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Going to Vance

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trmat79

Registered User
I was wondering if there are any guys out there that are going to Vance. I just found out that I am going there after API and I want to get a jump and getting ready for it. I really have no idea what to expect and would appreciate any help

Todd Matson
 

Dawgfan

Pending
pilot
http://www.studentpilot.net/cf/msgboard/messageresultsp.cfm?ds=studentpilot&msgforumid=10

It's the Air Force version of this site, except much better and more civilized, with highly respectable resources. Wait, that's Air Warriors.
 

Tahoe

Registered User
Hey Todd,

Greetings from Vance (AKA Enid America) So what would you like to know, maybe about the cow fields or our famous 12 hour days in the squadron?? Let me know....

-Dave
 

Dawgfan

Pending
pilot
You still alive Fargo? How's everything going in Enid? Hope all is well. Just remember to annunciate on the radio so the controllers can make sense of your thick Canadian accent.
 

trmat79

Registered User
Hey man it is good to hear from someone up there. I have about 2&1/2 weeks until i go up there and i am really starting to look forward to it. I mean i know it gets a bad reputation down here in P-cola but I dont think it is going to be as bad as people say. I mean it will be cold but i am from NJ so that is no prob. As we get to fly and twin engine jet and get through primary quicker...sounds good to me. Let me know what you think of it up there
todd

Todd Matson
 

Tahoe

Registered User
Trust me when I say you should have gone to a navy training squadron, you are here 12 hours a day, it doesn't matter if you're flying or not, just a ton of crap you have to put up with here.... I'm doing fine, but I'm one of the few navy guys to do so here, I guess it's because I walk around with the deer in the headlights look. VERY HIGH atrite rate out of here...
 

trmat79

Registered User
I got vance because that is where they needed me i guess. And I agree that the atrite rate is probably higher but I also think from what I have heard that the training is good..I mean in college i really didnt care about my major and when i didnt study i would always tell people that i didnt care because it wasnt what i was going to be doing with the rest of my life.. I guess this flying thing is what I am going to be doing and i would rather learn it good so if i do need to call on some minute skill it will come back to me instead of dying or getting hurt because i didnt know the procedure cold. I dont think vance is for everyone but i think with the right attitude anyone can make it

Todd Matson
 

travislikes

TACAMO Bus Driver
Vance is all what you make out of it. I did primary at whiting and then went to Vance to fly the T-1, so I have both Navy and Air Farce training experience. It is awesome going through together as a class. You and all of your classmates are all tracking together very closely and spend way too much time together every day studying, bulls**tting, and preparing for the next flight. The Air Force has a different and much more structured (a nice way of putting it) method of training. It involves stand up emergency procedures, where you get to stand at attention in front of a panel of IPs and students and act out a flight gone bad, 4:00 morning shows for formal briefs, and staying locked in the flight room for 12 hours only to go home, study, pass out, and return the next day at 4:00 for another round. Air Force IPs have a whole different attitude and expect a lot more in the way of formality and respect. I didn't get the pleasure of flying Tweets (thank goodness), but I have heard that it is even worse than the T-1 track as far as student harassment goes.
At Pcola, on the other hand, I was more worried about what time I should take off from the beach at Navarre in order to make that 2:00pm brief.
Did I learn a lot at Vance? Hell yes.
Did I make great friends there? Yes.
Is there nothing to do in Enid? If you like country dancing, you are in luck. Thank God I am married. Oklahoma City (where I am now) is pretty close and there is lots to do there.
As far as attrition and selection goes, it is about identical to Whiting from what I have heard.
Yes, the Tweet is a "twin engine jet", but make no mistake, it is neither powerful, nimble, nor fast, just extremely loud. It is 50's era stuff (not the the 34 was much better off, but at least we had NACWS!).
Good luck out there. Approach it with a good attitude and you will do great. Don't let other people drag you down into a "Vance sucks" hole. You will just end up doing poorly and not getting what you want out of primary (unless helos is what you want, and then you are golden). Most importantly, remember that there are people who would give lots of money and possibly body parts to be in your shoes.
 

Dave Shutter

Registered User
Tahoe...

How ya been? Haven't heard from you in a while, sounds like Vance is a hoot. Are you close to selecting yet? High attrite rate in Vance huh? Well, let me put it this way, the way things have gone around here the last couple months I know more poeple in Gen-Av than I do wearing flight suits!

-Puk' E Mon
 

Tahoe

Registered User
Things are going great here, the weather is a bit more cool now that things are cooling down, but the jet performs so much better when it's not so hot out, you don't get so much sweat pooling in your oxygen mask as well. I just got back from OKC for the weekend, I'm going to watch some football and relax...hope everyone is doing well...


-Dave
 

Dave Shutter

Registered User
Dave-

How much longer 'till you select? Everyone else from our class (except the guy who commissioned on crutches, started Primary at WF a couple weeks ago, ahead of me no less) has finished Primary or departed the pattern. You must be close to finishing. I just had my sinus surgery today, I feel pretty good actually. Man, they drugged the hell out of me today [^]! It will still be a few weeks untill it heals completely, followed by a test run in the chamber, but I'm already breathing a lot better with no sinus problems besides the obvious side effects.

How's Okie-land BTW, can't be worse then here!

Dave
 

Tahoe

Registered User
No, things are actually pretty good here...They treat you well, but it tends to be along the lines of OCS for air force 2nd LT's, very few navy guys here, but all in all it's great. I hear they stop babying you so much after phase 2 (same as primary) but unless I stay on for E-6 here I won't see it. Though I am looking forward to moving on to where ever it is I move on to.

Glad to hear your nose is better...Take care.
 

LadyJayUSN

Registered User
If anyone needs info on Enid or OKC...I live in Norman and my roommate grew up in Enid (he's there every weekend).
Not exactly P-cola or Corpus Christy, but is grows on ya I guess.
 
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