Some Academy Gouge, please

[Gatordev]

I'm hoping some locals can give me some updated gouge on The Yard for a potential visit...

When does the Brigade come back? I'm guessing it's any day now. When they come back, does class start right away or is there a week or so before classes start?

Parking...Let's assume the Brigade is back. Where is the best place to park in order to walk around? Is the seawall/athletic fields still the best bet?

Is there still the noon formation for the tourists? Or did COVID kill that?

Access...Does a Mil ID get a POV through the gate, still? I'm assuming they still card everyone, but I was never really sure how that worked for tourists after 9/11.

Thanks!

 

[Uncle Fester]

I'm hoping some locals can give me some updated gouge on The Yard for a potential visit...

When does the Brigade come back? I'm guessing it's any day now. When they come back, does class start right away or is there a week or so before classes start?

Parking...Let's assume the Brigade is back. Where is the best place to park in order to walk around? Is the seawall/athletic fields still the best bet?

Is there still the noon formation for the tourists? Or did COVID kill that?

Access...Does a Mil ID get a POV through the gate, still? I'm assuming they still card everyone, but I was never really sure how that worked for tourists after 9/11.

Thanks!

Brigade’s back. Classes started last week. Reform usually lasts a few days between when everyone has to be back aboard the Yard and the actual start of classes.

Weekday parking still sucks, somewhat alleviated with the new parking garage next to Worden Field and Alumni Hall. Best times to visit, parking-wise, are Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings when all the faculty and most of the Firsties are elsewhere. During the week you might have some luck with the lot by the Midstore main entrance; otherwise just park by City Dock and walk in.

Noon meal formation is back and better than ever.

Mil ID will get you through the vehicle gates just like any base. They may or may not ask for passengers’ ID, but so long as the driver has Mil ID, just a DL will work for passengers. If you walk through the visitor center entrance adjacent to Halsey, those with mil ID and anyone accompanying you don’t need to go through all the metal detectors and such. The MAs will just wave you through.

 

[Gatordev]

Thanks, Fester. It will be during the week, so it looks like I'll have to find a spot downtown. I was just trying to keep the walking down some. I need to reaquaint myself with the building locations. It's been so long, the names all are familiar, but the locations are very fuzzy (other than Bancroft Tecumseh Court, and the seawall, of course).

 

[Griz882]

Fuck it…I just park in front of this guy’s house and take a pre-visit wiz in his hedges. Trust me…you’ll be fine.

 

[Gatordev]

I've actually spent a few hours I'll never get back looking at weather and evac slides with the current Supe. Maybe I'll just park in front and call it a HURREX.

 

[GroundPounder]

Fuck it…I just park in front of this guy’s house and take a pre-visit wiz in his hedges. Trust me…you’ll be fine.

View attachment 38640

VADM Carter was named, yesterday, the next president of The Ohio State university. Before today, I had never heard of him, but I don't like him already.

 

[nittany03]

VADM Carter was named, yesterday, the next president of an Ohio State university. Before today, I had never heard of him, but I don't like him already.

FTFY.

 

[Renegade One]

VADM Carter was named, yesterday, the next president of The Ohio State university. Before today, I had never heard of him, but I don't like him already.

Slapshot's a good guy. I think we want good folks in those positions. Go Buckeyes. Except when they play Notre Dame, of course.

 

[Gatordev]

A bit of a whirlwind trip, especially trying to get home around a hurricane (see what I did there?), but still fun. Highlights include testing out my new Delta Zulu headset for 11.4 hours, getting an up close look at the ENTIRE circumference of the SFRA (sigh, thanks Potomac App), and getting to pay an extra AirBnB damage fee for our dog destroying a window sill on a door while we were out. Oh yeah, and also seeing the marina where I grew up, my old school, and connecting with a former squadron-mate.

A little disappointed the point on the seawall was closed off...

The 44's looked in substantially better shape than the last time I saw any of them.

And finally, the back side of Idalia while coming home, including a nice tailwind until we hit the Carolinas.

 

[Griz882]

The DC SFRA is the world’s greatest merry-go-round! Did you fly to KANP?

 

[mad dog]

Please tell us that you gave it the old AOCS try regarding climbing the Herndon Monument while wearing a Moonwatch…

 

[Gatordev]

Sorry, I did not.

The DC SFRA is the world’s greatest merry-go-round! Did you fly to KANP?

Yes. Bay Bridge's runway is reprotedly closed, which was the original plan and other than the longer drive, would have been way more convenient. My first flight lessons were at ANP way back in the day. It didn't look like anything had changed, or that the runway had been worked on since. That has to be an expensive place to take lessons, since you have to leave the pattern every time. It looked like they just try and maintain the airport, but don't have the funding to improve anything.

 

[Griz882]

Sorry, I did not.



Yes. Bay Bridge's runway is reprotedly closed, which was the original plan and other than the longer drive, would have been way more convenient. My first flight lessons were at ANP way back in the day. It didn't look like anything had changed, or that the runway had been worked on since. That has to be an expensive place to take lessons, since you have to leave the pattern every time. It looked like they just try and maintain the airport, but don't have the funding to improve anything.

It is a rough place that deserves better care. My understanding is that the locals are trying to starve the place out of existence.

 

[Gatordev]

It is a rough place that deserves better care. My understanding is that the locals are trying to starve the place out of existence.

I wouldn't be surprised. In this day and age of high demand for A&Ps, I was surprised to see a full-time mechanic there with a complete (and relatively large) hangar. I guess the flight school generates enough money. I'm not really clear on how direct the affiliation is with the Academy.