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Housing advice for API/ Primary

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
As far as I know, as of now, no one is required to live in the Q at Whiting. The renovated Q opened some months ago and nothing has come out about requiring occupancy, but that may change at some point (it did when I was a student).
 

jollygreen07

Professional (?) Flight Instructor
pilot
Contributor
Screw the Q... You should just do like this guy and live in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER.

lade_sm.jpg


All your ensign buddies will be uber jealous of your accommodations. I promise.
 

FlyMikeFly

Happiness is Vectored Thrust
pilot
Contributor
Hello. Before I get to my question, I will preface by saying that I have already done a search of past posts/ threads and have found nothing of value given my specific circumstances. Here's the deal:

My issue in brief: I am trying to decide living arrangements for my family (wife, two kids, another kid on the way) in the Pensacola area, specifically, how to best attack the problem of having a long commute between NAS Pcola and Whiting Field. The two are 42.7 miles apart, and I drive a truck that doesn't get phenomenal gas mileage. We have considered Ferry Pass, Pace, and Whiting Field. But we always return to the dilemma of the commute and how much that will end up costing us in gas, especially since gas prices are on the rise. We considered living in Whiting Pines, but since we are expecting another kid and the hospital is down at NAS Pcola, along with the long commute to API, we are a bit turned off from this option. We considered living in temp housing aboard NAS Pcola, but were told by the staff that API students cannot live there given the duration of the school. So, here we are, at the "horns of a dilemma" as they say.

Any intelligent and informed advice is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 

maltwin1

New Member
I know there are several people who are renting houses in the Pace area. I think it is closer to Whiting than it is to Pensacola, but the area is nice. I have looked at a lot of the houses available to rent in Ferry Pass that fit in to the BAH budget, and I would not reccommend them. The nice ones are really small, and the decent sized ones are not somewhere I would move in to.

So you might consider Pace. From my experiences down in Pensacola, things are a lot closer together than the seem on the map.

Good Luck!
 

Heloanjin

Active Member
pilot
You should consider that the amount of time you will spend at API should dwarf the time you spend at Whiting. So that commute to P'cola may not be as much of a factor as you are thinking.
 

NozeMan

Are you threatening me?
pilot
Super Moderator
Don't bother living in Pensacola if you KNOW you will be following on to Whiting. You'll be commuting to NASP for 6 weeks of API plus the A Pool wait....but spending around 6 months at Whiting. Live in Pace or Milton. I lived in North Pensacola for just the reasons you listed....dumb. API was ~25 minute drive for 6 weeks, Whiting was ~35 minute drive for 6 months.

You'll have a handful of "early" morning during API, but a LOT of them during Primary. I moved up to Milton for Advanced, PM me with questions.
 

Herc_Dude

I believe nicotine + caffeine = protein
pilot
Contributor
Whiting Pines seemed pretty nice (I didn't live there, but had friends who did). My wife and I were expecting while I was there, and we worried about the drive to Pcola. Keep this in mind - if its a normal slow progressing labor, the drive wont be too much of a factor. If things move really fast, Whiting Pines is about 1/2 of a mile from the hospital in Milton (Santa Rosa??). So, if its a case that merits an immediate hospital trip, you have the piece of mind of the hospital right there.

We lived right up there in Milton, and while it sucked to drive about an hour to API, it was perfect for primary (5-7 months vs 6 weeks...)

Hope it all works out bruddah, congrats on the new spawn ;)
 

FlyMikeFly

Happiness is Vectored Thrust
pilot
Contributor
Hey thanks a lot for the advice. I think we're getting closer to making a decision. We had our MAGTF night here at TBS and I am totally ready to start flight school now (mentally)! Too bad I just found out I'm the platoon commander for FEX 4!
 

Herc_Dude

I believe nicotine + caffeine = protein
pilot
Contributor
Hey thanks a lot for the advice. I think we're getting closer to making a decision. We had our MAGTF night here at TBS and I am totally ready to start flight school now (mentally)! Too bad I just found out I'm the platoon commander for FEX 4!
You are an old pro by now, ain't nothin but a thang ...:icon_wink It will be over before you know it
 

FlyMikeFly

Happiness is Vectored Thrust
pilot
Contributor
You are an old pro by now, ain't nothin but a thang ...:icon_wink It will be over before you know it

Let's hope so, but I'm going to try and take advantage of this being the last time I'll ever plan and command a platoon-sized ground operation.

By the way, how do you like the prop pipeline? I think I may try to go that route possibly. Is the pipeline pretty constrictive coming out of primary?
 

Herc_Dude

I believe nicotine + caffeine = protein
pilot
Contributor
Let's hope so, but I'm going to try and take advantage of this being the last time I'll ever plan and command a platoon-sized ground operation.

By the way, how do you like the prop pipeline? I think I may try to go that route possibly. Is the pipeline pretty constrictive coming out of primary?

All about timing...and luck. When I selected there were about 5-6 guys who selected Hercs within a few week period. After my last buddy got em, that was it. I haven't heard what the status is for a while. I had a decent NSS (above the jet cutoff) and snagged one, a close buddy had a not-so-hot NSS but was the only Marine who wanted Hercs that week, so he is here too.

I obviously can't compare this pipeline to others having not actually been in helos or jets, but I can tell you that life is good. Comparing stories with buddies doing those other pipelines has confirmed the sweetness ;) Pretty laid back group. Corpus has been a nice change in scenery from Milton, thats for sure.

You don't hear many Herc stories out there, I'm not really sure if there are any active duty Herc drivers on AW (a few newly winged guys are here), but talking with the Marines around VT-31 has finally shined some light on the Herc community. We might be transport/aerial refueling focused, but there are some shit-hot stories out there. Its a small community and it seems like everyone knows everyone. All I can tell you is that I am stoked that I am here. There is a high chance that if you select Hercs you will be flying the T-44C (glass cockpit) down here in Corpus, which is damn nice. Quite a step up from the T-34 :) Another perk is that you will know the exact aircraft you will be flying right out of primary, only the Osprey guys can claim that with you. Last - J model Herc, another glass cockpit - new engines - bad ass.

Any other questions feel free to PM me, I can keep you up to speed as I go through advanced, FRS, etc ...

Good luck bro
 

FlyMikeFly

Happiness is Vectored Thrust
pilot
Contributor
Yeh, I will check back in with you from time to time. For now I'll just concentrate on making it through the LAST 30 DAYS of TBS. I'm so ready to return to the airwing, it will be a sweet homecoming. Over eight years ago I was reporting in to MATSG-21 for training as a powerplants mechanic, and now I'll be reporting in for training as a pilot, I'm pretty stoked!

Good luck with the Hercules, I've heard nothing but good things from everyone in that community.
 

SnipeDude

Cleveland Brown Fan
I would live somewhere between Cordova Mall and UWF. Everything in Lower Alabama is at least 30 minutes no matter how you slice it...my .02.
 
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