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Primary on Monday

BusyBee604

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
e6bflyer said:
This is an honest question:
What is the social norm on providing gifts for your instructors?

Have times changed?
Click to expand...
*Historical perspective on "traditional" gifts in aviation period 1958-'75:
TRACOM
1. First solo - tie cutting - period.
2. Commissioning - First salute - $1.00, bill or coin... didn't have to be special silver dollar. Was never set up ahead of time, usually saved for the first 'white hat' you came across.

FLEET
1. Wetting Down party - All promotions hopefully multiple selectees to share costs. Luckily, my four wetting downs were multiple, and 3 were held in Westpac (mucho cheaper)!
2. Hook up, or wheels up pass - bottle to LSO (ship); RDO (ashore).
3 Bailout/ejection - case of hard stuff for rescue personnel (helo/boat/ground). Case of beer or bottle to PR who packed your chute. Most 'nam combat helo crews I heard of including mine, politely turned down our gesture insisting adamantly "This is our job, our success is more than gift enough"!

This is all the traditional "gifting" I can recall from our era.:)
BzB
 
Erin M.

Erin M.

Well-Known Member
pilot
e6bflyer said:
This is an honest question:
What is the social norm on providing gifts for your instructors?
Back in my day, when we wound our 8-day clocks before flying, you bought your onwing a bottle after your initial solo (tie cutting) and you were debt free after that. The latest variations that I have heard: gift for first flight (an air force tradition), tie cutting, final flight, NATOPS checkride (for Aircraft Commander), the list goes on.
I am not hating. I am the recipient of 16 hard earned bottles of booze and other various assorted gifts from my stellar onwings. I felt that after 10 hot, sweaty, flights in the trenches beating up the landing pattern and trying to teach things that can't be taught like headwork that I was not out of bounds in expecting some compensation.
Most of the "last flights" that I did in Primary were just as good a deal for me as they were for the lad or lass doing them...I only expected them to be reasonably prepared and went in with the expectation that we wre going to have some fun.
Have times changed?
Click to expand...

I thought that was the case as well, (just booze for the on-wing at the tie cutting.) The FDO got on me a bit for not having any booze for the last flight and so I assumed I was supposed to.
 
Erin M.

Erin M.

Well-Known Member
pilot
Just got my NSS this morning; I got a 60!

Now, just wait until Thursday and hope I get my first choice.
 
e6bflyer

e6bflyer

Used to Care
pilot
Forgot about the RDO/LSO. Good call, BZB. Gear up pass or missed waveoff = 6 pack minimum.
Sounds to me like the expectations have gotten a bit higher wrt the last flight. Oh well, as they say, when in Rome...
 
e6bflyer

e6bflyer

Used to Care
pilot
BusyBee604 said:
*Historical perspective on "traditional" gifts in aviation period 1958-'75:
1. Wetting Down party - All promotions hopefully multiple selectees to share costs. Luckily, my four wetting downs were multiple, and 3 were held in Westpac (mucho cheaper)!
BzB
Click to expand...

Agreed. The most awesomest wetting down parties that I have ever attended have been in Westpac. Turns out $7K goes pretty far in that area of the world.
 
Erin M.

Erin M.

Well-Known Member
pilot
BusyBee604 said:
*Historical perspective on "traditional" gifts in aviation period 1958-'75:
TRACOM
1. First solo - tie cutting - period.
2. Commissioning - First salute - $1.00, bill or coin... didn't have to be special silver dollar. Was never set up ahead of time, usually saved for the first 'white hat' you came across.

FLEET
1. Wetting Down party - All promotions hopefully multiple selectees to share costs. Luckily, my four wetting downs were multiple, and 3 were held in Westpac (mucho cheaper)!
2. Hook up, or wheels up pass - bottle to LSO (ship); RDO (ashore).
3 Bailout/ejection - case of hard stuff for rescue personnel (helo/boat/ground). Case of beer or bottle to PR who packed your chute. Most 'nam combat helo crews I heard of including mine, politely turned down our gesture insisting adamantly "This is our job, our success is more than gift enough"!

This is all the traditional "gifting" I can recall from our era.:)
BzB
Click to expand...

We definitely still do the silver dollar for the First Salute. My sister is a Marine and she was my first salute.

Wetting downs are still a tradition.

As for the hook up, I couldn't tell you.... if you have wheels up for a pass in Primary, you owe a little more than beer; you may be visiting some people in your chucks/khakis or worse.

For the last, I don't want to know if we still do it, honestly. Joining the ejection club is not on my to-do list.
 
Gatordev

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
e6bflyer said:
Sounds to me like the expectations have gotten a bit higher wrt the last flight. Oh well, as they say, when in Rome...
Click to expand...

I have a feeling ErinM was getting a little more attention the other night and getting an extra (but friendly) harassment package. Actually, it's not just a feeling...
 
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