Motivation dropping due to scheduling blues

[AllYourBass]

Due to the pipeline disaster caused by T-6B problems, I've been off the schedule for pretty much a month. By that, I mean a month ago I flew my very first Contact flight, then two weeks later I flew my next flight (which was canceled midway through for IFR), and I'm coming up on a month now without being on the schedule again. To be more specific, there were plenty of days I was ON the schedule, would show up in the line shack, do the same brief (again), get told I don't have a plane and then get sent home. That's pretty normal around here. But at this point, I haven't even been called in for a brief and a shot at a plane in more than a week.

I haven't even studied the last three or four days because I simply can't find the motivation, and I'd like to maybe poll some of you for your opinions on that.

Did you ever get stuck in a "wait around" period in flight school? To clarify, I don't mean between phases (IFS - > API -> Primary), but rather in the middle of your training. If so, how did you productively study? I've studied about three briefs ahead of where I should be, but having sat my ass in the T-6B only two times at this point, it's a bit difficult to apply any of it when I get in the plane. I feel like I can only study for any one brief for so long before it's just diminishing returns.

Here are the only flight-related things I've bothered doing in my extended downtime:

• Study course rules on Google Maps, practicing the radio calls and such
• Run through my maneuver and EP flash card deck
• Start learning the lims sheet
• Chair fly a few times

When I got to Primary, the instructors really drove home this idea that you need to study every day for lots of hours. I think that makes sense for a scenario in which you have an event every day or two, but as my name keeps falling off the schedule and all my buddies climb 10 events ahead, it's getting tough to keep the edge.

 

[OUSOONER]

Quit bitching -- This is the reality of Naval Air. You will take long breaks and then all the sudden the fire hose will come thick and fast and you better be ready for it. We've all been there and you need to always remember that you took someone's spot to be where you are.

 

[Renegade One]

^^^ This.

 

[AllYourBass]

Haha, needed a good dose. Thanks gents. To the chair cockpit!

/beingalittlebitch

 

[Brett327]

Keep studying and enjoy your downtime, because you won't have too many other opportunities like this in your career.

 

[BusyBee604]

All you can do is, no matter how hard it seems, STAY MOTIVATED! The scheduling/A/C availability problems are beyond your control. Remember, there are dozens of AW applicants awaiting boards, posting here who would give one gonad to be at your stage... delayed as it is. Down the road a bit, when the clogged pipeline opens up again with a gush, you may wish the hell you could regain some of the spare/rest time you ARE NOT enjoying today. Get with it, lest your ready room dudes tag you with "Whino"!
BzB

 

[wlawr005]

You should get really fucking motivated on the 1st and 15th when you're still getting paid to sit around and do nothing. Holy shit dude...some people have legitimate problems in life.

 

[Fallonflyr]

Gym-bar-gym-bar-gym-bar...see a pattern here?

 

[JollyGood]

Lest we forget. Boomers suck.

I keed I keed.

 

[MGoBrew11]

He's in Milton. If he was a Boomer he'd be stealing all the profsits from the dudes that are actually flying.

 

[ssnspoon]

Staying motivated is hard in these situations, but look at the spirit of what people are telling you. Trust us that have done it, the Navy CANNOT throttle a valve, they only seem to know binary. When that valve opens full force, you will be whining for time off. I differ from these other guys in that I think its ok to bitch, its human (or at least sailor) nature...just be aware of your audience, what you are saying and how it will be received.

Try to find a different way to study, maybe not flashcards, maybe study with different groups (I guarantee you are not the only one with this complaint). Maybe you can band together to keep each other motivated...maybe you will float to the top as the natural leader of this group that needs motivation, who knows.

Finally, Ignore that crap about "suck it up, shut up, there are a hundred other guys that would give their left nut to be where you are" Who gives a F about what they would do...YOU got there not them. Darwin, you exceeded them in one or more areas and that is why YOU are there and not them. Life is not run by people who want it more, it is run by those who DO it more. Just be one who DOES it more!

