Sounds like you've been filled with the propaganda so not to select P-3's.S.O.B. said:
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P-3 Life
- Thread starter mal357
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I'm a vindictive a-hole. That 3P would have been given 12 hours to the minute before the start time of the 24-hour duty I would have assigned him. And of course, it would not allow any visits or distractions by civilians. :icon_ragewebmaster said:
With me, a simple heads up enroute and I would have bent over backwards to keep him a close to 100% free as possible.
During my last deployment, our squadron was given a choice of four days of liberty or six days of leave during the deployment. It was scheduled well in advance to allow for people to fly their spouses out. Though there were a few tight connections, EVERY person who wanted to take leave or liberty was able to at the time they'd been told they would have it. We were deployed to 7th fleet so this was possible. If you went to 5th fleet there is no way this would happen.
The future of VP is very good. MMA is going to be a phenomenal plane. We had some lean years, and I think they will be lean for a year or two more. However, there are things in the pipeline that will enhance our abilities considerably. The amount of change I've seen since joining my squadron 20 months ago is simply amazing.
Certainly there are things that suck about P-3s. We LOVE reinventing the wheel. We work long hours (but who doesn’t?), we have a ready to stand ON HOME CYCLE! We fly lots of weekends and there are numerous other things. Upgrading in P-3's also blows. I HATED upgrading. Once you make PPC though, this job is a LOT more fun. I love going out to fly now. The P-3C with AIP is the most expensive plane the Navy has, $86 million each. With a full tactical crew you've got 10+ lives that are your direct responsibility. As a LT you could be in charge of 10 aircrew and 10 maintainers on det in BFE nowhere and effectively give you as much independent authority as the skipper of a DDG.
Jets are cool. They go fast, blow sh!t up, are sexy and movies are made about them.
P-3s are slow, don't often get to blow sh!t up, are decidedly un-sexy, and no movies have been made about them. But we do perform extremely important missions. You could be in direct communication with VPOTUS (or maybe even POTUS) and he could be asking you for your interpretation of what you're seeing on station and basing a national level decision on what you say. This kind of thing has happened and will again.
The flexibility of our platform is the reason that the MMA is being so aggressively funded. The Navy and Marine Corps have recognized the utility of VP and aren't about to let it slide off the map.
I'm in the community right now, I'm a PPC soon to be MC and pretty senior in my command, i see what's happening and the future is bright. If you asked me two years ago if I'd stay VP I would have told you, "Hell no!". Now I'm seriously considering staying for 20 - if there was only a way to stay as a LT for the whole time...
The future of VP is very good. MMA is going to be a phenomenal plane. We had some lean years, and I think they will be lean for a year or two more. However, there are things in the pipeline that will enhance our abilities considerably. The amount of change I've seen since joining my squadron 20 months ago is simply amazing.
Certainly there are things that suck about P-3s. We LOVE reinventing the wheel. We work long hours (but who doesn’t?), we have a ready to stand ON HOME CYCLE! We fly lots of weekends and there are numerous other things. Upgrading in P-3's also blows. I HATED upgrading. Once you make PPC though, this job is a LOT more fun. I love going out to fly now. The P-3C with AIP is the most expensive plane the Navy has, $86 million each. With a full tactical crew you've got 10+ lives that are your direct responsibility. As a LT you could be in charge of 10 aircrew and 10 maintainers on det in BFE nowhere and effectively give you as much independent authority as the skipper of a DDG.
Jets are cool. They go fast, blow sh!t up, are sexy and movies are made about them.
P-3s are slow, don't often get to blow sh!t up, are decidedly un-sexy, and no movies have been made about them. But we do perform extremely important missions. You could be in direct communication with VPOTUS (or maybe even POTUS) and he could be asking you for your interpretation of what you're seeing on station and basing a national level decision on what you say. This kind of thing has happened and will again.
The flexibility of our platform is the reason that the MMA is being so aggressively funded. The Navy and Marine Corps have recognized the utility of VP and aren't about to let it slide off the map.
I'm in the community right now, I'm a PPC soon to be MC and pretty senior in my command, i see what's happening and the future is bright. If you asked me two years ago if I'd stay VP I would have told you, "Hell no!". Now I'm seriously considering staying for 20 - if there was only a way to stay as a LT for the whole time...
