Life in the FRS
Still an academic environment although the word "students" is passe; you're a replacement or "cone" (for conehead) or "stud". You get classroom lectures, some ICW (in most FRS settings), sim time and flight time and a deluxe bonus trip to SERE trng. You are now in zone to get a callsign for something colorful or obivious or whatever. A rite of passage, The hitboard will be alive and well and "studs" are prime targets for instructors who will help you give you a sense of what your future squadrons will be like. You will still be graded on every flight and sim as in flight school and take exams. You can also not make it through the FRS, but nobody is there trying to wash anyone out (scaring folks, losing an aircraft and/or inability to land aboard boat, etc. can lead to a FNAEB). All the while, squadrons are watching the FRS/RAG to see who's in the pipe and negotiating to get the best of the litter. You'll have a sense of what all the potential squadrons are like (especially if your community has a decent O Club and you interact with other squadrons there) and virtually no say in where you go. Deployed squadrons get priority. You finish up and get "patched" to a squadron with about 80% of training you need to be proficient. Chances are you'll like wherever you end up and always remember that first squadron as special. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
HH-60H said:
Still an academic environment although the word "students" is passe; you're a replacement or "cone" (for conehead) or "stud". You get classroom lectures, some ICW (in most FRS settings), sim time and flight time and a deluxe bonus trip to SERE trng. You are now in zone to get a callsign for something colorful or obivious or whatever. A rite of passage, The hitboard will be alive and well and "studs" are prime targets for instructors who will help you give you a sense of what your future squadrons will be like. You will still be graded on every flight and sim as in flight school and take exams. You can also not make it through the FRS, but nobody is there trying to wash anyone out (scaring folks, losing an aircraft and/or inability to land aboard boat, etc. can lead to a FNAEB). All the while, squadrons are watching the FRS/RAG to see who's in the pipe and negotiating to get the best of the litter. You'll have a sense of what all the potential squadrons are like (especially if your community has a decent O Club and you interact with other squadrons there) and virtually no say in where you go. Deployed squadrons get priority. You finish up and get "patched" to a squadron with about 80% of training you need to be proficient. Chances are you'll like wherever you end up and always remember that first squadron as special. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
