Questions about 1/C Aviation Cruise

[gotta_fly]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forums and am hoping someone can help me out. I'm getting ready for my 1/c Cruise and have requested an aviation cruise. My cruise coordinator wants me to go get a flight physical at a nearby NAS and also travel to NAS Pax River to get flight physiology and water survival training. Does anyone know anything about this? I'm wondering if it's anything like the classes we took on Cortramid (West Coast '05) or if it's more advanced than that. Also I'm hoping someone can reccomend some dos and don'ts for an aviation cruise. I'm hoping also to qualify pistol and rifle this summer. Is this difficult? Should I be practicing now?

Thanks!

 

[raptor10]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forums and am hoping someone can help me out. I'm getting ready for my 1/c Cruise and have requested an aviation cruise. My cruise coordinator wants me to go get a flight physical at a nearby NAS and also travel to NAS Pax River to get flight physiology and water survival training. Does anyone know anything about this? I'm wondering if it's anything like the classes we took on Cortramid (West Coast '05) or if it's more advanced than that. Also I'm hoping someone can reccomend some dos and don'ts for an aviation cruise. I'm hoping also to qualify pistol and rifle this summer. Is this difficult? Should I be practicing now?

Thanks!

Hey gotta_fly I did, CORTRAMID WEST 05 with you and that same month I got a hook up to do a 1/C cruise, so I can attest that the water survival training is exactly the same, except MUCH smaller classes. I didn't do the physio portion at CORTRAMID as they accepted my documentation for that, but for liability purposes they wanted me to requal on the academics and pool. Your other questions if you bring them to PM I can help you out with that...

 

[Fly Navy]

My cruise coordinator wants me to go get a flight physical at a nearby NAS and also travel to NAS Pax River to get flight physiology and water survival training. Does anyone know anything about this?

When I was getting ready for my 1/C aviation cruise, I too went to PAX River for water survival, ejection seat, pressure chamber, etc training, as well as pre-commissioning and aviation physicals.

I'm wondering if it's anything like the classes we took on Cortramid (West Coast '05) or if it's more advanced than that.

See above. Answer: yes.

Also I'm hoping someone can reccomend some dos and don'ts for an aviation cruise.

Have fun, be flexible, be pro-active. The name of the game in Naval Aviation is max-flex. Be proactive about getting your flights. You will be assigned to a squadron and you are not a priority for getting flight time, but they will accomodate you the best they can. Don't be a pest, but don't just sit on your behind and expect them to get you time in an aircraft. If you have to be at the squadron at 0500 to get a flight because the brief is at 0530... do it! Don't be "THAT" midshipman that is too lazy to try. Trust me, you're being judged and noticed.

I'm hoping also to qualify pistol and rifle this summer. Is this difficult? Should I be practicing now?

Thanks!

Considering I have almost 4 years in the Navy and I'm not rifle or pistol qual'd... that's something you'll have to hunt down for yourself. It'll be harder than you think, but not impossible.

 

[Fly Navy]

so I can attest that the water survival training is exactly the same

Things have certainly changed.

 

[raptor10]

Things have certainly changed.

I guess I meant "was" the same... I got my upchit again the summer of 06, and it was the same.

 

[JBM]

You will have to take 4 NKO tests before you go to PAX, and then sit through a 4 hour lecture/water survival then you are done. It is not at all difficult and the classroom sessions are basically the exact same thing as the NKO tests.

 

[Chris Hill]

For 1/C, they'll do a full commissioning physical and should do more training than anything on CORTRAMID (nothing hard)... water survival, ejection seat, etc. If you want to fly ejection seat aircraft, you are required to have that training.

Advice... ask, ask, ask. The worst thing that could happen is you be told no and maybe annoy some pilots. Be persistent and actively engaged... bring a book too.

 

[HighDimension]

I'm getting ready for my 1/c Cruise and have requested an aviation cruise.

Lucky. ERAU Mids aren't authorized to do aviation cruises. I applied for a FOREX. If that falls through does anyone have any recommendations on what type of ship/sub to request? I figured I should check around here before putting in my preferences.

 

[MIDNJAC]

#1 bit of advice: Be prepared for a lot of downtime.

You won't be flying every day (not even close), and most likely you won't have much in the way of organized activities. I know that this last summer VFA-122 did a pretty good job of organizing a few major events for the mids, but if you end up w/ a fleet squadron (like I did), they will have very little for you to do. Show up every day though....don't disappear for 4 days and act like a ghost....it may seem boring at times but there is a lot that you can learn if you just hang out. You will probably get the chance to rack up a ton of sim time if you are proactive and call over ahead of time (and know when to try and go).

