First flight of the P-8A Poseidon and all things related to transition

[MasterBates]

Flash, how much of that was due to available spares when a bird was found to be down (something found during DTA, etc) compared to speed of maintenance.

57s broke a lot (they flew alot to be honest), but we almost always had spares.

 

[aircav06]

Its probably the last manned aircraft the Navy will buy for this mission. Anyone heard of BAMS?

 

[Flash]

I don't see the relevance regarding war zones. There's tons of contractors in war zones right now.

There are contracotrs there, but there are a lot of issues dealing with them that people on this board genearlly don't see. I am not just talking about the possibility that they could walk off the job in the middle fo a deployment, and they can do that as civilians, but there are programmatic issues as well.

What happens when the contract is up for competition and the company doing it now loses the contract while VP-12 is on deployment? What does the new contractor do, hire the guys already there or bring in new guys? We have all seen how well a contractor does with a large program like NMCI...... Another great example was the fuel pits at Whidbey Island, they sucked. when they awarded the new contract to try and fix things the new contractor just hired all of the old employees and nothing got better. I hope they eventually got fixed.

And there are some intangibles, like what happens when a maintainer working on your plane is making 3 times as much as the pilot, and he is an O-4?! Y es, contractors make that much in a war zone sometimes.......tax free, unlike government civilians.........

Get back to me when the on-duty avionics technician doesn't show up when you are trying to take off on a combat support mission out of Bagram or Balad.........

 

[Flash]

Flash, how much of that was due to available spares when a bird was found to be down (something found during DTA, etc) compared to speed of maintenance.

57s broke a lot (they flew alot to be honest), but we almost always had spares.

We did not have that many T-39's or T-2's, and I never CANX'd for a T-2 and only two or three times with a T-39.

I will grant you that the white and orange planes are a lot simpler than your fleet planes but there were not that many maintainers at P'cola, jsut a handful compared to a fleet squadron.

 

[Flash]

Its probably the last manned aircraft the Navy will buy for this mission. Anyone heard of BAMS?

Mariner

Global Hawk

 

[Lawman]

Mariner

Global Hawk

Your gonna stick the Sonar Bouys and MAD Boom where?

 

[scoober78]

I never had a problem at VT-4, 10 and 86 with contractor maintenance. I had very few flights canceled for maintenance when I was in Pensacola, I could count them on one hand. That is saying something compared to my time in EP-3's and EA-6B's........

Gatordev....I'd be the first to admit that I don't know about what I'm getting ready for as far as maintenance...

But...I've had probably 10 ACNA's in my time at -28...Perhaps I'm just unlucky...I don't know.

 

[East]

Get back to me when the on-duty avionics technician doesn't show up when you are trying to take off on a combat support mission out of Bagram or Balad.........

Here in the Netherlands the Air Force 'militarize' civil maint contractors for a period of time. They are in the enlisted ranks, but when return home they will get 20%-40% bonusses (per deployed month ) beside their civilian paycheck. Indeed 3 times what the average Apache bubba makes...

 

[OldNavy]

Getting a type rating may be required at some airlines. The only one I can think of that is worth investing in a career is Southwest. But a type rating is a type rating. The A-10 pilot has just as much a chance of getting hired with his B737 type rating as the P-8 guy will with his B737 type rating. In fact, at Southwest, they were well known for many years as just loving F-16 guys. Sure they had a type rating, but had never flown the aircraft. Most all those guys got their ratings in a level D sim so they did not have to fly the plane for the rating. To go back to the cost saving statement, even with a type rating, you go through all the same company training.

That would explain why the last time I flew Southwest, we were carrying a 60degree AOB turning final...

 

[Pitchlock]

Sad day. I will miss the mighty Hunter-Killer. The P-3 is a great airframe.

I don't understand, other than money, how the mission will be improved by a 737. Maybe some of you with 737 time would help me..

P-3 - Better low altitude performance.
737 - Better high altitude performance.

Basically you can get on-station quicker, but will be less effective while there.

ASW has been a low altitude game, so I don't understand the pick.

edit: I guess the Navy/Lockheed screwed the pooch on a more logical updtate:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/p-7.htm

 

[Flash]

Your gonna stick the Sonar Bouys and MAD Boom where?

Not intended to be primarily ASW aircraft, BAMS will do the SSC mission freeing up the P-8's do the real work. A UAV for SSC is a very good idea as far I am concerned.

 

[MasterBates]

Yeah, until it flies into a manned oil rig helo that is not talking to anyone..

"Iranian Oil Platform workers shot down by american cruise missile"

I can see the Al-Jazeera headlines now...

 

[Pitchlock]

Not intended to be primarily ASW aircraft, BAMS will do the SSC mission freeing up the P-8's do the real work. A UAV for SSC is a very good idea as far I am concerned.

Ok, whats BAMS and SCC?

How is ASW not the real mission/work?

Its sounding like they are creating a mission for a platform rather than a platform for a mission.

 

[virtu050]

BAMS will support the P-8 for ISR and SSC. Supposedly the P-8 will come with new toys that allow it to do ASW at higher altitudes.

 

[Pitchlock]

BAMS will support the P-8 for ISR and SSC. Supposedly the P-8 will come with new toys that allow it to do ASW at higher altitudes.

Laser guided sonar bouys?? COOL :icon_wink