So what exactly would get someone a yellow or pink sheet? Does it take a bunch of mistakes and no displaying of skill or desire or is it more of a "OMG if I wasn't there to barely save us, we would have died" kind of thing?
A yellow sheet can be awarded under a couple of different circumstances. The first is an overall unsat flight, which from my understanding would be a down in the old system, and the source of much griping about MPTS becuse a yellow shee does not automatically trigger an IPC/FPC/TRB. The second case in which a yellow sheet can be awarded is if a student does not acheive the minimum performance standard (MIF) for a maneuver on an end of block flight. The third yellow sheet in a block will generate a pink sheet and resulting IPC/FPC/TRB. Pink sheets are also awarded for ready room unsats, and failure of check rides.
Scenario 1: Student flies like a moron, almost kills instructor. Instructor awards overall unsat, but it's not a checkride, so student gets a yellow sheet, and has two more chances to get it right before striking pink.
Scenario 2: Student flies well on a flight other than end of block, but goons up one maneuver which IP grades below MIF. No Unsat generated
Scenario 3: Student flies well on an end of block flight, maybe even above average for the whole flight, but is say, 15 knots fast on a waveoff. The 15 knots might be outside of the standard for that block, and would therefore generate a yellow sheet, due to failure to make MIF on an end of block event. Two more shots at it before the paper turns pink.
Scenario 4: Student flies an overall above average check ride, but screws up an approach turn stall and looses 150 ft instead of 125. It would be an unforgiving IP to do this, but a pink sheet could be awarded.
Scenario 5: Student punts it into the stands during a brief. Pink sheet and khakies/Charlies no questions asked.
RRU's/pinksheets/yellowsheets were fairly common in my primary squadron. Out of six people in my class 5 failed the first checkride, most already had at least one unsat to that point, and all would have multiple unsats by the end of the syllabus. 2 of the 6 DOR's, one in advanced, one during primary RI's. Of the remaining four At least two of us have winged, and the last I heard the other 2 were doing fine in advanced.