What Are You Listening To?

[Brett327]

Yes, some of the most dynamic/SA enhancing/challenging flights have been removed from the syllabus

Please specify and provide a reference that this was due to the T-45 compressor issue. Not saying it wasn’t, just trying to understand. How long has the compressor issue been known and when did the syllabus change as a result? Did this occur under the current CNATRA, or during HiFi’s tenure?

 

[SlickAg]

Please specify and provide a reference that this was due to the T-45 compressor issue. Not saying it wasn’t, just trying to understand. How long has the compressor issue been known and when did the syllabus change as a result? Did this occur under the current CNATRA, or during HiFi’s tenure?

The syllabus changes have all transpired within the past month or so. The last boat was in December and the next one isn’t until April so there just aren’t many wingers who’ve finished under the reduced syllabus.

The compressor thing has been going on since late November.

They’ve told the reservists to not really bother coming down unless we have an expiring NATOPS or INST check or to maintain currency within 60 days. Not enough jets or hours to go around.

 

[IwannabeaPHROGdvr69]

Please specify and provide a reference that this was due to the T-45 compressor issue. Not saying it wasn’t, just trying to understand. How long has the compressor issue been known and when did the syllabus change as a result? Did this occur under the current CNATRA, or during HiFi’s tenure?

Not going to post the cnatra message on here but the instruction says “in order to streamline the advanced strike syllabus due to the recent engine bulletin the following flight waivers are in effect”- the message is dated 24 JAN. The instruction then outlines the flights removed and it is a significant number.

 

[Brett327]

Can you give an example of what events may be waived?

 

[IwannabeaPHROGdvr69]

Can you give an example of what events may be waived?

Lots of low level flights, road recce is totally gone, a pop pattern strike flight, a few dedicated pattern hops, and a couple section engaged flights. By my rough count I think around 12 flights. Theoretically people are showing up to the rag with only 3 flights in the LAT environment which I think is bad.

 

[Brett327]

Thanks for the info. What is your leadership saying about this? Any local mitigations put in place or IP Readyroom discussions on how this might affect training? Have these waivers been invoked yet? Any idea how many students this has affected thus far?

Sorry for the shotgun blast of questions. This will be worth discussing among my community peers.

 

[SlickAg]

Lots of low level flights, road recce is totally gone, a pop pattern strike flight, a few dedicated pattern hops, and a couple section engaged flights. By my rough count I think around 12 flights. Theoretically people are showing up to the rag with only 3 flights in the LAT environment which I think is bad.

Don’t forget midstage FCLPs

 

[SlickAg]

Thanks for the info. What is your leadership saying about this? Any local mitigations put in place or IP Readyroom discussions on how this might affect training? Have these waivers been invoked yet? Any idea how many students this has affected thus far?

Sorry for the shotgun blast of questions. This will be worth discussing among my community peers.

Yes the waivers are being invoked. The first wingers under the waivers just finished; they did most of the syllabus since they were so far along. Phase one production is moving slowly - the priority is on getting the wingers out the door.

Do you believe me or do you need @IwannabeaPHROGdvr69 to weigh in as well?

I’m sort of surprised this never came up in your weekly discussions with the 129 CO.

 

[Brett327]

Do you believe me

Is there a reason I shouldn't? That's an odd question.

 

[SlickAg]

Is there a reason I shouldn't? That's an odd question.

You just seemed very skeptical of the whole thing and only seemed to believe it once the other dude chimed in.

If you’re that curious you can go check out cnatra’s website and read the note for yourself.

You’re welcome for the heads up.

 

[Brett327]

I'm not interested in your adversarial approach to every single conversation. I'm thankful that @IwannabeaPHROGdvr69 was able to pass detailed information on the topic so that I can be better informed.

 

[SlickAg]

I'm not interested in your adversarial approach to every single conversation. I'm thankful that @IwannabeaPHROGdvr69 was able to pass detailed information on the topic so that I can be better informed.

I understand. If strangers were calling me out for Article 88 I’d be grumpy too.

But thanks for validating my prior question about whether or not you believed me.

 

[Jim123]

Don’t forget midstage FCLPs

You just use the VV in your HUD for those anyway, right?

?

