C130 Pipeline

[foleyswole85]

Hello,

I was hoping any CG C130 pilots could share their flight school progression. This is what my digging has produced so far:

IFS (If do not hold PPL)
API
Primary
Advanced Props (read they eliminated "intermediate")
Basic C130 school (in Little Rock, AR or a base in Georgia)
Coast Guard C130 training in Clearwater, FL

*Some places give approximate times in weeks to complete but it seems they vary tremendously due to wait times, weather, holidays, etc

1. Is this correct?

2. If so, could you share approx. lengths of time at each stage and locations where they took place?

3. Do all CG C130 pilots do their first ~4 year tour at Clearwater or do they send some to the other CGASs that operate C130s?

Thank you for your time,

Brad Foley

 

[HercDriver]

Sorry it has taken so long to reply, Brad...busy days at the HercDriver house.

Anyway, here is what I can tell you; you will go to IFS then API at Pensacola, then on to Primary at Whiting (can't give you times, as I'm not sure how much has changed/will change with the Texan II coming on-line). After that, it is advanced multi-engine props at Corpus Christi (4-6 months), then on to your new duty station, then (when a slot is available) on to CAE (a commercially-contracted, civilian outfit) in Tampa, FL to learn the C-130 (the C-130H model is what I'm talking about; can't speak to training in the J model). The CG has phased out C-130 training at Little Rock for the most part, so off you go for 2-3 months in Tampa, collecting per diem (stay at the Marriot and sign up for Marriot Rewards program...welcome to fixed-wing gouge), and learning the mighty Herc in a low-stress environment. After that, you actually do 5-6 flights in an actual C-130 with a member of the Standardization Team; it should be at Air Station Clearwater, where they are co-located with the regular Air Station, or you might just go back to your new duty station and have the Standardization Pilot fly your last syllabus flights there.

As for duty stations-we have H model C-130s in Kodiak, Sacramento, Barbers Pt, HI, and Clearwater (and J models in Elizabeth City, for the time being). You can be stationed in Sacto, Barbers and Clearwater for your first tour-no limitations. Kodiak is usually a second tour billet, due to the demanding environment.

Hope I answered your questions, and feel free to drop me a pm if you have any more.

 

[foleyswole85]

That's a tremendous help, thanks very much Hercdriver.

Regards,

Brad

 

[jlg79fe]

Hey HercDriver,

Do you know if the CG is taking any IST's from the Air National Guard? What is the possibility of that happening right now. I am a current and qualified C130H3 Aircraft Commander and I was a C130 Flight Engineer before I was a pilot. I am an O3E and realize that I would need to take a reduction in rank to transfer.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

JG

 

[HercDriver]

Hello, JG:
I haven't seen any messages regarding inter-service transfer for pilots right now - we are over on the pilot side due to plussing up on the number of aviators in anticipation of more Casa's coming down the pipeline before budgets constrained the number of airframes. That might be changing...we might get some Air Force C-27 Spartans, so an IST might be on the horizon in the next few years, but not as of yet. I think it would be great to have someone with your experience, so you might want to contact a CG recruiter about coming into the Coast Guard and getting your ducks in a row.
Take care,
HD

 

[jlg79fe]

Thanks for the info HercDriver,

I am going to check into it!!

JG

 

[foleyswole85]

If anyone is familiar with the J model community, I was wondering what selection is like for that community and how versatile you would be service-wide. Since E City is the only place operating the J model, what would you do after your initial 4 year tour? Continue to fly at E City, cross train to H models for other airstations, etc? Thanks in advance.

 

[81montedriver]

If anyone is familiar with the J model community, I was wondering what selection is like for that community and how versatile you would be service-wide. Since E City is the only place operating the J model, what would you do after your initial 4 year tour? Continue to fly at E City, cross train to H models for other airstations, etc? Thanks in advance.

If you are interested in flying Hercs, J-models in particular, why not look into the Marine Corps?

 

[HAL Pilot]

If you are interested in flying Hercs, J-models in particular, why not look into the Marine Corps?

But wait! To go this route, doen't he have to want to be a Marine more than he wants to fly?

 

[HercDriver]

The CG is slated to get more Js and have them split between two air stations (I'd love to throw rumors around as to where, but at this point I've heard a few different places); right now folks transition between the H and J model. I haven't heard that it is any big deal to make the transition. Pretty sure the main EP in the J is "CTRL-ALT-DEL" - (P/CP).

 

[foleyswole85]

Haha, I'm just asking out of curiosity. I would consider myself fortunate to fly any model 130 for any branch, I just happen to have a CG OCS app pending right now. Thanks for the input.

 

[Ziploc158]

Hey guys I'm not really sure where to post this question so I decided to post it here and keep it in the Herck community.

I am a C-130 Co-pilot out of Little Rock and I am interested in flying for the Coast Guard. Does anyone know of anybody who went through this process? May main question is regarding how do you go about doing it. I talked to the recruiter, but I generally take their word with a grain of salt because half the time I do not know if they are telling the truth or just what I want to hear. Thanks for the help!

 

[sardaddy]

In order to come into the CG from another service as a pilot you have to apply to the Direct Commissioned Aviator program. There is no interservice transfer program for the CG. The kicker for many is that you come in as an O2 (O1 if you are an army warrant officer). There are a few stipulations such as having less than 10 years of service, younger than 34 and have 500 flt hours. Some others as well but those are the major ones.

There is a DCA selection board coming up in December. You might have enough time to apply if you act now. You will need to go through a CG recruiter to get it started.

 

[BACONATOR]

So is DCA officially impossible now, for most of us with the new 8 year contracts from wings? Since... essentially that puts us RIGHT at 10 years. I suppose there are handfuls of folks who can JUST barely make it, if they pick it up right away and get in barely under 10 years, but for me as BDCP, my obligation won't even end until 11+ years from when I swore in, in college.

 

[sardaddy]

You can try for a conditional release from the Navy if you meet all of the other requirements. That would get you in under 10 years.