Tailhook?

[stickygdm]

Ya know Sticky,

All this complaining about duty on this thread, maybe we should reinstitute the 24 hour SDO sleeping post within the ready room. Considering we train to fly in the fleet, maybe we should practice pulling duty like the fleet. Just a suggestion.

Frumby

I'll say this much, I remember my last RDO as a newly winged aviator with VFA-125 on my orders. I was sitting there trying to explain what Lemoore is going to be like to my wife (of one year). It was the last day an TA-4J Skyhawk would fly from NAS Kingsville with "B" on the tail. I was the only one on the base that thought of brining a camera to capture the moment. Me, lowly RDO, no one else. It was heading to the boneyard, not the true end of the "Scooters." Rosey Roads guys would have that honor in the U.S., but the last out of K-Rock....

ENOUGH WITH THE OLD GUY BABBLE!! JUST SUCK IT UP IN THE RDO SHACK; PAY ATTENTION TO THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AND KEEP A MISHAP FROM HAPPENING!

That's our job, every day, every minute in a flight suit. Whether you're in the cockpit or in the RDO shack helping your buds airborne. Yeah, gear up landings are few-and-thank-God-far-between but near midairs, suicidal birds, and general bafoonary can be protected against. Put the Playboy down and observe your environment. The environment you volunteered to live, breathe, and savor. Watch how a 2000+ hour IP turns off the 180 and LISTEN! Watch and listen how a 10- hour SNA turns off the 180. Imagine your arse in that seat dealing with those gusty winds or zero winds. Fly the turn with him/her. Keep your aviation senses sharp.

This is NAVAL AVIATION and your job is to wake up every day and embrace it. Whether that's in the cockpit of an orange and white; in a gray jet first time behind the ship at night (allways pitch black); on duty waiting for your next chance to strap in; rolling in for night low angle strafe (which you've never trained for) to help a fire team get across a bridge into a town where they will be alone against a thousand maniacs; or standing on the LSO platform help keeping your buds off the ramp.

"...bordem punctuated by moments of shear terror." That's what I hope all your careers are blessed with. If RDO be your bordem, then just you wait for the terror! Be ready for it. It's ready for you.

Amen! and goodnight you princes and princess of Naval Aviation.

 

[gdd05]

I'm new to this site, but I did do a search before I posted this so I hope to not annoy anyone. I'm curious, how is the tailhook selection working out of advanced? Is it strictly nss based (ie lowest score goes E2/C2) or is there a certain criteria one must meet? Also, is there a set number or trend on how many per class get the e2c2? I know needs of the Navy, I'm just curious what it's been like so far. I have yet to hear anything specific other then student rumors, so I was hoping someone here might be in the know. Thanks for the help

Just to get this thread back on track, tailhook is alive and well. I just got selected today to join the wonderful world of E2/C2. To answer the original question, since we are the first group selected, it is up to the skipper ultimaely who goes. Grades play a role, but of course it is not the determining factor. No trend yet. I just know that they need 4 more guys this fiscal year. Good luck next year to all the guys finishing up phase I in Meridian or Kingsville. I hope you get what you want.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

GDD05-Did the selection process injected some intense competition into "the biblical kick in the nuts phase one" (I know it was tough)? Are dudes cool team playing or hoarding gouge and trying to bilge their bro's get the hornet spot they felt destined for?

BTW... eat what you may see as a poop sandwich on bread not of your choosing with a smile! Crush the syllabus and become the best at whatever they put in front of you, im sure you will (no night traps!). Some of the happiest dudes I know flew and fly the C-2, sitting on the beach in Chania, Palma de Malorca, Naples, Rota, Bahrain weeks at a time collecting perdiem and tax free _does not suck_!:icon_smil

 

[bunk22]

If you get COD's, it's much better than just a few years, back, at least on the west coast. We were flying at night and staying on the boat. That only lasted 3 years. You're in the clear. Day traps are way, way better than night. Boring, boring flying but you live a good life. Bars, beer and babes make up for the :sleep_125 flying.

