My Natops is smaller than your Natops...

[TheBubba]

We've made the switch from 89A to ICAP II NATOPS and PCLs. The PCL is the top flip variety instead of the "old" Prowler PCL. Where the 89A PCLs had Before T/O, T/O, Climb, Descent, and Landing checks all on one page, now they take up four pages. The one page EP index now takes six or eight pages. The day I got mine I found a typo in it. Refer to page E-79? But I'm already on E-79. How can I refer to a page I'm already on? I MUST BE AT THE NEXUS OF THE UNIVERSE!

In short, the new PCLs suck.

Change 1 is already in the works....

 

[Brett327]

We've made the switch from 89A to ICAP II NATOPS and PCLs. The PCL is the top flip variety instead of the "old" Prowler PCL. Where the 89A PCLs had Before T/O, T/O, Climb, Descent, and Landing checks all on one page, now they take up four pages. The one page EP index now takes six or eight pages. The day I got mine I found a typo in it. Refer to page E-79? But I'm already on E-79. How can I refer to a page I'm already on? I MUST BE AT THE NEXUS OF THE UNIVERSE!

In short, the new PCLs suck.

Yeah, did we really need to revamp the whole thing for a legacy aircraft? I just saw the new PCL the other day for the first time - don't like it, fear change.

Brett

 

[Gatordev]

We got them (new PCLs) on the T-34 a few years back. Then I left and the -60B had them. Horrible. F.

 

[MasterBates]

I don't mind the top flipper in the E-2 because I have room in the cockpit to use it.

Abso-fuckingloutley hated it in the T-34, T-45 and SH-60B

 

[Crowbar]

I don't hate the top flipper just because it's new/different. I hate it because it sucks. The Prowler one does anyway. Like I said, what was one page had a couple of steps added and is now four pages.

Now available: READER'S DIGEST LARGE PRINT VERSION PCL

 

[squeeze]

I'm a fan of the flip top PCLs - they are sized just right to fit in my g-suit pocket (where they live from issue to emergency).

 

[pal215]

Top Flip PCL

The Top Flip PCL is a pain in the rear. Besides the fact that the one for the E-2C, is ungodly big, but the real problem comes when you need to make changes and have to remove the plastic binding to put a new page because of a NATOPs change. My squadron just cut the plastic binder off and hole punched the pages to use the old metal bindings.

 

[squeeze]

The Top Flip PCL is a pain in the rear. Besides the fact that the one for the E-2C, is ungodly big, but the real problem comes when you need to make changes and have to remove the plastic binding to put a new page because of a NATOPs change. My squadron just cut the plastic binder off and hole punched the pages to use the old metal bindings.

I just pull out the plastic binding and use those braided snap together rings. It makes changes easy, as well as making it easier to grab.

 

[TheBubba]

I hate the flip top. In my mind, its harder to use and like was alluded to... more pages for the same amount of info. I could find anything in the yellow pages in a matter of seconds with the old book style PCL. Hat to pull out the yellow pages last week for a minor issue. Its way too involved. And the procedure happened to be on one of the 1-inch long pages. WTF? Bubba no likey.

Maybe I'm just being resistant to change.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Speaking of multiple NATOPS, did they ever go through with the "one NATOPS to rule them all" plan for the E-2? No more separate G0/G2/MCU-ACIS/HE2K books?

 

[phrogpilot73]

We just got new PCLs in our squadron, but they're not the top flip style. They're a little thicker than our old ones (who really cares, it goes in the map case anyway), but the general consensus is that it's easier to find crap in them then the old ones.

 

[Pags]

I just pull out the plastic binding and use those braided snap together rings. It makes changes easy, as well as making it easier to grab.

Our plastic bindings kept breaking, so the "lucky rings*" are the only approved way to hold the whole thing together. I've had the top flip PCL my whole time in the fleet and RAG so I've grown used to it.

*the official name of those braided snap rings, or so i'm told.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Our plastic bindings kept breaking, so the "lucky rings*" are the only approved way to hold the whole thing together. I've had the top flip PCL my whole time in the fleet and RAG so I've grown used to it.

*the official name of those braided snap rings, or so i'm told.

Great, now every time I see my NATOPS Officer, I'll be thinking about the little green Leprechaun saying
"Everybody's always trying to steal me Lucky Rings™©®."

-ea6bflyr

 

[MasterBates]

Speaking of multiple NATOPS, did they ever go through with the "one NATOPS to rule them all" plan for the E-2? No more separate G0/G2/MCU-ACIS/HE2K books?

Yep. And it's huge because everything is in it's own section that repeats 90% of the stuff verbatim.

I think G0 may have it's own manual, I've never seen one mentioned, but I only really look in the book of pilot shit.

But basically, now in systems, there will be a E-2+ description, then it repeats with minor changes for NU, then it repeats again with minor changes for HE2K. EPs are just repeated in the same manner, and checklists have "flags" for E-2C+, NU and HE2K special steps.

 

[MasterBates]

I'm not sure how it was when you were here Fester, but they split the NFOs into Group 2 or HE2K classes.

Pilots get a "Series Qual" and learn all variants. From the pilot end, the difference is not that huge but can bite you in the ass on some EPs.