 

[hooflys]

Those are two sides of the same blade. JOs like to bitch - I get it, I did it too. JOs also think they know more than they do and sometimes don't pause to consider the possibility that they might not have the full picture. If you guys want to have a license to bitch, then I get a license to snap you back into reality with a pointed word when you've left the reservation. Seems like a fair trade.

Either I wasn't clear or you gleaned what you wanted from my observation on your tone. I wasn't asking for a license to bitch nor that folks shouldn't be told to STFU when they've "left the reservation".

Instead, I was suggesting 1) that I believe most folks give a shit and are actively seeking solutions and want to improve the institution and 2) that comments like "snap you back into reality" or something equally dismissive typify my interactions with most (not all!) senior leadership (at what point in our discussion did I need snapping back to reality? I understand the constraints of our system, I don't expect overnight change nor did I imply that I did. I suggested that leaders aren't as forthcoming as they could/should be if they want honest discourse given my experience).

One of the reasons I continue to spend time here is that Naval Aviation does a shitty job of mentoring and teaching JOs about the institutional aspects of this organization. Toward that end, I'm here to pass along what little I've learned over 30 years in this gig. Folks may not always like what they hear, but I want people to understand how our leadership looks at problems, what they can or cannot do to fix them, along with some of the inside baseball that I've had the opportunity to experience.

I appreciate your time here and the experience you bring. However, if we don't know as much as we think we do (and we don't), but we're paying attention (as you suggested), maybe leadership isn't disseminating information as efficiently or effectively as they think.

I also acknowledge that there's benefit for some of you to vent to a senior guy in an environment free of rank. I have never asked that any of you factor that into these discussions, and frankly, I've absorbed a pretty ridiculous amount of personal attacks and vitriol over the years from some people on this site. I don't think a lot of my peers would tolerate that. Nevertheless, I enjoy the banter and know that it will hopefully make a lot of you more savvy in navigating your own careers. That is always my goal here.

If you feel I've overstepped with my tone or language, feel free to address it here or privately. My intent isn't to attack you personally, but highlight some things I've witnessed here and elsewhere that I believe are detrimental to the overall JO/Senior Officer dialogue. I'll admit, I've enjoyed speaking freely and would likely not have suggested to a senior officer I don't know to drop his "bullshit" in face to face conversation (I'm neither an internet nor real life tough guy, just trying to call it like I see it and provide a plebeian perspective on senior officer presentation that doesn't seem to make it to the upper echelon).

 

[Brett327]

Either I wasn't clear or you gleaned what you wanted from my observation on your tone. I wasn't asking for a license to bitch nor that folks shouldn't be told to STFU when they've "left the reservation".

Instead, I was suggesting 1) that I believe most folks give a shit and are actively seeking solutions and want to improve the institution and 2) that comments like "snap you back into reality" or something equally dismissive typify my interactions with most (not all!) senior leadership (at what point in our discussion did I need snapping back to reality? I understand the constraints of our system, I don't expect overnight change nor did I imply that I did. I suggested that leaders aren't as forthcoming as they could/should be if they want honest discourse given my experience).



I appreciate your time here and the experience you bring. However, if we don't know as much as we think we do (and we don't), but we're paying attention (as you suggested), maybe leadership isn't disseminating information as efficiently or effectively as they think.



If you feel I've overstepped with my tone or language, feel free to address it here or privately. My intent isn't to attack you personally, but highlight some things I've witnessed here and elsewhere that I believe are detrimental to the overall JO/Senior Officer dialogue. I'll admit, I've enjoyed speaking freely and would likely not have suggested to a senior officer I don't know to drop his "bullshit" in face to face conversation (I'm neither an internet nor real life tough guy, just trying to call it like I see it and provide a plebeian perspective on senior officer presentation that doesn't seem to make it to the upper echelon).

I think I was speaking more generally, and not specifically to you WRT bitching/personal attacks/etc. Generally speaking, though, when I hear outlandish statements coming from anyone (junior or senior), I'm going to step in and inject some reality into the conversation, which is very different from telling someone to STFU. If I occasionally come across in a terse fashion, it's likely out of frustration. I have to suppress misinformation constantly. It gets old.

I appreciate your own perspective and candor in this thread.