I am currently an Officer Candidate going through the Seaman to Admiral program. I am planning on going to flight school sometime later next year but don't know what to tell my wife about flight school. I know it is demanding, but is it so demanding that you should not bring family? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Families at flight school
- Thread starter kaiangel
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Not that my opinion matters, but I will be in the same boat as you once I finish OCS. My recruiter has told me that once flight starts, it's like a 9-5 job, except a lot more stressful. He has told me that her and I will be able to live together, but I will have to dedicate myself to training because it will be very intense. I hope this helps a little bit.
Patrick,
First off, congrats on the STA program, enjoy your time going to school, and all the free time you have to spend with your family. I would go back to the easy days of ECP in a heart beat! LOL jk, it is NOT that bad on my first tour!
Anyways, I think that bringing a family with you to flight school is a must. You are never going to be too busy not to be able to spend time with your family. And their absence is just going to add stress to your otherwise overloaded plate. Plus, if anything, spending time with my family and kids during flight school was a definite stress reliever!
As for 9-5 job, well.... That is true, and not so true. During API, you will have the 9-5 aspects, and on many days you will get off early right after lunch, just depends on the schedule, and what is going on. A vast majority of API is just spent in the classroom going over the basic courses (Aero, Metro, Engines, Nav, etc...). Same is true during the beginning of Primary, when you are in Ground School going over the T34 systems. After that, you check into your Squadron, and the training begins. If I wasn't flying or briefing, I was at home. The time is yours to spend as you see fit. Going down to the beach, golfing, whatever. BUT, the Navy gives you enough rope with which to hang yourself, so, if you aren't studying, it will become painfully evident very soon.
We have touched on studying during previous posts, but the main thing is to set up some sort of program that works best for you. I personally studied by myself to get the material down, then studied with other SNAs to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I kept studying to only Sunday through Thursday, and reserved the weekend for the family. Whatever works for you. Plus, your wife can be an excellent study partner. I still give my wife limits and eps to quiz me on. She just randomly picks them, and I read them back from memory. Funny, we all joke that our wives/girlfriends know the systems almost as much as we do! lol
Oh well, my two cents, but I think you definitely need your family there.
First off, congrats on the STA program, enjoy your time going to school, and all the free time you have to spend with your family. I would go back to the easy days of ECP in a heart beat! LOL jk, it is NOT that bad on my first tour!
Anyways, I think that bringing a family with you to flight school is a must. You are never going to be too busy not to be able to spend time with your family. And their absence is just going to add stress to your otherwise overloaded plate. Plus, if anything, spending time with my family and kids during flight school was a definite stress reliever!
As for 9-5 job, well.... That is true, and not so true. During API, you will have the 9-5 aspects, and on many days you will get off early right after lunch, just depends on the schedule, and what is going on. A vast majority of API is just spent in the classroom going over the basic courses (Aero, Metro, Engines, Nav, etc...). Same is true during the beginning of Primary, when you are in Ground School going over the T34 systems. After that, you check into your Squadron, and the training begins. If I wasn't flying or briefing, I was at home. The time is yours to spend as you see fit. Going down to the beach, golfing, whatever. BUT, the Navy gives you enough rope with which to hang yourself, so, if you aren't studying, it will become painfully evident very soon.
We have touched on studying during previous posts, but the main thing is to set up some sort of program that works best for you. I personally studied by myself to get the material down, then studied with other SNAs to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I kept studying to only Sunday through Thursday, and reserved the weekend for the family. Whatever works for you. Plus, your wife can be an excellent study partner. I still give my wife limits and eps to quiz me on. She just randomly picks them, and I read them back from memory. Funny, we all joke that our wives/girlfriends know the systems almost as much as we do! lol
Oh well, my two cents, but I think you definitely need your family there.
John,
Thank you very much for your response, my wife will definitely be glad to here that. The frustrating thing about flight school is that the information is so hard to find. For example, which schools are PCS moves? If primary is only 22 weeks then it shouldn't be PCS should it? So far your website has been the only usefull reference I could find. Anyway, thanks again for the info.