 

[gdd05]

Yeah, It was a pretty good kick in the nuts, but no time to think about all that shit. Hook down Aug 20. Then off to Corpus. Does anyone know if there is a new syllabus for the guys like me coming off jet training or will they use the old E2C2 MPTS for guys straight out of primary?

 

[MasterBates]

Unless it's changed since I left VT-31 plan on the full-on old syllabus.

And all the P3 System NAZI briefs.

 

[gdd05]

Fun stuff.

MBates - How long did it take you to get through the syllabus?

 

[MasterBates]

Right about 4 months including ground school, but I was prof-advanced out of about 1/4-1/3 of the syllabus and did not do a XC or any solos.

 

[gdd05]

Thanks for the info. 4 months would be nice, but things have a way of taking much longer than expected in the Navy.

 

[MasterBates]

I went through as a winged aviator who flew multi-crew aircraft in the fleet, so that helped speed me thru.

My personal take is that E2C2 guys who go there instrument rated and Carrier Qualed should do the following:

CPTs
7-8 FAM Flights
1 or 2 BI sims
4 RI sims
4 RI flights

That's it. I also think it should be an I-Stop TAD on the way to the RAG, but being PCS to NASCC puts more money in most guys pockets, and that's normally a good thing. The downside is a lot of PCS pain for relatively little time there.

From talking to a few E2/C2 drivers here, "mastering" ME flight in the 44 is not that big of a deal, as the -2s fly differently, and just getting the "must use the rudder" and dealing with OEI concepts is what you really needed to get out of it.

More of a PITA for the guys with kids/families who don't want to uproot them more than they have to. Single dudes will probably be stoked to get out of Krock.

 

[MasterBates]

Also, they should eliminate the "solos" out of they syllabus. You have proven to your self by the time you get there that you can:

1-Fly by yourself
2-Land on boat by yourself.

Doing 3-5 laps at Cabaniss while the IP watches you from the base of the tower is kind of a letdown, and not needed. Just accept the fact that you are going to be a copilot for the foreseeable future, and it goes much better.

 

[Herc_Dude]

Also, they should eliminate the "solos" out of they syllabus. You have proven to your self by the time you get there that you can:

1-Fly by yourself
2-Land on boat by yourself.

Doing 3-5 laps at Cabaniss while the IP watches you from the base of the tower is kind of a letdown, and not needed. Just accept the fact that you are going to be a copilot for the foreseeable future, and it goes much better.

Agree .. and I think it's a letdown for just about everyone, not just the anointed land-on-boat types.

 

[Kycntryboy]

Just to get this thread back on track, tailhook is alive and well. I just got selected today to join the wonderful world of E2/C2. To answer the original question, since we are the first group selected, it is up to the skipper ultimaely who goes. Grades play a role, but of course it is not the determining factor. No trend yet. I just know that they need 4 more guys this fiscal year. Good luck next year to all the guys finishing up phase I in Meridian or Kingsville. I hope you get what you want.

To just elaborate on gdd and put some more info out there. 5 people total came/comming from Meridian for the fiscal year. What ended up happening was because there is no September boat only an August boat, one class from each squadron was in position to fill those slots. It sucks, four of my good friends are going E2/C2's now. Hopefully they will iron out the manning issues later to avoid the drafting of half of a class.

 

[SDNalgene]

It sucks, four of my good friends are going E2/C2's now. Hopefully they will iron out the manning issues later to avoid the drafting of half of a class.

It's not like they shot them or anything. But yes, I hope they figure out a way to not have drafts. Not holding my breath though.

 

[Ducky]

It sucks, four of my good friends are going E2/C2's now. Hopefully they will iron out the manning issues later to avoid the drafting of half of a class.

Yes I hope they figure out a way not to have drafts. However, keep in mind that there are people out there that want E2/C2, and there are also students that did not get their first choice out of primary that would take those slots in a heartbeat. As someone who selected TH we should all be greatful that we got a TH slot in the first place. Sure E2/C2 is not the sexy grey jet but they still get to go to the boat and be a part of the TH lifestyle. Not to mention the cool cod life.