Okay, slightly long one here, trying to put some words/thoughts together for next Pilot Training.
BLUF: I think we are losing our way as Naval Aviators in the P-8, becoming over-reliant on automation and unwilling to fly our plane to the extents allowed in NATOPS, and it’s leading to decrease in our capabilities as a crew.
Was onsta recently and had a cloud deck from 2K down to (reported) around 600. Needed to drop buoys. Cleared the helo out of our box laterally and came down to 500’ after having crew don LPU’s.
Got to 500’, we were in and out of the scud, sea state was up a little so I didn’t feel comfortable punching buoys based on Radar alone. Told Redcrown we were going to 200’, confirmed the helo was out of our box, kicked off autopilot and descended to 200’.
Spit our BT and started getting a lot of chirping from behind the (curtain) door about “Why are we down here” which is a common refrain I hear now anytime I tell the crew to put on their vest and go below 1K’.
Got the word from Redcrown they were rolling Exercise right an hour and climbed back up above 2.5K and got out of the seat, rotated as usual.
The next day, after several tasty beverages, was approached by pilots who were concerned I hadn’t climbed back up above clouds to discuss going from 500’ to 200’ before I did it.
Needless to say, I was fucking shocked. I fully expect every pilot sitting next to me to be able to fly the jet throughout the envelope allowed in NATOPS, both speed and altitude, and expressed that to them.
Still not sure if it is a generational thing or a P-8 thing where everyone needs a full-fledged discussion before we change altitudes, but my feelings are still if I need the plane below the clouds to spot buoys, strap in and let’s go.
This further manifests in the unwillingness to learn/fly VFR as a community. In the P-3 (I hate that phrase) flying VFR around the mountains, down the Lake Chelan Gorge, or down the coast was/is not a big thing.
Now I get Anymice (because too many people are scared of conflict) or ASAPs after flying VFR to the straits and back to Fairchild so I can get a target deck on a CAVU day.
I think we are so risk averse as a community that it is decreasing our ability to fight the plane as it was designed.
My goal, every flight, is to challenge the pilots with me to stretch their boundaries, whether that’s hand flying, rigging at 200’, or going into a new field on no notice, as long as you have the NOTAMS and WX, and I try to make them better.
Unfortunately I feel like I’m making a name for myself as a “cowboy” in the plane because I’m not on an IFR clearance all day and take the chance to go below 1k’ whenever I can.
Thoughts/comments?
Pickle