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Switching to Texan II's?

bjb83

New Member
I heard that the Naval Flight Academy is switching from the T 34 to the T 6 Texan 2. Anybody else heard anything about this?
 

NozeMan

Are you threatening me?
pilot
Super Moderator
I heard that the Naval Flight Academy is switching from the T 34 to the T 6 Texan 2. Anybody else heard anything about this?

If you mean Naval Aviation switching from T-34Cs to the T-6 for Primary Flight Training...you are correct. The NFOs already use it for Primary/Intermediate. None of the pilot Primary squadrons have T-6s yet, but it's on the horizon.
 

porw0004

standard-issue stud v2.0
pilot
Just out of curiosity, any idea what sort of time frame on the horizon might be? months? years?
 

NozeMan

Are you threatening me?
pilot
Super Moderator
Years, some Whiting IPs on here would have a better answer. I wouldn't plan my Flight School around it.
 

bunk22

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
Lets see, I just got his card today, good friend of mine. Ah, here it is, labled

Trawing Five T-6B Team

He's got the lead for the transition from T-34C's to T-6B's. As of two weeks ago, the program was delayed another 6 months. I think the first few are due in fall of 09 vice spring of 09. The two scheduled to come are for the FITU, not the regular studs.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Lets see, I just got his card today, good friend of mine. Ah, here it is, labled

Trawing Five T-6B Team

He's got the lead for the transition from T-34C's to T-6B's. As of two weeks ago, the program was delayed another 6 months. I think the first few are due in fall of 09 vice spring of 09. The two scheduled to come are for the FITU, not the regular studs.
So what's the plan re: split field ops at NSE? Did we get beta on the new ones? Or did someone decide to chuck the FWOP and rewrite it all?
 

PropAddict

Now with even more awesome!
pilot
Contributor
So what's the plan re: split field ops at NSE? Did we get beta on the new ones? Or did someone decide to chuck the FWOP and rewrite it all?

In the trend of so many revolutionary acquisition projects today, a $5,000,000 investigation was conducted examining the feasibility, cost effectiveness, and ease of transitioning into each of the possible options (including continuing split ops without beta and just swapping props and tailcones after each home field bounce). The decision has been made to table the issue and re-examine if the T-6 EVER gets to Whiting.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Word from my buds flying T-6's at Sherman is that there still won't be Beta on the T-6B.

Standard Navy resolution to a problem: "Too hard...let's ignore it until it's my relief's problem".

BTW...where the fuck did you come up with "Naval Flight Academy"?
 

bunk22

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
So what's the plan re: split field ops at NSE? Did we get beta on the new ones? Or did someone decide to chuck the FWOP and rewrite it all?

No split field ops, no beta and it's still coming, for now. Just heard that their is a maximum life exptancy with the T-34C as well. The wing is looking at all issues.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
It will come to the point where the Turbo Weenie is no longer getting the job done efficiently to prepare studs for downstream aircraft - in Advanced and in the FRS.

It's just wrong to train a student on an aircraft with analog instruments.

There is a clear business case - the AF understood this. Continuing the T-34C will impact the folks who manage the curriculum and flight hour budget in the T-45 and in the Rhino FRS most of all. These are the folks that will get CNATRA to make the call - and get TW-5 folks off their asses and find a solution.
 

TheBubba

I Can Has Leadership!
None
Its not like the T-6 doesn't have analog guages. Yeah, its got a bunch of cool display panels, but unless they make the T-6B a true glass cockpit, all you get is a digital display of an analog guage.

I have yet to fly with a true glass cockpit. The T-6, T-39, T-2 and Prowler all use analog guages. I don't see how its wrong to train using them at all. Maybe I'm missing something though.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
These are the folks that will get CNATRA to make the call - and get TW-5 folks off their asses and find a solution.

You don't think TW-5 hasn't been working to get these? You don't think there's already an office set up w/ current IPs who have time in the T-6 working on a curriculum? That there haven't been endless meetings on how to make the operational side of things make sense?

The problem is not TW-5. They need an airplane in order to be able to train, and the T-6B isn't functional, which is kind of an important element in the training. "But they could use the T-6A..." you say. Great, and as Bubba said, that's no different than the T-34 and negates your argument.
 

bunk22

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
IMO, there are two advantages to the T-6A or B. The seating position for the IP in the rear and the ejection seat. The T-34C, from my perspective, has flaws and advantages as well. The crappy seats, the bad canopies, seeing around the stud, lack of power, etc. Granted we make due with what we have but it can get better. The big advantage of a T-34C is having beta. It just makes no sense for a prop to not have beta. Regardless, at some point, the Navy has got to step up and start using something new. A T-34D, T-6B, whatever.
 
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