of the 42%.
pilot
Contributor
I thought it was pretty cool to see how other services did things. Did it make me less of a Marine Corps Aviator doing Navy and Air Force flight training? Absolutely not. But after training with the Navy and Air Force for 2 years, it made me much more appreciative of the way the Marine Corps operates.

You make an interesting point. It is not a secret that Marine Aviation handles it's business a little different from the rest of the Marine Corps. That's in no way a bad thing and I imagine it's mainly a function of the business of aviation, but I wonder sometimes what Marine Aviation would be like if it was autonomous from the Navy during flight training. I'm not advocating it. It's simply a thought experiment.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
You make an interesting point. It is not a secret that Marine Aviation handles it's business a little different from the rest of the Marine Corps. That's in no way a bad thing and I imagine it's mainly a function of the business of aviation, but I wonder sometimes what Marine Aviation would be like if it was autonomous from the Navy during flight training. I'm not advocating it. It's simply a thought experiment.

It would probably turn Primary into TBS take2... and that would be terrible.
 

81montedriver

Well-Known Member
pilot
It would probably turn Primary into TBS take2... and that would be terrible.

That would be an honest possibility. A more realistic scenario would be less of a culture shock for Marines coming out of flight school going into a fleet squadron.
 

Lou

New Member
pilot
The current policy is 100 studs a year go to Vance, offset by 100 Air Force studs coming to Whiting. VT-3 is just about complete with the transition to the T-6B. We just had our first completers over the last 3 weeks.

VT-6 is starting to send IPs to the FITU. This time next year, or sooner, VT-2 should start. 2012 should also see the beginning of Corpus squadrons transitioning.

In terms of training, the syllabus is the same (~90%, there are a couple of difference) since it is the Joint Primary Pilot Training. All the IPs are held to the same standards, while you may see different techniques, they typically are pilot based and not service based.

The big difference tends to how the Air Force runs the studs day. Starts with Stand up etc, but typically, while Whiting doesn't have official stand ups, there are groups of studs studying everywhere.
 

RedFive

Well-Known Member
pilot
None
Contributor
Vance definitely gets you through quicker. Out of the 20 or so pilots from my OCS class, I was the last to finish API (by weeks or months in some cases) and the first to check-in to advanced (by months). I just talked to an AF exchange guy who finished API with me and he just started instruments. It's possible I will wing before I put on O-2.

Does any of that matter? I don't know.
 

81montedriver

Well-Known Member
pilot
Vance definitely gets you through quicker. Out of the 20 or so pilots from my OCS class, I was the last to finish API (by weeks or months in some cases) and the first to check-in to advanced (by months). I just talked to an AF exchange guy who finished API with me and he just started instruments. It's possible I will wing before I put on O-2.

Does any of that matter? I don't know.

If you are Navy, there is a good chance of that happening, it happens on a regular basis. If you are a Marine, good luck with that. 6 months of TBS basically makes it impossible for a Marine to wing as a 2ndLt.

As a Marine, if you can make it to advanced as a 2ndLt., then you are typically moving pretty quick through the pipeline.
 

texags

Active Member
pilot
If you are Navy, there is a good chance of that happening, it happens on a regular basis. If you are a Marine, good luck with that. 6 months of TBS basically makes it impossible for a Marine to wing as a 2ndLt.

As a Marine, if you can make it to advanced as a 2ndLt., then you are typically moving pretty quick through the pipeline.

I'm just hoping to graduate API before I pick up 1LT.
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
Vance definitely gets you through quicker. Out of the 20 or so pilots from my OCS class, I was the last to finish API (by weeks or months in some cases) and the first to check-in to advanced (by months). I just talked to an AF exchange guy who finished API with me and he just started instruments. It's possible I will wing before I put on O-2.

Does any of that matter? I don't know.

Am I weird that I don't care? Paychecks keep coming either way. Short of f'ing up the timing down the way if you go waaaaaay long (like waiting until O-3 to Wing), seems pretty benign. Any higher ups care to weigh in?
 

HackerF15E

Retired Strike Pig Driver
None
Am I weird that I don't care? Paychecks keep coming either way. Short of f'ing up the timing down the way if you go waaaaaay long (like waiting until O-3 to Wing), seems pretty benign. Any higher ups care to weigh in?

If paychecks is all you care about, then sure.

Some of us, however, care about getting our pink butts into big, gray airplanes that go into combat and not waiting longer than we have to.
 

usmarinemike

Solidly part of the 42%.
pilot
Contributor
If paychecks is all you care about, then sure.

Some of us, however, care about getting our pink butts into big, gray airplanes that go into combat and not waiting longer than we have to.

Go easy on him. It's a coping strategy for those who fly T34s, and only get about one X per week. I've been there. The other option is to be completely pissed off. I've done that, too.
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
^^ So true. I can't fight skeds, mother nature, or Sirkorsky Aerospace Maint (not bagging on them btw, they do great work with I'm sure what is a maintenance nightmare). I go with the flow like a good little ENS.
 
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