MasterBates
Well-Known Member
@ Rob, When I left HSL in 06, we were flying goggles pretty heavily at home, and almost exclusively deployed. Just the occasional unaided for unaided night currency.
Do HSL/HSM still not fly goggles? What other skill set requires a "bunch" of training?
Reeks of cronyism. Just my take.
I went overland with HSL in Iraq. Might not have been the norm, but we were not the only det doing it either.
We know HS trains for PR.. But there is worlds difference between canned training rescuing a dude stranded in Dare or Pinecastle and actual flying in country.
Since the HSL/M leadership is adamant that LAMPS will NOT fly overland if there is even the possible hint of a threat, there is a lot of training (unprepared LZ's, LZ tactics, defensive maneuvering, Etc.) that a typical HSL/M pilot has never been exposed to during his/her career that is required to fly with 84/85.Do HSL/HSM still not fly goggles? What other skill set requires a "bunch" of training?
Even PMC HSC guys are, for the most part, trained to LVL III in at least a few mission areas and will probably add more when they return from cruise. Part of the core SWTP syllabus is Day/night tacform and day/night gun patterns (two ship). The vast majority of follow on SWTP training for HSC is two ship. Just the fact that the average HSC guys is already familiar with form operations is probably nice to have. If they have familiarity with SOF and PR that's just more familiarity with the type of missions 84/85 conducts.I know there is some stuff done there that HSL guys didn't train for when I was one..
But a PMC Det HSC dude isn't going to have those skillsets either. What the HS bubbas do.. It's not rocket surgery.
Reeks of cronyism. Just my take.
I know there is some stuff done there that HSL guys didn't train for when I was one..
But a PMC Det HSC dude isn't going to have those skillsets either. What the HS bubbas do.. It's not rocket surgery.
Reeks of cronyism. Just my take.
Depends on what it was for. I used to do a lot of NVG low levels coupled with FLIR searches for 'hajis' (deer, I used my training flights to scout for deer hunting spots), evadees (turkeys, again, more scouting) and the occasional CAL for overland training. Commodore was kind of iffy on unprepared LZs due to guys pranging the radome under the cockpit. Did some practice gun patterns as well if 'hajis' were found.
I'm not sure what the current overland stuff is.
We were NATOPS restricted from Night Form (no form lights) so night form for us was a no go.
You actually were never restricted from Night Form. Ironically it didn't prohibit that (or if it did, it was from a long ago Natops). The irony was that people equated flying at night in form with TACFORM, which weren't the same thing. The AFC for the chem lights has been around since I was a JO. Then again, the East Coast didn't even want to acknowledge night TACFORM until 2 years-ish ago. And when they had a qualified pilot to get their SWTI's up to speed (me), they decided to do their own thing and I expired. Well played.