 

[ProsNest1]

You should get really fucking motivated on the 1st and 15th when you're still getting paid to sit around and do nothing. Holy shit dude...some people have legitimate problems in life.

I considered myself a professional athlete during this phase of my life. Not a particularly good one, but still getting paid to work out with zero responsibility.

 

[whitesoxnation]

I sat around for 10 months before TBS, 8 months before API, and 9 months before starting the RAG. I think I've said it before here, I really wish I had of been taking distance learning college courses during this time.

Some people can do gym-bar-gym and will accept the "suck it up you're getting paid to do nothing" mentality; I can't because I'm not making progress towards anything. If I wanted to sit around and do nothing there are plenty of other professions I could have chosen.

If you have other things you want to accomplish in life then work towards those as well, but make sure you're ready for your next couple events and jump on any spare sim time. Have a good base of knowledge, there are some things that are just as relevant on your first sim as they are on your last flight - EPs, limits, systems knowledge, etc. Most importantly, try your best to keep a positive attitude and not it let it bother or depress you. It is a hard rut to break out of.

 

[AllYourBass]

This thread has been enjoyable. Went to the gym, crushed leg day, went shooting and decided to get off my period. Lessons learned: Enjoy the free time when I have it and there's always something I can be doing. I guess I knew that, but I've been sort of a shut in for the last week while the buddies were off playing in the sky so I decided to bitch and moan on the internet. Glad I did it here so I could receive the necessary kick in the balls.

Back to being on top of the world in sunny P'cola. And when I fly again, I'm going to be the Grand Master Iron Chef Power Ranger of ELP Stalls and departing radio calls. P'Cola departure is going to worship my nuts at how studied up I am on those calls. Preeetty sure they'll divert traffic out of the way of the awesomeness wake.

 

[Silhouette]

Here are the only flight-related things I've bothered doing in my extended downtime:

• Study course rules on Google Maps, practicing the radio calls and such
• Run through my maneuver and EP flash card deck
• Start learning the lims sheet
• Chair fly a few times

When I got to Primary, the instructors really drove home this idea that you need to study every day for lots of hours. I think that makes sense for a scenario in which you have an event every day or two, but as my name keeps falling off the schedule and all my buddies climb 10 events ahead, it's getting tough to keep the edge.

Hey, dude. I can totally understand losing motivation after such long periods of not being scheduled/not feeling the heat of preparing for the next brief/flight. One thing that stuck out to me on your original post was that you said 'start learning the lims sheet.' You need to have the limitations memorized just as well as the EPs due to that "any EP, any limit" part of the brief. Although some instructors may not ask you at least one EP and one limit in each brief, several will, and if you don't know the limits right away (including the superscript notes for any that have them) and know the EPs beyond the bold face, you could be coming close to a RRU. So I'd definitely make sure you do limitations flash cards and throw them in your EP deck too. Would hate for you to get heat on that just because you didn't realize it while you had time to learn it.
Another thing I do that I feel helps me memorize and breaks the monotony/kills two birds with one stone is take my flash cards with me on my runs, believe it or not. Mine are about a quarter of an index card sized, so it's easier, but I go through them while I'm running (in a safe area where I won't fall into a manhole or get hit by a car),. Start with all of them in my right pocket and transfer to my left until I'm done with all of them. If I miss one, it goes back to the right pocket. I find that going through them while my heart rate is up and I'm partially distracted with running more closely replicates remembering them in flight (same goes with procedures for contact phase, briefs/turnpoint calls for instrument phase) and it really helps me recall them in more ideal conditions (ready room).
Just some thoughts from a fellow newbie.
Oh, and maybe next time find a better way to say you're going to stop whining... reading that you had decided to "get off your period" was a bit annoying to me. It's annoying enough that when someone is being weak they're automatically called a "bitch." Meh. Just my two cents, take it or leave it.
Good luck, and I hope you get moving soon!