Pretty sure Tacamo's have a RAG...
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Coast Guard S-3 Vikings
- Thread starter FLYTPAY
- Start date
Pretty sure Tacamo's have a RAG...
The S-3 Weapons School retains the people with the quals to train to a RAG syllabis.
I agree completely, I think that part of it may be the remaining guys trying to hold on and part of it is legit. I do know that it's got some visibility though, for what that's worth. If the mission that the P-3's are doing is important enough (SSC in the gulf), and if the S-3 can properly fill the role, then maybe it's easier/cheaper than fixing the P-3's or hurrying the P-8. These are just some things I've heard, all rumors, please treat as such.
One idea is that the east coast wing will be able to handle training, there are still plenty of quale'd (or maybe just out of qual) S-3 instructors bombing around the Navy. As far as manning the squadrons goes I've heard a couple different things. Possibly taking Cat I P-3 guys out of VT's and sending them to Jax for a tour in S-3's and then off to P-3's. DH's could be guys who declined transition or maybe didn't screen, since it's a temporary solution it could be a bit of a dead end anyway for a "career minded" guy. Who knows how they'll get XO's/CO's but if it's run like a P-3 squadron there could be some good OIC opportunities.
I'm sure the P-3 guys here can talk more intelligibly about what's going on but I do know that there are a ton of P-3's on the line in Whidbey right now.
You beat me to it, this is a fast moving thread...
Old bird??? OLD BIRD???? Sigh...
I was in VX1 when we did the OpEval on the NEW birds. I installed the only known S3 paper MAD recorder for some of the tests. Only time I ever got to ride the ejection seats.
It was a term of endearment for sure...
I love the Hoov to death but I would be a bit pissed if they reopened an S-3 pipeline in the next 6 months.
There are plenty of transition-decliners to operate a det. All you need is 9 guys to run the det.The whole point is to never have to "ride" the ejection seats.
Good point... Perhaps I should have said "strap into and fly with"... I just remember pushing the headknocker back for the first time was a little unsettling.
There was a "nobody asked me" column about this very subject in Proceedings years ago. As I recall, it was a Coastie fixed-wing bubba saying these same things - awesome search radar, long loiter time - would make the War Hoover a great long-range search plane for the CG. Seemed sensible enough. I'm just still unclear what exactly the Hoov can do that the Herk and the Falcon can't.
I think the CG is more amenable to "let's get a few of these planes, try 'em out, then make a decision" than DoD tends to be. For example, there were those helos they got to try out the AUF/HITRON concept before going with the MH-68 and putting guns in the Jayhawks and Dolphins. Maybe this is an "extended test drive" sort of deal?
I think the CG is more amenable to "let's get a few of these planes, try 'em out, then make a decision" than DoD tends to be. For example, there were those helos they got to try out the AUF/HITRON concept before going with the MH-68 and putting guns in the Jayhawks and Dolphins. Maybe this is an "extended test drive" sort of deal?
It does. I've been in the building.
I don't know anything about the airframe lifetimes of the CG's Falcons or Herks but I do know the Hoov has tons of life left.
...From the XO of one of the remaining S-3 squadrons, "they're just figuring out if it's even possible to stop the sundown process, much less re-org the funding, OPTAR, training to sustain continued ops."
The weps school/wing is pretty much a ghost town too for what it's worth.
Capt Bob Buehn retired yesterday, long time S-3 bubba, and the S-3 mafia at the O-club reception wasn't talking much about the possibility of sticking around. But, stranger things have happened.
The weps school/wing is pretty much a ghost town too for what it's worth.
Capt Bob Buehn retired yesterday, long time S-3 bubba, and the S-3 mafia at the O-club reception wasn't talking much about the possibility of sticking around. But, stranger things have happened.
What did they say in The Right Stuff? "No bucks, no Buck Rogers".......
While I think that if many people could, they would keep the S-3 around to continue missions in the Navy and/or the Coast Guard. But you are going to run into the same problem as the Marines with the Prowler, if they keep it around for long after the Navy retires them. If the Coast Guard is the sole operator of the aircraft they will be responsible for all of the long term care and feeding that goes into maintaining the aircraft fleet, of a pretty old platform. No matter how much airframe life is left in a platform things have a tendency to crop up, like cracks in the wing, that would effectively ground the fleet if they don't have a solution to it.
Not only that, it makes little sense to me to get the Hoover when there are a variety of platforms out there that could easily be used for the same mission, like the HC-144 and HU-25. Many countries use executive jets/medium civil aircraft for CG and MARPAT duties. It makes little sense to me to use an older platform that would be cost intensive in the long run. The CG doesn't hunt subs and doesn't perform maritime strike, like other interested parties that have looked at the S-3, and they don't land on the carrier. So why does the CG really need the mighty War Hoover? To me, it just smacks of wishful thinking on the part of S-3 guys.......
I see the only viable users of the S-3 being foreign navies that could replace their S-2's or like aircraft, firefighters and companies using them for test platforms (I believe Raytheon still flies A-3's testing radars, etc).
Airframe life does not always equal viability. There is plenty of airframe life left in E-8 JSTARS but they still have serious issues with the aircraft. Same thing with the B-52, they have lots of airframe life left in them but if not for the expensive care and feeding that the USAF has put into them, they would not be viable.
Who is willing to pony up the money to keep the S-3 viable?
Bombs and aerial refueling giving a loiter time of 6.5 hours+ is pretty darned good!
Taking an unbiased look at this is hard for me to do but the Hoov is definitely capable of handling the stress of the non0carrier environment for another 12,000 hours. It does not require R&D and the purchasing thing is not a factor since it is a government transfer of an asset to a different "department". Safety is also a factor....the S-3B is a single-engine capable airplane that can take a beating so it beats out the Falson in that respect. It is less of a "beast" than a Herc, and more maneuverable. The only thing that I would not want to see is the Hoov painted White and Orange. NASA is operating 2 that I know of as icing research testbeds also.