40 days and 40 nights of flight school

[RobLyman]

For a comparison to my initial Navy training:

It took me a year from the time I joined the Guard to the time I got a slot at the Army Blackhawk AQC (essentially the FRS). It was 6 weeks and I flew 30.3 hrs, 10 of which were my initial NVG qual. In the next 6 months I got about 15 hrs each in the UH-60A/L MTP course, UH-60M transition course and the UH-60M MTP course; all 5 week courses.

FWIW...Still going and still passing flight physicals...born in '63. However I did have to get reading glasses this year while in Tallil.

 

[helolumpy]

The month and year I was born...and I go on terminal leave for retirement 9/12.

I'm in the same boat, I just went over 20 and I'm realizing that the folks who are getting commissioned this spring were 2 years old when I was commissioned....

Where did the time go?? (But I do have some pretty good stories about time though)

Break-Break
BZB, Cat, et al. Keep the stories about the past of Naval Aviation coming (and keep us young'uns in line). If you don't know where you've come from, you'll never know where you're going!

 

[rondebmar]

I'm in the same boat, I just went over 20 and I'm realizing that the folks who are getting commissioned this spring were 2 years old when I was commissioned....

Where did the time go?? (But I do have some pretty good stories about time though)

Break-Break
BZB, Cat, et al. Keep the stories about the past of Naval Aviation coming (and keep us young'uns in line). If you don't know where you've come from, you'll never know where you're going!

Wilco...stay tuned!

 

[blackbart22]

Rate change E-2 to NAVCAD-4 in September '58. Wings in June '60. Aircraft T-34B, T-28B & C, T-2V (instruments at Memphis), AD-6 & AD-5. Was an Ensign for less than a year as NAVCAD commisions were back dated to when you completed basic. Had ridden two in before pinning on JG.

 

[BACONATOR]

Commissioning - day zero.
Wings - 18 months
Fleet - 26 months (Had I not taken leave at every opportunity and waited 3 months for HTs, I'd have made it to the fleet as an ENS)
H2P - 31 months (took way too long, IMHO)
HAC - 42 months (took too long, IMHO)
Mission Commander (PR LVL IV) - 46 months (Only JG mission commander, I've heard about). Was only a LT for 4 months of my HAC det.
Asshole pit pilot LT - now.

It's all a matter of luck/timing. Nothing special to see here. If I could have done grad school, and shown up to the fleet as a LT, I'd have done it in a heartbeat. Getting ahead is great, until you realize you're the most junior guy in your FITREP group, and you're competing for the EP with guys who have 3+ months longer than you in the command to form a reputation.

 

[lowflier03]

and you're competing for the EP with guys who have 3+ months longer than you in the command to form a reputation.

Oh your reputation precedes you...

 

[BACONATOR]

Oh your reputation precedes you...

Yup, and did a 180 once I got there.

 

[squorch2]

What's your ground job again?

 

[BACONATOR]

What's your ground job again?

I was det Admin O/IMO. I don't have one now. I'm on leave. Chances are, I won't get a "top 4" job until about 6 months from now since I have about 11 months left in the command.

 

[BusyBee604]

Chances are, I won't get a "top 4" job until about 6 months from now since I have about 11 months left in the command.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "top 4" job?
BzB

 

[scoolbubba]

Generally, the last or next to last job a JO holds in the squadron is the one that either says "we trust you with some responsibility...now learn how to work as a DH" or "you could fuck up a wet dream." Either something important to the squadron (ie.VP-land=natops or pilot/fo training, QAO, something along those lines) or something that any idiot with a crayon can take care of.

 

[KBayDog]

Chances are, I won't get a "top 4" job until about 6 months from now since I have about 11 months left in the command.

Generally, the last or next to last job a JO holds in the squadron is the one that either says "we trust you with some responsibility...now learn how to work as a DH" or "you could fuck up a wet dream." Either something important to the squadron (ie.VP-land=natops or pilot/fo training, QAO, something along those lines) or something that any idiot with a crayon can take care of.

Is it normal to get a new job with (if my rotor trash math is correct) five months left in a command? Seems to me that such a period of time gives you just enough time to learn a job before you high-five your replacement. It certainly doesn't sound like enough time to learn a job, have an appreciable impact (these are JO jobs, remember...most are well-established, standardized programs), and conduct a quality turnover. I'm not suggesting that you need to spend years in a particular billet, but five months (particularly when the right lateral limit is a set of PCS orders) seems like a rather short tenure.

 

[Brett327]

Yup, and did a 180 once I got there.

That's up for debate, from what I've heard.

Brett

 

[scoolbubba]

Is it normal to get a new job with (if my rotor trash math is correct) five months left in a command? Seems to me that such a period of time gives you just enough time to learn a job before you high-five your replacement. It certainly doesn't sound like enough time to learn a job, have an appreciable impact (these are JO jobs, remember...most are well-established, standardized programs), and conduct a quality turnover. I'm not suggesting that you need to spend years in a particular billet, but five months (particularly when the right lateral limit is a set of PCS orders) seems like a rather short tenure.

Usually your last job is one you should be in longer than that...most of the guys were leaving with a year or more in the last job.

 

[KBayDog]

Usually your last job is one you should be in longer than that...most of the guys were leaving with a year or more in the last job.

That's what I figured - you want to go out with a "real" FitRep.

Besides, the last month is a wash (checking out/moving/etc.), so that really only leaves 4 months on the job...and that's assuming you're not ROAD.