When you DO get a flight, show up on time, bring everything that you need and if you have flight gear that needs to be fitted ahead of time (G-suit, parachute harness, O2 mask, etc) do it well ahead of time.

When you DONT get a flight, dont act like a douche. Like FLY NAVY said, you aren't a priority on the flight schedule. I never really had any bad experiences w/ the SDO trying to jump into a flight, but definitely don't give them any attitude if they dont/arent able to hook you up.

DO go socialize w/ the other mids and guys from your squadron when invited. We all had a great time at the O-club every Wed night at Lemoore, and if nothing else, it gives you something to do during the week.

In general, be cool....realize that you are a guest, and should act accordingly. There were some real dumb@ss mids on my cruise (a select few that is) who really didn't understand their place in the food chain.....don't be "that guy (or girl)".

If you have any specific questions fire away or PM.

 

[Fly Navy]

if you have flight gear that needs to be fitted ahead of time (G-suit, parachute harness, O2 mask, etc) do it well ahead of time.

Be mindful that you are using SOMEONE ELSE'S flight gear. Do not be that guy that fvcks up someone else's flight gear. I was lucky enough to only have my visor scratched to hell. A friend of mine had every single piece of his flight gear screwed up by a MIDN because they decided they wanted to see what was in all the pockets, but not replace the items when they took them out. You want to be hated? Do something like that.

When you DONT get a flight, dont act like a douche.

Truer words could not be spoken. I was a MIDN for 4 years. Some of the crap I saw pulled by the MIDN on cruise this summer, I would not have been caught dead doing. Completely ridiculous. That's not to say that there were not good MIDN, in fact most were ok. However, if you screw it up, you will screw it up for everyone else.

DO go socialize w/ the other mids and guys from your squadron when invited. We all had a great time at the O-club every Wed night at Lemoore, and if nothing else, it gives you something to do during the week.

Absolutely. You will be treated as junior officer if you act the part.

 

[raptor10]

DO go socialize w/ the other mids and guys from your squadron when invited.

Also remember that some things you do will follow you around...

 

[Gatordev]

Truer words could not be spoken. I was a MIDN for 4 years. Some of the crap I saw pulled by the MIDN on cruise this summer, I would not have been caught dead doing. Completely ridiculous. That's not to say that there were not good MIDN, in fact most were ok. However, if you screw it up, you will screw it up for everyone else.

I would say, however, that if it's looking like a flight is not going to happen, and you're part of a wing (like a FITWING, or whatever you're called now), you might want to see your Mid coordinator. I did this on my cruise and the coordinator (a CDR and former VFC-12 CO) made some calls and got us a ride w/ -213 since -11 was broke dick. We certainly appreciated the effort.

 

[zachary2777]

Lucky. ERAU Mids aren't authorized to do aviation cruises. I applied for a FOREX. If that falls through does anyone have any recommendations on what type of ship/sub to request? I figured I should check around here before putting in my preferences.

Why can't you do an aviation cruise? Sucks dude, it was a blast.

I did my 2/C cruise on a SSN, it was pretty cool but I'd never go subs. The sonar shack was my favorite place.

 

[Ace_Austin]

Hang out around the Ready Room when your not doing anything. Walk around and see things, ask questions. I hated feeling like a third wheel at 125. Help out if you can. I did a FOD walkdown and helped the SDO now and then with getting a hold of people. Alot of the MIDs while I was there would come in the AM, see they didn't have a flight and take off for the day. Getting in at 0630 each morning had its advantages; I picked up a Dawg flight out to Fallon that way once when the kid on the Sked felt like sleeping in. Check the board, jets go up and they go down. Doubles get put in when straights go down. As the SDO if its possible to trunk it, ask the pilot as well if they wouldn't mind taking you along. Don't get too down on yourself if their arn't any jets around. ( Boat Det + Strike Det= 3 up jets in the squadron for a week.) Since all the pilots had left there was tons of time open in the sim building. I haven't come close to getting wingged yet but I can say the first time I sat in the OFT and the closed the canpoy and it was like I always hear, a big black hole with a couple lights out in front you had to land on. Certainly brought things into perspective for me.

 

[Fly Navy]

I haven't come close to getting wingged yet but I can say the first time I sat in the OFT and the closed the canpoy and it was like I always hear, a big black hole with a couple lights out in front you had to land on. Certainly brought things into perspective for me.

I haven't seen the graphics in the legacy sims, but I assume they're like our Rhino sims. The sim does a good job of simulating dark and scary.