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IFS in Pensacola

Tom

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I feel as if my mind is being slowly poisoned because helos are starting to sound like something fun...
 

gregsivers

damn homeowners' associations
pilot
I feel as if my mind is being slowly poisoned because helos are starting to sound like something fun...

Drink the koolaid, gulp it down.

But seriously, helos are fun; at least I think so. Got to do some confined area landings today, in a clearing not a whole lot bigger than the helo, at least tight enough to make you not want to drift at all.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I feel as if my mind is being slowly poisoned because helos are starting to sound like something fun...

Yeah, what greg said. Helos ARE fun. Acknowledging that doesn't make jets/COD/blimps any less fun....well maybe blimps.
 

tk628

Electronic Attack Savant
pilot
If anyone cares... the story I got from the school I used to teach at for the Academy IFS and my local ROTC unit in Illinois.. the issue is not the cost/student which prompted the change. The biggest issue came from the point that with 400 different schools teaching IFS there were 400 different standards of students being produced. Like when I was teaching IFS, it was seen more as a 'initial training program', where as now its is truely a screening program, and people fail unlike before. Conceptually it is a good idea, but from what I understand is that some schools were pushing 'less than capable' individuals for the $$ they were recieveing while others were actually doing what they were supposed to. Civilian aviation, especially flight schools can be a very dirty business...
 

Ben_Dover

Member
tk628 makes a good point that I had forgot about until his post. IFS will soon be counting towards your NSS (the score that you accumulate throughout flight training which is used to determine which platform you will select for following Primary). Currently, IFS is only pass/fail but according to the Lt. in charge of the program, they are working on creating a syllabus that all flight training centers will use for instruction. When this will happen is still up in the air. When it does happen though, it will get very interesting because not only do different schools teach different ways, but different instructors come from extremely different backgrounds and therefore teach extremely different. Instruction currently varies from the ultra ridiculous (almost bordering on a felony charge of assault for being three knots off of Vy on the departure leg), to the ultra laid back (instructor turns on his i-pod and appears to be taking a nap).
I'm interested in seeing how ifs plans on taking these differences in instruction in to account in regards to the NSS.
 

HighDimension

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Instruction currently varies from the ultra ridiculous (almost bordering on a felony charge of assault for being three knots off of Vy on the departure leg), to the ultra laid back (instructor turns on his i-pod and appears to be taking a nap).

We just need to get rid of GA altogether. :D
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
IFS will soon be counting towards your NSS (the score that you accumulate throughout flight training which is used to determine which platform you will select for following Primary).

:icon_roll

Going to have to call BS on that one. API NSS doesn't count towards your pipeline selection out of primary and I highly doubt something that you do prior to API will either.
 

tk628

Electronic Attack Savant
pilot
Agreed, how could they count IFS in the NSS score for people like me who don't have to do IFS because I already have my ratings and such.

On another note HighDimension... GA is a good thing... please don't knock it.
 

jamnww

Hangar Four
pilot
:icon_roll API NSS doesn't count towards your pipeline selection out of primary and I highly doubt something that you do prior to API will either.

API NSS does count towards your pipeline selection out of Primary, however it only equates to about one flight so it amounts to very very little...

As for the IFS thing, I seriously doubt that IFS will be counted towards NSS, there simply are too many problems with that idea...
 

redmidgrl

livin' the dream
Contributor
Agreed, how could they count IFS in the NSS score for people like me who don't have to do IFS because I already have my ratings and such.

Same here... can we find a definite answer about this IFS NSS score?

I know they wouldn't start making everyone go to IFS (even the people with prior experience) because that would waste $$$.

Thanks!
Red
 

boobcheese

Registered User
I am currently in IFS in Pensacola and I can confirm that it was put out to those who classed up recently that there are some major changes in the works for the IFS program. This includes some sort of NSS based scale to measure how the studs are doing. I have no idea if this score would have any bearing on one's selection but they are supposedly looking to increase attrition early in the pipeline when flight hours are relatively cheap rather than waiting till primary. Additionally, the syllabus is supposed to changed so that SNFOs and SNAs will get approximately the same training. Again I'm not clear on the details and I'm not sure whether this means more hours for SNFOs or less for SNAs or both.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
My god that is a horrible idea. So are the 400 different flight schools going to have Stan inspections? I'd seriously doubt it.

@Zippy:

Things change. When some of us went through, API was 15% of your Primary NSS.
 

NozeMan

Are you threatening me?
pilot
Super Moderator
My god that is a horrible idea. So are the 400 different flight schools going to have Stan inspections? I'd seriously doubt it.

@Zippy:

Things change. When some of us went through, API was 15% of your Primary NSS.

Awful idea. I can't see how they could possibly standardize it. Make CIVILIAN flight instructors from different flight schools (that are BUSINESSES and looking to get money from the Navy) have a standard grade format?
 

SlickAg

Registered User
pilot
Awful idea. I can't see how they could possibly standardize it. Make CIVILIAN flight instructors from different flight schools (that are BUSINESSES and looking to get money from the Navy) have a standard grade format?

With only 3 flight schools in the area, all they'd have to do is have a list of maneuvers and give them grading criteria. They run a couple of classes through using the grade system, and then note the differences between each school. I'm sure the schools, being businesses, would like to keep their contracts so they'll adapt as necessary. Obviously there will be some subjectivity in the grading, but it exists in primary as well. There are hundreds of instructors who have to hold students to the standards listed in the master curriculum guide. Will some instructors grade harder? Yes, just the nature of the beast. All in all, I support the idea. I had a friend wash out of IFS, and it seems to me the big reason was the lack of consistency between the instructors. He was being told and taught one thing with his instructor, and then was held to a different standard with his check ride instructor.
 
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