-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
VP and their misunderstanding of the word "preflight"
- Thread starter Fezz CB
- Start date
Yup, you're right. Only 1 bird on the ramp, worked through issues, took 7 hours, flew 6 hours to support a TIC, land, get more gas, back airborne for another 4, land before my crew's 18 hour day. Just gotta say, it is all about the mission, and what you have available. No self respecting aviator for a real world mission is going to say, fuck it, it is too hard, I can't execute the mission with what I have available, I am going home/to my rack. For the training side, we have limits in place already mentioned in the thread about not letting a crew go to long without higher approval (CO/OPSO) working on a plane. I will canx an event if we pass our sched take off time and maintenance delays preclude our ability to execute.
To put it all in perspective, our airframe is 50 years old, half of the Centennial of Naval Aviation. They aren't building new parts, and we increasingly put more complex mission systems on the aircraft that don't play nice with each other. All while adding more and more mission requirements and adding to the "jack of all trades" jobs that P3 aircrews are asked to accomplish.
It is not like Lockheed is making new parts or engines for us. I still think it is pretty impressive what this aircraft has accomplished throughout its career, and in spite of its age, flight envelope restrictions and fatigue life issues. Not the only aircraft to experience this, but we have a job to do, we wear the Wings of Gold, and are all professionals trying to get the job done. Especially hats off to the VP-5 JO crew on 777 that successfully employed the maverick recently, glad their "preflight" was executed and they didn't go back to bed
My smiles were about your FCF go times. The half way part was about your community's terminology and refusal to accept it has any bearing on how the rest of the fleet refers to the time before launches.
Just because you guys have actually fired something at an enemy in a shooting war (and hit it) doesn't mean I'll ever cut VP any slack. (Yes, more smiles).
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
We send out our ATs/AEs to fire up the system and have it up and running when the aircrew walks on the Hummer. To include the backup bird for a big event/Event 1 in combat. Leave some ATAN in the tube as a fire watch, and power it down once the primary bird is airborne.
Just a case where other communities can learn from others.
Just a case where other communities can learn from others.
I don't doubt you or what the slide you saw said, but I wonder if the books were cooked at all on that. Not because I think our aircraft are any better; quite the contrary. As someone who is flying the oldest helos in the Navy fleet, I know your pain. It just makes me wonder how the above is possible when VP guys complain so much about maintenance setbacks. Then again, the answer may be it's BECAUSE you guys stick it out for 5+ hours to go execute your mission. Helo guys usually give up by then and cancel the sortie and leave it for the next crew.
Stay in bed (tongue in cheek) -- or -- "go back to bed" ... ???Yup, you're right.... glad their "preflight" was executed and they didn't go back to bed
BIG DIFFERENCE.
Plus ... I've been there, done that, and I didn't "go back to bed", for whatever that's worth (I even GOT OUT of bed for a couple of missions when 'needed') ... I'm talkin' about doing more w/ less ... I've done it, as have 1,000's of other Naval Aviators.
Give me 10 hours refresher (or less) in a 54 year old A-4, a 51 year old A-6, or a 42 year old B-747 and I can strap one on (today) and get the job done.
No excuses ... no apologies ... no 5 hour "pre-flights". Just the "breaks of Naval Aviation" ...
I know, was just feeling "passive aggressive" for those that don't know the difference.
My squeezed limes know no favorites ... or any differences.I know, was just feeling "passive aggressive" for those that don't know the difference.
Stay in bed (tongue in cheek) -- or -- "go back to bed" ... ???
BIG DIFFERENCE.
Plus ... I've been there, done that, and I didn't "go back to bed", for whatever that's worth (I even GOT OUT of bed for a couple of missions when 'needed') ... I'm talkin' about doing more w/ less ... I've done it, as have 1,000's of other Naval Aviators.
Give me 10 hours refresher (or less) in a 54 year old A-4, a 51 year old A-6, or a 42 year old B-747 and I can strap one on (today) and get the job done.
No excuses ... no apologies ... no 5 hour "pre-flights". Just the "breaks of Naval Aviation" ...
What the hell would you be like as a sim instructor in Meridian? Im willing to bet you'd be the one demo-ing maneuvers on the controls while standing on the platform next to the cockpit. Just a thought.
I wouldn't be a sim-instructor @ Meridian ... I would rather put a loaded revolver in my mouth and pull the trigger several times ... and then I'd re-load and do it again.
But overall, I dunno ... I was judged 'one of the best' of the sim-instructors on the B-727 and B-747 at two airlines in repeated STUD critique sheets ..."he really cares about his students", blah, blah, blah .... etc., etc. ... and I took no prisoners, for the record. You either knew your shit and it would be one of the easiest sims you ever had -- or you DIDN'T know your shit and it would be a long, long day for you ...
I also had the lowest # of 'downs' of any instructor ... even got 'counseled' on it 'cause the FAA thought I was being 'too easy' ... no downs = 'easy', right ??? ... but like I said; a long, long day for the foolish STUD who showed up w/ a skull full of cottage cheese ...
But see ... I taught 'the book' ... and techniques ... and how it 'really is' (training dept. is not ALWAYS 'how it really is') ... and I clearly differentiated between the three and told my STUDs what they needed to know to succeed. I wanted my STUDs to have THEIR shit in one bag when they went to the line.
So you tell me, bright eyes ... what kine' instructor WOULD I have been in Meridian ???
Ok. Lets get back to the VP preflight/planning/maint blah blah blah rant. It was starting to get good. :icon_smil
I wouldn't be a sim-instructor @ Meridian ... I would rather put a revolver in my mouth and pull the trigger several times ...
But overall, I dunno ... I was judged 'one of the best' of the sim-instructors on the B-727 and B-747 at two airlines in repeated STUD critique sheets ..."he really cares about his students", etc., etc. ... and I took no prisoners, for the record. You either knew your shit and it would be one of the easiest sims you ever had -- or you DIDN'T know your shit and it would be a long, long day for you ...
I also had the lowest # of 'downs' of any instructor ... even got 'counseled' on it 'cause the FAA thought I was being too 'easy' ... but like I said; a long, long day ...
But see ... I taught 'the book' ... and techniques ... and how it 'really is' (training dept. is not ALWAYS 'how it really is') ... as I wanted my STUDs to have THEIR shit in one bag when they went to the line.
So you tell me, bright eyes ... what kine' instructor WOULD I have been in Meridian ???
Since you write in bold, I can only assume you would be the type that yells a lot
I write in bold so I can see it w/out 'cheaters'. You'd have to ask my former STUDs about screaming ... some still call me today and ask 'what's up'?? (probably to see if I'm still alive, truth be told), so you be the judge.
I understand, however, that there's a few airline 'sea stories' told about me ... at least someone noticed.
Bottom line: I fart in their general direction. (no pun intended)