TAW-5 Now doing DETS to Las Cruces, NM

[Dokkenrulz]

It's not just for Corpus Christi folks anymore! The rumors are true, VT-2 and VT-6 are sending people to wrap up contacts, 4390 checkride, solos, PA's, and Forms out in Las Cruces.

VT-2 and VT-6, as well as the civilians, are doing detachments to the beautiful and exotic Las Cruces, NM from just after BI's until Forms complete. All TAW-5 studs on deck at the Wing, be advised you may be heading there once you are out of BI's.

VT-27 and VT-28 have done this successfully in the past. Supposedly, you will be complete within 3-4 weeks in going out there, vice the 3-4 months its seems like it's been taking lately largely due to weather. It's a good deal, don't let the double-pump flights scare you.

One advantage right out of the gate: You no longer need to know North Whiting course rules! :icon_mi_1 I'd still bring your FWOP with you for other pertinent info, however. They will go over the KLRU course rules when you get there.

 

[Pags]

One advantage right out of the gate: You no longer need to know North Whiting course rules! :icon_mi_1 I'd still bring your FWOP with you for other pertinent info, however. They will go over the KLRU course rules when you get there.

But if you don't finish on det, you'll have to finish back at home and will be expected to know the Whiting course rules without the benefit of having flown them.

 

[McBuff]

VT-27 and VT-28 have done this successfully in the past.

That's definitely open to interpretation

 

[Gatordev]

But if you don't finish on det, you'll have to finish back at home and will be expected to know the Whiting course rules without the benefit of having flown them.

More than likely they'll just keep you out there until you finish, barring any academic or medical issues. When I flew w/ the Corpus det (as a Whiting IP) a few years ago, there was a constant stream of new studs coming in every week or two as the FORM complete guys went home. It's probably not worth the expense for Whiting guys, but the Corpus guys would do BI's at Las Cruces, as well. A great deal for everyone. The studs could get through BI's pretty quick and it left plenty of time for the IP to fool around for a few minutes at the end of the event because the CR were so close to KLRU.

I would be interested to see how Whiting guys handle the working areas. It was a huge deal to the Corpus guys if more than one T-34 was in a working area, but for the Whiting guys, most of the working areas are as big as Area 2, just w/out the OLFs.

 

[Pags]

More than likely they'll just keep you out there until you finish

That's what I figured was "The Plan", but the "you don't need to know whiting course rules" line just seems like a set up for disappointment later on.

 

[Gatordev]

That's what I figured was "The Plan", but the "you don't need to know whiting course rules" line just seems like a set up for disappointment later on.

I gotcha, but I have a feeling there would be some relaxed grading going on if that happened. Something akin to when the Corpus guys came and flew at Whiting for their Forms. Obviously they didn't know PT Charlie from PT Loma.

 

[FlyBoyd]

...VT-2 and VT-6 are sending people to wrap up contacts, 4390 checkride, solos, PA's, and Forms out in Las Cruces.

No real surprise. The commodore, CAPT Vandiver, is an ex-VT-27 CO and is used to needing/doing the dets. I am sure making VT-2/6 COs "comfortable" didn't take very long

 

[usmarinemike]

Here's a stupid question. How do they get the birds there? Whiting to Las Cruces is probably three pretty long legs. Can't do contacts, BIs or Forms, and that's a lot of hours for no Xs. So take RIs over and hope their commercial ticket back is worth it?

 

[SynixMan]

Here's a stupid question. How do they get the birds there? Whiting to Las Cruces is probably three pretty long legs. Can't do contacts, BIs or Forms, and that's a lot of hours for no Xs. So take RIs over and hope their commercial ticket back is worth it?

From what we were told, the T-34s from TW-5 that were replaced with T-6s are now sitting in Las Curces. Or possibly they came here and some of our birds are in Las Curces. Either way, it's because of the T-6s. Just RUMORINT though...

 

[MIDNJAC]

Here's a stupid question. How do they get the birds there? Whiting to Las Cruces is probably three pretty long legs. Can't do contacts, BIs or Forms, and that's a lot of hours for no Xs. So take RIs over and hope their commercial ticket back is worth it?

No idea about primary land (as they didn't do a det while I was in Corpus), but for advanced, normally they would use BI/RI guys to stage aircraft, and then comair them to/from. Normally you can do a log leg or two in conjunction with a cross country, so I'd imagine that they might plan on knocking out a studs RI ccx req's + maybe a log leg, and then comair them home. Just speculation though....

 

[C420sailor]

We sent BI/RI/VNAV guys to Roswell in the T-34s. Almost all still needed to do forms or contacts/PAs. Since about half of Corpus studs do forms after RI this worked out pretty well. TC-12s and T-44s came out to ROW twice a week to pick up and drop off studs.

 

[Gatordev]

Yeah, that's the big thing the TW-5 guys won't have, T-44 support. So there will definitely be more Comair cost involved. As for getting the birds out there, you need a bunch of IPs, so I wouldn't be surprised if they fly a lot of them out there w/out studs, since you get get out there quicker w/out studs then with.

 

[MasterBates]

I did the T-44 taxi gig a couple times. It's not a bad taxi cab.

 

[Ajleger]

I'm out here now, IPs flew the birds out. All the T34s out here are Whiting planes, and all the Whiting students flew comair. As said above, the 'plan' is for students not to have to relearn the whiting course rules.