T-6 vs T-34

[NavAir42]

^^^This is good. I learned more useful info from classmates and buddies ahead of me in flight school than I did from anything on a computer. But guys that were dicks and didn't help the team were fairly quickly singled out and ostracized. This was only about 6 years ago, it's surprising things have apparently changed that much.

That's how the system is supposed to work and still does. The students who do well are still the ones who are studying with guys ahead of them. I was fairly impressed with my new pre-fam 1 onwing. He was smart enough to track down one of my onwings who's just about to solo (if the weather here in Florida will ever clear) and pump him for what to do for briefs etc. While I haven't flown or even briefed with this one yet, he's doing all the right things.

 

[Gatordev]

Dudes who try to bang other students wives, students who get caught lying or just generally don't have their shit together are now in the cross hairs.

Wait, this stuff is NOT supposed to be happening in the fleet?

I was fairly impressed with my new pre-fam 1 onwing. He was smart enough to track down one of my onwings who's just about to solo

That's good stuff. I did that (admittedly after it was suggested to me) when I was a stud. Unfortunately the previous stud/onwing was a little bit of a soup sandwich (ended up attriting in the HTs), so the info was only so valuable. It was also my first introduction to my On-wing's mantra of work smarter, not harder. A valuable lesson, especially a few years later when I worked for him as a VT IP.

 

[JTW]

Apparently that gouge doesn't cover "read through fam 0 discuss items" and "practice preflighting with a buddy whose done one before so looking entirely clueless isn't your first impression with your onwing."

The Red Knights did a pretty damn good job, the first day we checked in, putting the fear into my class to be prepared for FAM 0. Whoever needs gouge to get that point across probably deserves a RRU and should stop studying gouge.

 

[Renegade One]

... there's a fundamental difference in how jet dudes preflight and how helo guys preflight. I'm NOT saying one is better than the other, but typically, a helo guy is going to open a lot more panels and climbs all over the airframe during a pre-flight (and often finds things wrong). I would guess it's due to the increased number of moving parts you're actually able to see on a helo versus how a lot of the control-related stuff is hidden under the skin on a fixed-wing.

I think Harry Reasoner (February 16, 1971) spoke about these differences long ago. I have nothing further to add...

 

[jollygreen07]

I remember there always being a 34 that we studs could crawl around on and practice our checklist flow/walk around on at NGP. Is there such a thing in T-6 world? That was a great tool in helping me to get my shit together pre FAM-0. Is this verboten now with the ejection seats and such?

 

[Renegade One]

Is this verboten now with the ejection seats and such?

"First rule about ejection seats…you DO NOT touch the ejection seats…"

I guess...

 

[Jim123]

I remember there always being a 34 that we studs could crawl around on and practice our checklist flow/walk around on at NGP. Is there such a thing in T-6 world? That was a great tool in helping me to get my shit together pre FAM-0. Is this verboten now with the ejection seats and such?

It still exists. The compartments with the loud handles inside are safely locked up, but anyone can open up any/all of the other panels and look inside.

 

[jollygreen07]

Copy all. Being able to sit in in the cockpit and actually practice checklists and shit helped me quite a bit, maybe it just made it a little more "real" than chair-flying.

 

[Jim123]

Copy all. Being able to sit in in the cockpit and actually practice checklists and shit helped me quite a bit, maybe it just made it a little more "real" than chair-flying.

There are also a handful of cockpit mockups in the sim building and more often than not at least one is open. Unsupervised practice sims are available too (demand far outstrips supply- every afternoon when the sim guy comes to post the next day's schedule, the students are already circling like vultures so they can sign up in the open time slots... the early bird gets the worm and all). The new sims are non-motion (no hydraulics, just sound effects and a few vibration effects in the seat), which makes it a lot harder for someone to get themselves hurt.

 

[jollygreen07]

The new sims are non-motion (no hydraulics, just sound effects and a few vibration effects in the seat), which makes it a lot harder for someone to get themselves hurt.

Kind of disappointing I won't be able to go out and sit in a real T-6 to get my shit together, but it totally makes sense. Thanks for the info.

 

[zippy]

I remember there always being a 34 that we studs could crawl around on and practice our checklist flow/walk around on at NGP. Is there such a thing in T-6 world? That was a great tool in helping me to get my shit together pre FAM-0. Is this verboten now with the ejection seats and such?

As mentioned, there is. Which is why it looks pretty shitty when T-6 students show up to FAM-0 never having bothered to break out the checklist and practiced a pre-flight. I'm okay with supervising them more around the ejection seat early on in contacts until they get the hang of it, but it looks pretty bad when a student doesn't even know what panels are supposed to be opened, nor how to open or close them when they're going over a pre-flight with you.

 

[zippy]

Kind of disappointing I won't be able to go out and sit in a real T-6 to get my shit together, but it totally makes sense. Thanks for the info.

You'll be an IP so you probably can. Students just aren't trusted enough to be left unattended with access to the cockpit... lowest common denominator and all.

 

[jtmedli]

Having been a T-6 stud, I have much to say about the T-6 program but I'm not even sure where to start.

 

[sickboy]

There are also a handful of cockpit mockups in the sim building and more often than not at least one is open. Unsupervised practice sims are available too (demand far outstrips supply- every afternoon when the sim guy comes to post the next day's schedule, the students are already circling like vultures so they can sign up in the open time slots... the early bird gets the worm and all). The new sims are non-motion (no hydraulics, just sound effects and a few vibration effects in the seat), which makes it a lot harder for someone to get themselves hurt.

That right there was the single most useful studying tool in primary for me. Especially when you get to instruments and are holding and doing intercepts for the first time.

 

[jtmedli]

That right there was the single most useful studying tool in primary for me. Especially when you get to instruments and are holding and doing intercepts for the first time.

Live long and prosper my friend. Once you understand that. It 'aint no thang!'