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Vance afb ip

R

rl363

New Member
Any one have any insite on doing an IP tour at Vance AFB. I've heard bad things about location, PIT and the Air Force way of doing flight school in general. I did a T-34C instructor tour in Corpus and loved it, I have orders back there but was offered up Vance by the monitor. T-6 sounds like it would be a blast but not so sure it would be worth it.
 
Why not just take orders to Milton? I got a buddy there who says he's expecting to be in the T-6B in a year or so.
 
Marines are sending most helicopter pilots to be helo IPs. Not interested in flying TH-57s I'd rather do fixed wing. I think I'm going to wave off on Vance, location sounds pretty miserable.
 
rl363 said:
Marines are sending most helicopter pilots to be helo IPs. Not interested in flying TH-57s I'd rather do fixed wing. I think I'm going to wave off on Vance, location sounds pretty miserable.
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I guess I should have specified and said "VT orders to Whiting".
 
rl363 said:
Marines are sending most helicopter pilots to be helo IPs. Not interested in flying TH-57s I'd rather do fixed wing. I think I'm going to wave off on Vance, location sounds pretty miserable.
Click to expand...

I'll second that. I was there for 8 months and I had to get myself into a state of denial that the location was ok. I can't imagine what it would be like to stick around there for 3+ years.

There actually is stuff to do, you just have to drive very far, i.e. OKC, Tulsa or Wichita.
 
rl363 said:
Not interested in flying TH-57s I'd rather do fixed wing. I think I'm going to wave off on Vance, location sounds pretty miserable.
Click to expand...
I was a Vance T-37 student, Navy Phrog pilot, then went back to Vance to instruct. It was a lot like SERE: very painful but I'm really glad I did it. Surprisingly, the location was not the worst thing-it actually became a plus when I settled in my gorgeous 3BR 2car garage house I paid 120K for. The worst was dealing with the anti-Navy/Marine helo environment at Randolph for PIT. And I ended up going to PIT a second time when we transitioned to the T-6. 12 plus hour days every day for 3 years. That said, I honestly believe the pluses outweighed the crap. The flying was incredible. 2 or 3 times a day, 50+ hour months, getting driven out to your bird in an air conditioned van. 3 new flight suits and a jacket every year, new visors and gloves whenever we asked. Per diem and rental cars every weekend (if you wanted it) on cross country flights to Salt Lake City, NYC, and everywhere in between. My own huge office with 2 plasma screens. Beer every Friday after the last go. Finally, it is one of the best places in the country to work if you're thinking of getting out and flying on the outside. The worst kept secret at Vance is that all the Navy and Marine IPs are in one of 2 camps: the guys intent on getting out and flying on the outside and the guys who are definitely staying in because there's very little competition for a long or double tap EP. The guys who are getting out are free to work their airline contacts among the reservists in the wing. Lots of guys share the gouge and get their 737 type rating nearby. And there are shitloads of AF Guard and Reserve fixed wing guys (students) who are glad to help you get an introduction at their home unit. As a career guy, I also enjoyed it because I got a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle on base and the city of Enid picked up the 25% that TA left me the bill for. The city is in the middle of nowhere, but there's no crime to speak of and it's one of the few military towns left that REALLY appreciates its base. Sorry for the book, but I think Vance gets too much bad press and not enough truth. Good luck and let me know if you want me to PM you any more info.
 
Good look at Vance from a different perspective.

Where do guys go to get the 737 Type locally? (not that it matters over the next couple years anyway, but just curious).
 
HackerF15E said:
Good look at Vance from a different perspective.

Where do guys go to get the 737 Type locally? (not that it matters over the next couple years anyway, but just curious).
Click to expand...
"Nearby" is a very relative term in Oklahoma, bad choice of word. The guys I know that did it took a little leave and went to High Power Aviation or one of the other schools in Dallas. They liked it, said that it was easier than they thought it was going to be.
 
I got my 727 type at Higher Power, but they are 90% 737 types there. Great school and I'd highly recommend them.
 
Pags said:
Is there one MATSG for the entire training command, or one for CC and one for the greater Pcola area?
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MATSG 21 covers Pcola & N/S Whiting
MATSG 22 covers CC & K-rock (and Vance but not sure if 21 also sends guys there)
MATSG 23 covers Lemoore
MATSG 33 covers Oceana (I think?)
not sure if Whidbey has a MATSG but I assume they would.

All are suppose to be commanded by an O-6
 
Yes, Whidbey has a MATSG. Think it's -53, but being a Navy type I've never really payed attention.
 
PhrogLoop said:
I was a Vance T-37 student, Navy Phrog pilot, then went back to Vance to instruct. It was a lot like SERE: very painful but I'm really glad I did it. Surprisingly, the location was not the worst thing-it actually became a plus when I settled in my gorgeous 3BR 2car garage house I paid 120K for. The worst was dealing with the anti-Navy/Marine helo environment at Randolph for PIT. And I ended up going to PIT a second time when we transitioned to the T-6. 12 plus hour days every day for 3 years. That said, I honestly believe the pluses outweighed the crap. The flying was incredible. 2 or 3 times a day, 50+ hour months, getting driven out to your bird in an air conditioned van. 3 new flight suits and a jacket every year, new visors and gloves whenever we asked. Per diem and rental cars every weekend (if you wanted it) on cross country flights to Salt Lake City, NYC, and everywhere in between. My own huge office with 2 plasma screens. Beer every Friday after the last go. Finally, it is one of the best places in the country to work if you're thinking of getting out and flying on the outside. The worst kept secret at Vance is that all the Navy and Marine IPs are in one of 2 camps: the guys intent on getting out and flying on the outside and the guys who are definitely staying in because there's very little competition for a long or double tap EP. The guys who are getting out are free to work their airline contacts among the reservists in the wing. Lots of guys share the gouge and get their 737 type rating nearby. And there are shitloads of AF Guard and Reserve fixed wing guys (students) who are glad to help you get an introduction at their home unit. As a career guy, I also enjoyed it because I got a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle on base and the city of Enid picked up the 25% that TA left me the bill for. The city is in the middle of nowhere, but there's no crime to speak of and it's one of the few military towns left that REALLY appreciates its base. Sorry for the book, but I think Vance gets too much bad press and not enough truth. Good luck and let me know if you want me to PM you any more info.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about going cross country with a student, or can you take the plane where you want on weekends?
 
You can take a plane where you want, as long as there is a stud in the seat getting X's out of it.
 
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