P-3

[FMRAM]

Not in my case, for the record. I enjoyed P-3s immensely as a crewman, but I'm glad I chose the jet community as a FO.

Brett

Expound upon this if you would Brett. I am very interested to hear from someone with a patrol background that went to a tactical jet.

Edit. Spelling

 

[Pags]

P-6: P-6M .... Jets .... nice idea, not quite ready for prime time.



Neither was this one...

But it first flew in 1953 and went supersonic in 1954; not too bad for an underpowered seaplane...

Ah, the Seadart. they used to (still do?) have one out in front of NAS Willow Grove and I would always stare at her as we went by. She looked pretty forlorn for awhile, but at one point they gave here a new glossy paint job, and she was quite the head turner.

 

[Spot]

Not in my case, for the record. I enjoyed P-3s immensely as a crewman, but I'm glad I chose the jet community as a FO.

Brett

What were you in your P-3 days Brett?

 

[HeyJoe]

Ah, the Seadart. they used to (still do?) have one out in front of NAS Willow Grove and I would always stare at her as we went by. She looked pretty forlorn for awhile, but at one point they gave here a new glossy paint job, and she was quite the head turner.

That's the one...San Diego also has one of the survivors as well

 

[makana]

One other big pertinent question to the P-3 pipeline (for SNA's).... For those of us who think we might put it as our first choice, how many slots are getting filled these days for the guys finishing primary? If flight hours in the RAG are down, then are they taking fewer people? I know that it seems like most slots are turning into helo's - is it going to be a lot harder to get now?

I know that the first response to this post is going to be - if you would just finish first in your class, you would get to choose - but I would really like to know about the spread if the info is out there. Thanks....

I won't comment about your performance in Primary cuz you already know that. I will, however, comment on the misconception that the RAG (the new Navy calls it the FRS) is a place to get flight hours. The goal at the FRS is by no means to get as many hours as you can. Of course, more hours are always nice but the FRS is simply your first introduction to your new platform and the goal is to accomplish a syllabus. Everybody who leaves the FRS on time will leave with close to the same amount of hours because they did the same amount of flights for the same length of time.

As far as being harder to get now or having less P-3 slots available, Primary selections ebb and flow. This has been covered on this site ad nauseum so I won't get into that. But the fact remains that the guys who leave the squadrons need to be replaced, hence the need for more aviators. No, it's not an exact science, especially when you are trying to project almost two years into the future when those No-Ps will become PPCs and replace those guys that are leaving. But that, too, makes sense in that those No-Ps become 3Ps, who become 2Ps and those 3Ps and 2Ps need to be replaced as well. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the circle of life in the P-3 community.

I know what I have just explained is all common sense, but I also remember how "important" the rumor mill is regarding the selection process.

 

[Fly Navy]

We all still call it the RAG

 

[makana]

Fact: MPRA is getting "healthy" again. The pain that we went through as a community 2 years ago, sending so many planes to the bone yeards (wing donor program) and the other planes for repair, we are now on the recieving end with those planes back to the Fleet and are in an upward swing in aircraft availability.

Good point, John. Just this morning as I was preflighting (okay I was waiting for the tube to finish their preflight) and I commented about how many planes VP-30 had now. I counted 12 just at first glance. It was only a few months ago when I was there that they were always hurting for planes.

 

[HighDimension]

Speaking of selecting P-3's out of primary, won't the number of slots available be decreasing as they bring the CWO-Pilot program online? I was under the impression that they are using the program to get rid of the mass of officers in the community. Again, I could be wrong but thats what I had heard.

 

[NavyLonghorn]

Good point, John. Just this morning as I was preflighting (okay I was waiting for the tube to finish their preflight) and I commented about how many planes VP-30 had now. I counted 12 just at first glance. It was only a few months ago when I was there that they were always hurting for planes.

We have 12 planes. Gouge is we were down to eight at one point.

 

[zab1001]

Speaking of selecting P-3's out of primary, won't the number of slots available be decreasing as they bring the CWO-Pilot program online? I was under the impression that they are using the program to get rid of the mass of officers in the community. Again, I could be wrong but thats what I had heard.

Considering that it's still a "test program" and isn't designed to completely replace line-officer pilots, it shouldn't have a huge impact.

 

[zippy]

Speaking of selecting P-3's out of primary, won't the number of slots available be decreasing as they bring the CWO-Pilot program online? I was under the impression that they are using the program to get rid of the mass of officers in the community. Again, I could be wrong but thats what I had heard.

Thought that is just a trial program, taking something like 25 people... wouldn't think that'd have much effect if that is the case (I recall them being able to go helos as well).

 

[HighDimension]

Thought that is just a trial program, taking something like 25 people... wouldn't think that'd have much effect if that is the case (I recall them being able to go helos as well).

Thats 25 less P-3 and helo slots :icon_tong

 

[Spot]

We have 12 planes. Gouge is we were down to eight at one point.

I bet that is one barren flight line. I remember the days when there were at least 20 or so.

 

[zab1001]

Thats 25 less P-3 and helo slots :icon_tong

Jesvs dude, you're missing the big picture, how many of those people will (a) get winged and then (b) move on to XX number of squadrons.

 

[webmaster]

I bet that is one barren flight line. I remember the days when there were at least 20 or so.

Outside of RIMPAC or a major exercise, don't think I have seen that many on the ramp (okay, maybe the JMSDF at Atsugi, or the RAG when I showed up at VP30). I do have one pic, of the ramp in Kadena, with a whole bunch of AIP birds on the line, one of those "we need help, send planes out now, and no, we don't want those ****ty UIIIs"...

But, the 1 plane on the ramp in Kbay, not including alphie, JAN-MAR 04, it svcked, I didn't fly for a month or so during that period. (remeber that period Zab?) It was just depressing, the squadron was trying to figure out what to do with everyone, maintainers and all... A rash of GMT ensued on a wide variety of topics, groan....

Granted, we just came back from deployment, so we weren't the priority squadron to get what plane(s) were available. The 6 pilot DFWs in the kbay pattern, the revision to the wing stan notes, and that as a post PPC you only needed 3 touch and gos.. sheez.. From what I hear, those bleak days are way in the past.