Help on Selection Choices

[Pilot123]

I had my last flight in Primary last night, will be selecting next Thursday, and looking for a little help on the choices.
I am putting tailhook first, but can not decide on putting P3's or E6's second. I'm leaning towards putting P3's second but am not totally sure.
Just wondering if anyone on here could give some input? Here are some of my thoughts so far...if I'm wrong about anything please let me know.

P3's
Pro: Get to deploy cooler places other than only Nebraska, Pax River, and Travis. Get to fly around at 200 feet in a large aircraft. P8 coming out in the future. Get stated in cool places like Jax, Hawaii, Washington State.
Cons: Old as all get out. Heard about backstabbing in the community?

E6's:
Pro: Nice family life. Cost of living in OKC. Fairly new (compared to P3's).
Cons: Extremely boring mission. Vance, T1's, and all that comes with it. Only stationed at an AF base.

 

[jt71582]

Take it for what it is, my uncle was in P3s and was majorly backstabbed. Situational I know, but he was negatively portrayed in a book that was written about a certain incident in a certain asian country's airspace. Enough said about that.

I really don't know about anything else, I am neither a pilot nor an officer, but good luck in your selection, and remember that 42% get rollerblades.

 

[FLYTPAY]

Go P-3's

 

[atflor]

jmet what is your NSS?

 

[xj220]

First, check your anthro measurements. After my incident, a couple guys also found out that they were no go for T-45s. For E-6s, if I wanted to go Air Force I would have joined the Air Force. The T-1 seems awesome to fly, but again it's Vance. Seems like a lot of guys are going P-3s right now and there's a good crew here waiting to class up.

 

[Dirty]

P-3's Hawaii...nuff said. Though they are having some 'dying' pains now, by the time your finishing your JO tour they will have changed the WTM a bit for the lack of aircraft on the ramp. I believe the JOPA will be the strongest ever in the coming years due to the hemorrhaging of the good guys right now and the, ahem, company players sticking around. Hopefully that will be the exception and not the rule. Go West coast either way, the farther from hives nest the better...

 

[FLYTPAY]

The T-1 seems awesome to fly, but again it's Vance.

Never pick a platform based upon the aircraft used in to train in the pipeline.

 

[e6bflyer]

Man, no love here...
I loved the E-6. The deployment cycle should be fixed by the time he gets there and it is an awesome airplane and I had a great time. Plus, you don't have to be a P-3 guy (a stereotype, I know, but based in truth for some people). There are douchebags that fly the E-6, but they are quickly weeded out and made fun of. Don't go P-3s based on the P-8 being "just around the corner", you will be lucky if you get to fly it as an O-4.

 

[FlyBoyd]

I had my last flight in Primary last night, will be selecting next Thursday, and looking for a little help on the choices.
I am putting tailhook first, but can not decide on putting P3's or E6's second. I'm leaning towards putting P3's second but am not totally sure.
Just wondering if anyone on here could give some input? Here are some of my thoughts so far...if I'm wrong about anything please let me know.

P3's
Pro: Get to deploy cooler places other than only Nebraska, Pax River, and Travis. Get to fly around at 200 feet in a large aircraft. P8 coming out in the future. Get stated in cool places like Jax, Hawaii, Washington State.
Cons: Old as all get out. Heard about backstabbing in the community?

E6's:
Pro: Nice family life. Cost of living in OKC. Fairly new (compared to P3's).
Cons: Extremely boring mission. Vance, T1's, and all that comes with it. Only stationed at an AF base.

Jmetx,
After going E-6s I sum it up like this...."The highs are not as high but the lows are not as low."

I would modify your pro/con list as follows.

You do indeed deploy OCONUS with P-3s but you should also list it in the cons list as a have to. E-6 det length is relatively short (3 weeks) and my family and I liked it. CONUS 95% of the time. Keep in mind the total time away during a tour it is fairly high. I was gone 22 months out of a 42 month tour but three weeks at a time. This schedule is fairly dated so ask around.

Move only stationed at AF bases to the pro list. Superior facilities including AAFEES and the golf course. VQ-3/4/7 (E-6s) at Tinker are tenant commands on one side of the base and don't play their games. On the other hand at Offutt, the joint mission can wear your nerves thin but I found it comical and predictable. OBTW, the alert facility including the chow hall is a cut above any place I have been. Your own room/TV/phone and only one flush buddy...you get the picture.

IMO, the P-8 will slide to the right. A lot of guess work here but things like Iraq war, oil prices, recession, Democratic president (?) are a few things that come to mind. The E-6B is in place with the E-6C on the near horizon (Closer than P-8). Check your history on POM funding for joint mission versus service specific missions.

I agree with Dirty...West coast.

OBTW, every community has its share of backstabbing. Put your choices down and wait. Your control of the situation is all but gone now so accept what you get and never look back. If you get P-3s...see you at VT-31.

 

[FLY_USMC]

If it makes any difference to you in the future, we had 2 former E-6 pilots that came to Meridian to be IP's, both first tour LT's. One of them went to the boat with me, the other was pretty new, but I'm sure he'll get too as well. Essentially, you are a "jet" guy in the E-6, which is the logic behind it all. I can't remember any P-3 IP's in Meridian, correct me if I'm wrong. I would add that to your Pro list. FWIW, they were both extremely cool guys and $$ IP's, and if they're paving the way for more former E-6 IP's, there should be many more to come in the future.

 

[TheBubba]

The T-1 seems awesome to fly

That's the worst joke I've heard all day. There is no reason I should have to ask the pilot's permission to start a checklist.

Me: "I'm getting weather onthe back radio. Can you cover the front?"
Pilot: Don't get it yet.
Me: Why not? We're about 90 NM from the field.
Pilot: 92 to be exact. Weather and descent checks start inside of 90.
Me. Right-o

AF homo-ness.

 

[scoober78]

Essentially, you are a "jet" guy in the E-6, which is the logic behind it all.

WTF does this mean? I guess you can't be cool if you have an RGB.

Seriously though, what skills would an E-6 teach you that a P-3 wouldn't that will be useful in a T-45? Different airplanes is different airplanes no?

 

[MasterBates]

There are P3Is here.

There is a way for you to trap yet Scoober!

 

[FLYTPAY]

Seriously though, what skills would an E-6 teach you that a P-3 wouldn't that will be useful in a T-45?

How about a helo bubba teaching you about critical engines, microwaves, and flight engineers? Or you teaching a helo bubba about an autorotation or hovering? Catch my drift?

 

[scoober78]

How about a helo bubba teaching you about critical engines, microwaves, and flight engineers? Or you teaching a helo bubba about an autorotation or hovering? Catch my drift?

No. Read my question?