Whens the best time to start Primary?

[skilax06md]

Hey all,

I'm a firstie midshipman at the academy and was just selected for navy pilot. I'm trying to get gouge on when I should try to plan on heading down to API and Primary in order to have the best experience possible. Anyone have any help?

Thanks,

Andy Mechling

 

[TheBubba]

I'll give it to you this way. Regardless of when you come down here, you'll be waiting for a bit. All depends on what week you check in and where everyone else in the pool is. Also depends on where you want to do primary.

For instance, if you want to go to Corpus for primary, its gonna have a different affect on your timing than if you want to go to Vance or Milton. Longer wait, shorter wait, who knows. It all ebbs and flows.

On that note, also look at what you want to do. Do you want to TAD at USNA for a bit, or do you want to just come down and get your name on the list and get started? Are you going to VGEP or IGEP?

You can get down here and class up within a few weeks, or you could wait a few months.

It ebbs and flows.

Congrats on getting pilot.

 

[Schnugg]

As soon as you can.

Best Advice...ever.

 

[TheBubba]

As soon as you can.

Best Advice...ever.

Yeah... agree with Schnugg... the sooner you start, the sooner you get winged, which means the sooner you're flying whatever it is you're gonna fly.

And that's our end goal... to fly whatever it is we're gonna fly.

 

[ChuckMK23]

As soon as you can.

Best Advice...ever.

Ditto. Stay healthy, focus on the end result, do a good job in the program. Post commissioning downtime is nice but it just means more time until you get winged. As soon as you can get started with API the better.

 

[Circle K]

From someone who's options by the time I got to the front of the line on service assignment night were June 4 (5 days after graduation) or October 10. I'd say go as early as possible too. I ended up picking the Oct date, then got pushed back even further by the hurricane. I find out where I'm going for advanced today, 17+ months after graduation, and there are guys who graduated a year after me and already have soloed. TAD time is not worth that.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

As soon as you can.

Best Advice...ever.

Yes, ditto that. Sooner you get winged, the sooner you can start bringing me my mail.

 

[FlyingBeagle]

As soon as you can.

Best Advice...ever.

Is that advice in startign ASAP in regards to your career, quality of life or what?

 

[a_m]

get down here soon. That way, if you have to wait, at least you are at the beach and away from the academy.

 

[TheBubba]

I'd venture and say everything.

Take this from me: I checked into NASC on 27 July. I won't start API till the end of Jan at the earliest. Means at least a 6 month wait. Is being on a paid vacation cool? Yeah, it has its upsides. Do I get jealous when I'm talking to some of my buddies who are already flying the T-6 or T-34? You bet your @$$ I do. I definitely wish I could've started API before now.

In regards to your carrer... you get started earlier (and flight pay starts in primary... an extra 100 some odd in you paycheck is always nice)... quality of life? not sure cuz i havent been there yet, but who can argue with learning how to fly when that's what you signed up to do?

 

[zippy]

If it was me, i wouldn't give up 30 days of basket leave to get down to Pensacola in June. Yes, that will create some longer waits for you but, you did put up with four years of crap. You deserve a break.

 

[a_m]

well, I don't think anyone was talking about giving up basket leave. Just to get down as soon as it's over.

 

[petescheu]

Yeah I would def suggest not giving up your basket leave, but also don't take some post grad stash job that's gonna have you stuck there for 6 months or something like that. That's what I did, and by the time I got started down in Pensacola, A Pool was huge because everyone was already there, and half the kids I knew were already in advanced (and thus were winged and in the fleet before me). So head on down and get 'er done.

 

[highlyrandom]

Ok, what is everyone smoking? If we're talking Navy Pilot, it's 2 weeks for checkins and BOLTC, API, and maybe a week, if that, from API to Primary. Unless you go to -3 at Whiting, those guys are on semi-permanent vacation. Otherwise, it's no longer the 8 month ACDO watch I stood.

 

[a_m]

no, it's about a 1-2 month wait now for pilots.