What happens if you don't Solo by 15 Days in IFS?

[virtu050]

I am in IFS right now but due to the recent weather I haven't been able to fly for over a week. So I got a little rusty. I am at 14.2 hours and today I had my stage check. The instructor said I had a couple things I need to work out before he'll let me solo. But this will put me over the 15 hour mark. Does anyone know what will happen if I don't solo by the 15 hour or 36 day mark? My instructor said something about an extension to 17 hours...

 

[rare21]

i was almost in the same boat due to weather.... i heard you can try for an extension (get back the weather days)..luckily i was pretty far ahead already and soloed at 12 hours earlier than i expected..but about a few days from the 36 day mark. the extension was a little tricky. i did ifs at my nrotc unit in texas and while there i heard the officer in charge of ifs in pensacola was a little hard on giving extensions. if you dont make the deadline i believe they hold a performance review board and see if you actually want to stay in the program and have what it takes to be a navy pilot. luckily all the navy staff at my unit (Captain down to Lt.'s) were ready at a moments notice to give a positive recommendation to keep me. I dont know if you have a naval officer in charge of you but if so then let him know you want to stay in the program and get a positive recommendation from him or her to give to the board if it comes to that. if that happens then they may give you the days back for the weather (which they should do anyways)but when i went through it they would'nt give weather days unless the ENTIRE flight school was down due to weather (ice storm, hurricane, etc).Good luck and hopefully someone that went through more recently has more to share.

 

[Banjo33]

Shoot, I would pay for a couple extra hours on the side. Maybe get a couple of hours of practice before going on the books. I would definitely ask my instructor about this option.

 

[Jaxs170]

Not that I am saying this, but if your IFS instructor say perhaps forgot to fill out your log book after a flight or two and you just happened to be unable to log onto the web site for IFS for whatever reason to fill out your online log book for a few days it might just buy you that time you need, then you can go back and fill out the logs later when you instructor remembered and the web site was accessable again, not that I am recommending this or anything like this in any way, shape, or form (cough, cough).

 

[virtu050]

ok so i exceeded the 15 hour mark and haven't soloed. primarily because at the 13 hour mark there was 10 days without flying because of the weather. I got a little rusty and got dependent on looking inside the cockpit due to practicing on flight sim. I have my PRB coming up. I hear they normally grant an extension to 17 hours. Any advice on what i should say or how I should conduct myself at this PRB? My insrtuctor said all I need to do is show him 3 good touch and goes on the next flight and he'll hop out and I can solo on that same flight. I'm at the 15.8 hour mark now.

 

[rare21]

my only advice is to show great enthusiasm and motivation to complete the IFS program and Navy flight training. many times they look at someone who hasn't completed the criteria as someone who is not fully committed to the program or as a private way to get out of the program. (This is what my IFS Navy OIC told me.) So go to the PRB motivated and showing them that you want to fully complete all training the navy has to offer and that you want and love to fly and I bet you'll get those hours back. Any positive recommendations from officers will also most certainly help. (if its possible to do so)

 

[Elder]

Where are you doing your IFS?

I go to the briefing Thursday, and leaning towards Eglin. I wish Milton was "reay for business".. :|

 

[rare21]

i heard not to do it at eglin...its really strict and rigid....the place i heard to be is destin..its laid back there and not as strict. (as per being there all day, tough instructors, etc.)

 

[virtu050]

ok, the PRB voted to give me up to 17 hours to solo. hooray! ugh, i wouldn't wish a PRB on my worst enemy.

 

[virtu050]

asked my instructor about that.. he said we could get in a lot of trouble for doing that... go figure.

 

[Elder]

I've heard Eglin was just fine. Just had 4 fellow Coasties finish up last week and loved it.

You just need to stay away from the retired Air Force Col out there. I hear he likes to have his students out there at 5am ready to go. A few weeks back, he got one of our guys through IFS in 17 days.

We haven't had anyone go through Destin, yet. Think we have one starting there today, though.

 

[rare21]

yeah thats exactly what i heard. the five a.m. thing. i heard that pretty much everyone had to go through that. my neighbor went through destin, came in when he had to, did a lot of watching videos, partied with some instructors once in a while and said it was a blast. if its as easy as staying away from the AF colonel then by all means stay away from him!

 

[virtu050]

Ok I got the extension.. 2 more hours to learn how to land. Can any of you give any hints on making the perfect landing? particularly the landing flare.

 

[mpfeiffer]

I just finished IFS last week and am interested to know what happened with your training, did you solo and learn how to land? Was it your instructor that didn't allow you to solo? That's kind of a reflection of his instruction if you're having trouble. Biggest help: transition the eyes down the runway, don't fixate, don't force the plane down and gradually pull back the yoke for a steady flare. The joke with my instructor was that if your landings on your solo sucked, go around, go around, go around. Anyways hope it all worked it. Want to know what actaully happens when you don't meet the requirements. Glad you got an extension, hate to see a fellow 'maverick' have problems.
ENS Michael Pfeiffer, NROTC Univesity of San Diego

 

[virtu050]

yeah I finally got the landings... I did a dual cross country with no problems and just need to do one more dual and a solo cross country. But I've been waiting for over a week on paperwork to see if the Navy or I should pay for the extra hours over the alloted 25 hrs they give you. I told them I'd pay for it just to get it over with but for some reason they like doing it the hard way.