Patrick
Thank you very much for your response, my wife will definitely be glad to here that. The frustrating thing about flight school is that the information is so hard to find. For example, which schools are PCS moves? If primary is only 22 weeks then it shouldn't be PCS should it? So far your website has been the only usefull reference I could find. Anyway, thanks again for the info.
Patrick
Primary is definitely a PCS move, don't let them tell you otherwise!
Each move in training you will be able to cart your stuff and family from place to place. I imagine that you are already quite familiar with the military system for moving, so won't go into that.
For myself, left college after commissioning, moved the family to Pensacola, spent 9 months or so there for API and Primary. Packed everything again, and went to Corpus for Advanced, spent 7 months or so there. Then packed AGAIN, and spent 7 or so months in Jacksonville for the FRS. And then packed a final time to report to Hawaii for my first squadron!! WHEW!! The life of a gypsy... it is hard on the family, but is definitely worth it. Especially rough on the wife trying to have a career, but the first tour should be 3 years and should help out.
Other than my initial orders upon commissioning and my orders to Hawaii, they were just letters with funding information telling me where I had to report to next for training.
Hope that information helps. Good to hear that you are getting some information off of the site, just repay the favor down the line and help out the next guy is all that I ask.
Guys in the pipeline might have some extra info on what is currently going on at API, since it is only 6 weeks, you might just do that school TAD, who knows, depends on if you stay there or go to Corpus following it. Any input guys?
Each move in training you will be able to cart your stuff and family from place to place. I imagine that you are already quite familiar with the military system for moving, so won't go into that.
For myself, left college after commissioning, moved the family to Pensacola, spent 9 months or so there for API and Primary. Packed everything again, and went to Corpus for Advanced, spent 7 months or so there. Then packed AGAIN, and spent 7 or so months in Jacksonville for the FRS. And then packed a final time to report to Hawaii for my first squadron!! WHEW!! The life of a gypsy... it is hard on the family, but is definitely worth it. Especially rough on the wife trying to have a career, but the first tour should be 3 years and should help out.
Other than my initial orders upon commissioning and my orders to Hawaii, they were just letters with funding information telling me where I had to report to next for training.
Hope that information helps. Good to hear that you are getting some information off of the site, just repay the favor down the line and help out the next guy is all that I ask.
Guys in the pipeline might have some extra info on what is currently going on at API, since it is only 6 weeks, you might just do that school TAD, who knows, depends on if you stay there or go to Corpus following it. Any input guys?
I was active duty enlisted and received orders to OCS. I graduated OCS, then they cut orders for API. At API, I was able to choose Corpus for Primary training (thanks LT Ulmer!). Why Corpus? Becuz the time I spent at API was counted as TAD (ie per diem) the whole time I was there. If I had chosen Whiting, I fell within the 50 mile rule of being near your next PCS duty station and would have been ineligible for per diem.
If your duty station for Primary isn't a major concern, go to Corpus. I pocketed a couple of dollars being at API for 2 1/2 months .
If your thinking about going Air Force training at Vance or Moody, my two cents would be stay Navy and enjoy it! I am currently here at Vance for advanced training in the T-1A. I'm not looking forward to the 12 hour days.
Oh yeah, just had my first experience doing page counts of all my pubs today.
Oh what fun it was .
If your duty station for Primary isn't a major concern, go to Corpus. I pocketed a couple of dollars being at API for 2 1/2 months .
If your thinking about going Air Force training at Vance or Moody, my two cents would be stay Navy and enjoy it! I am currently here at Vance for advanced training in the T-1A. I'm not looking forward to the 12 hour days.
Oh yeah, just had my first experience doing page counts of all my pubs today.
Oh what fun it was .
Vic,
If your talking about the time I was TAD to API, I brought my wife with me becuz I knew I wasnt going back to Virginia. We both loved being at P-cola.
Just to clarify, my situation was considered as TAD becuz I was active duty prior enlisted. Kaiangel could be in the same position. The majority of students are not considered as TAD and are not paid as such.
If your talking about the time I was TAD to API, I brought my wife with me becuz I knew I wasnt going back to Virginia. We both loved being at P-cola.
Just to clarify, my situation was considered as TAD becuz I was active duty prior enlisted. Kaiangel could be in the same position. The majority of students are not considered as TAD and are not paid as such.
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