Prop, good post, and sounds like you are having a great tour, and enjoying the VP community. I wouldn't trade my first tour for anything, and had a blast. It was just unfortunate for myself, and many others in our YG, that we got hit with the time period, when the VP community at large, had to make the difficult call to save the community, and put birds back through the rewinging program or out to pasture. I have watched it "from above" the squadron level, as VP squadrons continue to shine, get the job done even with the pressures of not enough planes, or the planes and parts going to 5th FLT, and strapping the home cycle and other deployed units.
As you said, the future is much brighter. The FRS (while not the same aircraft ramp #s that they used to have) is much healthier, and with the AIP aircraft available to train on. The birds that went in for rewinging 2 years ago are now back in the Fleet, and we have of course transitioned away from HONA to hopefully a better program that leaves the squadron's with more flexibility for flight hours.
But, the demand for services in the FDNF, whether it is VP/DDG/SSN etc, is at an all time high, and you continually see the VP and other communities thinking smarter, and planning more robust operations and training that achieves multiple objectives at once.
The VP community is leaner, and in a better position today, and is working hard to prepare for MMA. I would suspect that there will just be two home bases in the future for our community, of course JAX on the east, and a fight between Whidbey and HI to see who gets to stay. Or possibly a third location. Of course none of that (besides the Brunswick closure) is going to happen anytime soon (within the next 7 years). But don't be surprised to see it happen.
As you said, the future is much brighter. The FRS (while not the same aircraft ramp #s that they used to have) is much healthier, and with the AIP aircraft available to train on. The birds that went in for rewinging 2 years ago are now back in the Fleet, and we have of course transitioned away from HONA to hopefully a better program that leaves the squadron's with more flexibility for flight hours.
But, the demand for services in the FDNF, whether it is VP/DDG/SSN etc, is at an all time high, and you continually see the VP and other communities thinking smarter, and planning more robust operations and training that achieves multiple objectives at once.
The VP community is leaner, and in a better position today, and is working hard to prepare for MMA. I would suspect that there will just be two home bases in the future for our community, of course JAX on the east, and a fight between Whidbey and HI to see who gets to stay. Or possibly a third location. Of course none of that (besides the Brunswick closure) is going to happen anytime soon (within the next 7 years). But don't be surprised to see it happen.
best rumor...
The best rumor I've heard lately is the consideration of establishing the MMA rag at Pt Mugu...
but I believe that there are still some tough times ahead for us VP-er's.
It seems every time they open up some wing root panels at NADEP they find some unexpected fatigue horror story earning an often-time one way trip to AMARC.
The best rumor I've heard lately is the consideration of establishing the MMA rag at Pt Mugu...
but I believe that there are still some tough times ahead for us VP-er's.
It seems every time they open up some wing root panels at NADEP they find some unexpected fatigue horror story earning an often-time one way trip to AMARC.
Yea, that would explain the wings under your name. Disregard my post.S.O.B. said:
Are you saying that it's easier for guys on the boat to meet up with their wives while on deployment than it is for the P3 guys, or are you just saying that P3s are now in the same situation as everyone else?
I'd say don't go P-3s and count on being able to meet up with the wife. For all you know, you could end up doing 2 desert deployments (you may be tasked to 7th Fleet and end up detted to 5th). You also may end up in 7th and have a Skipper who says "no way, no how". It's 6 fvcking months. Suck it up. I'v seen guys stuck on Diego for the majority of a deployment. I've also seen guys change location every few weeks. It's a crapshoot.
Again, shoot for the airframe you want to fly, not the supposed lifestyle you've heard rumors about. When you hit reality and find out the "perks" aren't what you heard about AND it isn't what you really wanted to fly, you've thrown away a great opportunity.
Again, shoot for the airframe you want to fly, not the supposed lifestyle you've heard rumors about. When you hit reality and find out the "perks" aren't what you heard about AND it isn't what you really wanted to fly, you've thrown away a great opportunity.
*Sigh* ... the good 'ol days ... 
... I'm not a P-3 driver and perhaps should keep my mouth shut, but in the interest of WESTPAC NAVAIR history ... and if anyone cares:
"We" --as jet jocks -- never had the "problematical luxury" of wives/girlfriends accompanying us around the world on cruise while we were on USS BOAT --- that was a VP/VQ problem. A shore-based problem ....
However, while off the line and in port -- on cruise -- many of "our" guys had the wives/girlfriends "move" over to CUBI and set up shop in a collective-style, white-walled hacienda in Subic (collectives? remember, we were the children of the '60's :moptop_12 ) complete with maids, cooks, and guards. Safe and secure when the guys were at sea. A great diversion while in port and it never presented a problem, except for the squadron guys who didn't have "their" women over "there" and wanted to go chase you-know-what out into the 'Po ...
