Flight School backed up

[Gatordev]

Not in the military yet so please excuse me if I interpret this wrong but does this mean you’re getting sent back home for a year as a paid ensign to wait for flight school and not have any military responsibilities instead of having to check into Pensacola and having to wait?

We're all kind of waiting to hear the answer to this one.

In the past, this usually meant you got sent back to or stayed at your commissioning source (ROTC or USNA) and were stashed there. It could also mean you get sent to a squadron or Wing to be what is essentially a paid internship (with both the good and the bad that come with that).

And in the early-mid 90's, it meant just getting rolled to USNR-R and not getting paid at all, like exRecruiter said.

ucks to hear they've put out so many landmines out there for dudes to trip on. I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed my time in Pensacola as much if I had to mind my khakis beyond "these look right" and my flight suit beyond "doesn't smell bad."

While overly annoying, these silly landmines are still better than the poor bastards in 2006 that had their minimum test scores changed on them. I got a 88 on my Nav test when I was in API, so if I had been part of that group I would have been gone...despite doing very well the rest of my time in flight school. Sometimes it's good to be lucky.

 

[squorch2]

I think it was the same year that some of the ROTC grads were sent IRR until they could actually send them to school for their job. I just remember talking to a guy that graduated in June and was told he would be put on AD in January, so until then he was working at some restaurant cleaning tables and such. He had a good attitude about the whole thing saying that other guys had it worse.

Army does this to its ROTC grads still - no pay until you report to your first duty station

 

[FlightEngineerBobby]

The one I know of was circa 1970, though I think about 2006-ish they were cutting some folks loose if they wanted to before they even started flight school. It was around the time they sent ~60 or so folks straight to VR's as well.

I’ll ask the question; what is “pink slipping”

 

[HuggyU2]

Failing a training/syllabus flight.

Not sure on Navy background, but "back in the day" in the AF, when you failed a ride, your gradebook had a write up put in it about the failure. That sheet had a salmon color, and it became known as "getting pinked". I'm guessing it's similar. AF lingo doesn't use "pink" anymore. It's "hooked" or "busted" a ride.

"Hook" because your grade is a "U" for Unsat, and a U is the shape of a hook.

A "U" is also the shape of a taco shell... and you'll also hear of "getting taco'd".

 

[FlightEngineerBobby]

I see folks In here complain from time to time about the backup in Pensacola affecting their careers. Anyone care to explain this?

 

[Odominable]

I see folks In here complain from time to time about the backup in Pensacola affecting their careers. Anyone care to explain this?

If you’re there for a very long time, your time in service accrual will result in you hitting the fleet (and hence finally earning FITREPs and quals) as a near mid-grade O-3, so you have less time to earn critical quals and billets prior to boarding for O-4. At least in the Marines, this really isn’t as *huge* of a deal as Maj selection is borderline automatic for aviators provided you don’t have negative paperwork and have completed PME.

 

[jointhelocalizer]

I’m in primary now and while 3 might not be a written rule, they do footstomp it. Don’t know if it’s TW specific.

When I was in Primary (TW-5), 3 was just treated as the number that could give you an IPC. Anecdotally, I heard NASC pink sheets were more or less overlooked. IPCs were also a bit fluid. I heard from my STUCON that IPC records are removed from your ATJ when you go to advanced. COPCs stay though. Plus, as the Navy needs aircrew of both flavors at the current moment, the farther you go in the pipeline, the more inclined CNATRA is to keep you around (if you are doing your part on the knowledge/attitude). That said, it might not necessarily be in the same pipeline or program.

 

[hdr777]

I’ll ask the question; what is “pink slipping”

If you fail a flight or event, or I guess your khakis aren't perfect in a-pool, it gets printed on a pink sheet of paper = pink sheet

 

[KODAK]

Before anyone gets too bent out of shape here, perhaps a little context from “behind the curtain” is helpful. Ensigns in the pool currently muster electronically (ie online) daily, vice in person like many of us used to. As such, leadership wanted to ensure that some important information was passed face to face recently: thus, the meeting. Also, while “little” things like wearing the uniform seem inconsequential, doing it right should be a no-brainer and the easiest hurdle to climb in your career so far. An incredibly small amount of folks were affected negatively by this, so it’s not like anyone is thinning the herd over the quality of your shoe shine.. The team at schools command has an awful lot going on, so the best way for folks in the pool to succeed is to always be early, do what you are told, and fade into the shadows like everyone else - no one should really ever ‘know’ your name at NASC..

