Whiting Delays: Congressional Funding, Maintenance etc.

[whitman]

Anyone wiser and smarter have any insight on why Whiting primary training is so backlogged? We've had perfect weather for the last 3 weeks yet only half of my flight has flown their first FAM flight. I talked to a dude the other day that said it took him a month to get through the first block (FAM 1-4).

I heard there is no money for maintenance and this is causing huge plane delays. Anyone see an end in sight?

I know I'm gonna be begging for slow days once the training revs up but it's discouraging right now when there isn't much to study and your mission in life is to learn to fly the plane and get ready to solo and you can't.

 

[nittany03]

The mysteries of Ops are beyond anyone's comprehension. Seriously. It could be that the training pipeline is backed up and so they don't need pilots completing Primary. Maybe the push is on for pilots and they are focusing on the guys closest to getting complete. Maybe there is a new influx of IPs in the IUT (FITU?) and the qual'd IPs are maxed out teaching a few studs at a time. Maybe the jets (planes?) don't work because of maintenance issues. Scheduling is like a house of cards; take out one variable and it all goes to crap.

(Was stashed as a skeds clerk before starting Advanced; what an eye-opener)

 

[zab1001]

when there isn't much to study

Reeeaally?

Maybe things have changed, but I'd bet dollars to donuts you have a stack of books with plenty to memorize.

Take advantage of the time you've been afforded. It will come fast and furious soon enough.

 

[ChunksJR]

Anyone wiser and smarter ...

Ahhh...too....easy...must...resist...

 

[Gatordev]

Anyone wiser and smarter have any insight on why Whiting primary training is so backlogged? We've had perfect weather for the last 3 weeks yet only half of my flight has flown their first FAM flight. I talked to a dude the other day that said it took him a month to get through the first block (FAM 1-4).

I heard there is no money for maintenance and this is causing huge plane delays. Anyone see an end in sight?

As far as I know, VT-3 isn't hurting that much for pilots. There's only a few in the FITU right now. The problems are along what you said. To add to things, there were no cross-countries for some time. Generally the backlog happens at the beginning of the program and once in RIs, everything moves pretty quickly. However, since the CCX weren't going, things were getting bunched up in the beginning and the end.

Again, I can't speak to the specifics of VT-3, but there's been a lot of issues lately, most of what Nit covered, and I know VT-3 isn't the only one hurting...although it's VT-3, so doesn't that, by definition, mean they're behind? Smiles, of course.

 

[whitman]

Ahhh...too....easy...must...resist...

Yea, I was trying to be nice and include everyone!

 

[whitman]

Scheduling is like a house of cards; take out one variable and it all goes to crap.

(Was stashed as a skeds clerk before starting Advanced; what an eye-opener)

I totally agree, based on experience in a small flying squadron. I can't imagine what it's like at Whiting with so many X's going every day.

I just don't get why the AF is so much more efficient with skeds and studs are flying everyday, sometimes twice a day. I have family at Columbus flying the T-6 and none of this has ever been an issue for him. Congressional funding? Are the Admirals not pushing hard enough on the hill?

Ok--I gonna hit the sim and get ready for BI's.

 

[MasterBates]

Whitman, you are thinking way too much into this..

I have been through Joint (though Navy owned) and Navy training. I'll take Navy training and being treated like an Officer/Adult any day over USAF training again.

 

[whitman]

Whitman, you are thinking way too much into this..

I have been through Joint (though Navy owned) and Navy training. I'll take Navy training and being treated like an Officer/Adult any day over USAF training again.

You're probably right. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. I know when I get to Vance I'll be begging for Navy training again!

 

[nittany03]

Good Lord, why all the VT-3 hate? Didn't seem that much different when I was there from 2 or 6 . . .

Except for sitting standby for hours and hours, that is.:icon_tong

 

[bunk22]

It seems the plane waits have gone from Friday only to Wed-Fri. I've recently had the flu but before that, 3 of my last 5 flights I cnx for the plane wait. My max is usually 2 hours.......I hated waiting around as a stud and usually don't make the stud wait around either.

 

[xj220]

I don't know if its the same up there, but here in Corpus students further in training have priority over new students. So if you're 40 block, you're behind 41 and 42 block guys for contacts in terms of scheduling priority. The same goes for sims, if you're in cpts, you're behind BIs who are behind RIs. We recently had a lot of guys trying to finish up so that back logged the new guys.

 

[Herc_Dude]

I totally agree, based on experience in a small flying squadron. I can't imagine what it's like at Whiting with so many X's going every day.

I just don't get why the AF is so much more efficient with skeds and studs are flying everyday, sometimes twice a day. I have family at Columbus flying the T-6 and none of this has ever been an issue for him. Congressional funding? Are the Admirals not pushing hard enough on the hill?

Ok--I gonna hit the sim and get ready for BI's.

The flow is always changing - when I went through VT-6 (Feb-June this year) I was flying everyday, twice a day when the syllabus required (or had the option). We (the squadron) were so far ahead on flights that we had some extra 'safety standdown' days to let everyone else catch up. Being double pumped is not always a great thing. It was nice to get two boxes checked in one day, but there were times when my head was spinning. We very rarely had a plane wait and maint. was great.

As with everything - timing is key. Enjoy the down time, study EPs and procedures.