The P-3 guys were certainly no slouches --- in fact, they fine-tuned the "accompanied" tour in Subic to new heights. We learned from THEM !!! I will have to admit --- in the 60's/70's time frame --- the VP guys -- overall -- had the best looking wives. We always suspected that they just paid beautiful women to play the part of their wives --- so as to rub our faces in it. But no joke ... lots of good lookin' P-3 wives :icon_woma --- and it reconfirmed the wisdom of my original intent to go P-3's.
BUT then ... just when you thought it was safe to go out to the BOQ swimming pool ...
When the P-3 drivers staged to Diego Garcia (then -- just a 5000' runway and a long, long distance away from CUBI) and other windswept points of the compass --- their women had to do SOMETHING with all their free time--- so they started showing up at Air Wing functions as invited guests. And they also made "unaccompanied" appearances at the clubs, bars, pools, beaches, etc., etc. ... always on base, of course.
The true test of our appreciation of P-3 wives quality, however, was most dramatically manifest when the ship would pull into ... say, Hong Kong ... and those same crafty, crazy, beautiful P-3 trophy wives started showing up in ... say, Hong Kong.
That kind of confirmed --- in some minds --- the wisdom of going jets ....
... I'm not a P-3 driver and perhaps should keep my mouth shut, but in the interest of WESTPAC NAVAIR history ... and if anyone cares: "We" --as jet jocks -- never had the "problematical luxury" of wives/girlfriends accompanying us around the world on cruise while we were on USS BOAT --- that was a VP/VQ problem. A shore-based problem ....
However, while off the line and in port -- on cruise -- many of "our" guys had the wives/girlfriends "move" over to CUBI and set up shop in a collective-style, white-walled hacienda in Subic (collectives? remember, we were the children of the '60's :moptop_12 ) complete with maids, cooks, and guards. Safe and secure when the guys were at sea. A great diversion while in port and it never presented a problem, except for the squadron guys who didn't have "their" women over "there" and wanted to go chase you-know-what out into the 'Po ...
The P-3 guys were certainly no slouches --- in fact, they fine-tuned the "accompanied" tour in Subic to new heights. We learned from THEM !!! I will have to admit --- in the 60's/70's time frame --- the VP guys -- overall -- had the best looking wives. We always suspected that they just paid beautiful women to play the part of their wives --- so as to rub our faces in it. But no joke ... lots of good lookin' P-3 wives :icon_woma --- and it reconfirmed the wisdom of my original intent to go P-3's.
BUT then ... just when you thought it was safe to go out to the BOQ swimming pool ...
When the P-3 drivers staged to Diego Garcia (then -- just a 5000' runway and a long, long distance away from CUBI) and other windswept points of the compass --- their women had to do SOMETHING with all their free time--- so they started showing up at Air Wing functions as invited guests. And they also made "unaccompanied" appearances at the clubs, bars, pools, beaches, etc., etc. ... always on base, of course.
The true test of our appreciation of P-3 wives quality, however, was most dramatically manifest when the ship would pull into ... say, Hong Kong ... and those same crafty, crazy, beautiful P-3 trophy wives started showing up in ... say, Hong Kong.
That kind of confirmed --- in some minds --- the wisdom of going jets ....
S.O.B. said:
Just some general observations,
These days, it doesn't seem like P3 is the first choice selection for very many people (there are some, but it seems more common for P3s to wind either as the choice after Jets and e2/c2s or off the list in favor of helos).
Sometime near the end of last summer, there was a large push to send studs P3s and a lot of people were going, whether they wanted it or not... fears of getting drafted P3s were common among studs (but at least those who wanted it got it). That lasted until a month or two ago, now its looking like one or two per week, with most of the students going to helos. Seems like the people getting p3s now actually really wanted it, and there are plenty of guys who had it on their selection card (even guys who triple P3'd it on selection day) bound for whiting.
webmaster said:Um, look at his username.... TACAMO.Below on Situational Awareness shipmate! j/k
Okay, the P-3 is the most expensive COMBAT aircraft, i'd not consider a TACAMO nor an EP-3 to be combat aircraft. Though EP-3's have taken down more fighters than P-3's...unless you count those secret CIA P-3's from the sixties.
As for the SA.... there was a CRM breakdown on this end, my 3P was trying to kill us (again) and I had to save the plane (and the whole crew!). So yeah, it's the 3P's fault :icon_tong