TLDR: Basically much ado about nothing - just keep your nose clean and enjoy the wait before classing up. Those of us in the VTs are working hard to get the students ahead of you trained so you can come and fly with us next!

 

[WannaFlyHigh]

And in the early-mid 90's, it meant just getting rolled to USNR-R and not getting paid at all, like exRecruiter said.

This would probably be the worst solution if they revert to this option in my opinion.

 

[navyterp67]

This would probably be the worst solution if they revert to this option in my opinion.

A few posts have discussed previous backups and how they were dealt with… my YG was the ROTC to IRR class.

Commissioned May 2011 and didn’t start AD until October 2011 when I reported to Pensacola. (Couple this with transitions to different TMS, getting pulled up YGs, etc and it can start to mess with your timing, but that’s a completely different discussion). I took that as an opportunity to enjoy one last summer break. My dad was a Naval Aviator for 22 years and gave me this advice: “enjoy the time off while you can because the Navy will get their pound of flesh.” IFS and API lasted for about 5 months, and I was off to Corpus Christi by March 2012. Fairly standard timing after that and reported to my first VFA squadron with about 2 months until I put on LT. Totally understand this is not the same as what Ensigns are dealing with now, but I get it. You want to train.

As a guy who did two JO deployments with workups, an extended tour in Fallon, and about to immediately start workups with my next squadron, I’m currently taking a couple weeks of leave enroute. I wouldn’t change a damn thing and I would do it all over again, but I finally realize the importance of real time off / leave.

For those O-1s who are waiting for a long time, I’ll offer the same advice as my dad. Enjoy this time now, because the Navy will get theirs from you. Work out every day, take weekend trips, study ahead, enjoy the fishing and Florabama people-watching in Pensacola… whatever you want to do. Use the opportunity to your advantage. I understand your frustration; but I promise you, the Navy/USMC needs aircrew, and you will get there.

 

[Gatordev]

A few posts have discussed previous backups and how they were dealt with… my YG was the ROTC to IRR class.

Commissioned May 2011 and didn’t start AD until October 2011 when I reported to Pensacola.

I didn't realize it happened that recently. At least it wasn't for a year, like some people in the past.

I met one Ensign (in the '90's) that was a GURL, back when that was a thing and she was sent to the IRR. I mean how over-manned are you that you can't find a place for a GURL? I know, it probably actually made it worse for her since she wasn't in a needed designator, but I always thought it was amusing that a low demand designator had even less demand in hard times. I guess less amusing for her, of course.

 

[Odominable]

For what it’s worth, the no-pay non-AD status has been a thing for a really long time for new 2ndLts waiting on a TBS class date, which frequently runs into similar backups as flight school does. I basically had the same timeline Navyterp did and enjoyed one last civilian summer. Annoying at the time but not too bad in retrospect.

I believe they can periodically hand out AD PTAD billets to dudes in similar spots, but it’s all a question of spots and money.

 

[flgator92]

The one I know of was circa 1970, though I think about 2006-ish they were cutting some folks loose if they wanted to before they even started flight school. It was around the time they sent ~60 or so folks straight to VR's as well.

I heard about the mid-2000s push to offer ENSs checking into schools command for preflight a get out of the Navy free card if they wanted it. I suppose it worked out great if you were a USNA/ROTC grad and, upon reflection, wasn't really committed to the Navy all that much and the Navy waived your service commitment and let you out. (That was probably a good thing for the Navy, as well.)

My guess is that they'll also be much more selective in preflight (API/NIFE) and *really* use NASC as an attrition gate until they get the numbers down. It's a buyers market, and I'd imagine they'll treat it as such for the foreseeable future - to the new ENS who wants to fly: don't mess up.

 

[sevenhelmet]

The hell of it is, Naval Aviation needs the people. It's just difficult to force more through the bottleneck of the VT/HTs without significantly more funding. So, front-side attrition is usually the "solution" to people stacking up beyond a certain point.