Question about API and Primary

[Rex]

This is in response to the question "Does prior flight time help?" This is definitely one of my pet peaves. Of course it helps. Does running before OCS help? Not if your goal is to sit in GTX. The people who say it doesn't help tend to be the one's with a lot of hours. Sure, primary will be tough, the pattern's tighter, the planes faster, the instructor's are oh so nice and caring, but every hour you have is going to help. Most of the people I saw with high NSS's had prior flight time, in some cases a lot. Sure some guys with tons of hours suck, and some guys with no time shine. Eventually things even out, but I believe that happens after primary. But if your spending the money try and make it count. Don't worry so much about licenses after your private and possibly instrument. If you get these you'll be accelerated, which boosts your NSS. Push yourself by flying a tight pattern, use the approach turn rather than a box if you can, fly to different airports and get used to various radio calls, rent a faster plane, and practice tacan or vor/dme approaches because intstrument seems to be the major stumbling block for most students. An instructor told me they can teach anyone the monkey skills but intruments is where people fail. Bi's and Ri's are at the beginning of intermediate jets and I've seen them destroy more good guys than anything except possibley dui's. As long as you go in motivated and doen't expect your prior time to make it easy you should be fine. Oh, and don't train at an airforce base unless you like 12 hour days, doing stand ups, and walking the pattern in the ready room with the instructors making you put your cover on to pretend your gear is down.

 

[kmac]

Just to add-
I did fairly well in Primary, and I came in with a private license. If I could go back I would definitely have gotten my instrument rating. In my opinion the only "bad habit" that comes with prior time is attitude. Some guys think that their prior flight time makes them automatic bad asses. I've seen it on this forum even. Instructors can't stand that. I think the biggest compliment I received while in training was from my on-wing when he said that I was flying as well as a guy with 500 hours yet I didn't have the attitude to go with it. Too bad that's not true in other areas of my life.

That being said, the guys I do know with lots of time were quite willing to help out the guys without. And of course there are some who are great in the civilian world but can't cut it in the military. Don't ask me why. I'm sure everyone has a different reason. I wonder if there is anyone who just does not like military aviation compared to what they were used to.

Bottom line: It's been said too many times... get flight time before flight school.

 

[trmat79]

I would like to add that the attitude of most people about Vance and Moody is this....it sucks because you have to go to 12 hour days (kind of like work huh?) and the instructors harp on you to know your procedures and stuff like that (man that sucks since they will save your life one day) and lastly living in Oklahoma sucks (which really cramps your social time during the most important phase of training) I respect anyone who is currently at Vance and wants to complain but the people that keep the rumors going and really dont know what they are talking about are out of line. I can tell you that I am one day from hitting the flight line here at Vance and all the people that are just starting primary with the navy now I will finish long before they do. Second the T-37 is a high performace jet (maybe the Geo metro of high performance jets but still a jet) and looks like a blast to fly. All my buds that are in the training here say it is great if you have the right attitude. I would like to remind everyone that there are probably about 20 people that would kill to take anyone's pilot slot that doesn't want it and having the attitude that the military owes you something is not the way to go through flight training. This is just my two cents but my advice is if you do come to Vance dont think the game is over. Most of those that graduate here really excel in their career.

 

[Lewisinhk]

does the Navy decide where you will attend primary and API? i was thinking about looking for a place in pensacola before ocs and planning on staying in pensacola until i finish with primary? is this a reasonable plan or should I wait until i finish ocs and know where i will be for primary to find a place?

 

[airwinger]

Now as far as the Vance vs Whiting thing goes, I really don't think anyone would refuse to be sent to any base, on the other hand if you have a choice, make your decision with your eyes wide open. Two of the top guys in my TBS platoon picked the Vance spots to the eternal joy of the rest of us. They were both officers I deeply respect and one of them told me that he doubts he has the discipline to study on his own so 12 hr formal release will help. I was really happy with Whiting because I think I study best on my own terms. Before anyone jumps in with "This is the military, your terms don't count" I would point out that I've been a Marine for 5 years and have done pretty well at in the service schools I've been to(including API which is pretty much a 10-12 hr day before you start studying) but I've found that 7-midnight is the best time for me to retain material. So in my case it was "an intersection of need and opportunity". If I'd been told to go to Vance, I'd have said,"Aye Sir" and would now be saying it was the cat's meouw(sp?)

Question. Our FRR instructor said that OpNavInst 3710 spells out what you can't do hence if they don't say you can't do it you can, while the Airforce spells out what you can do and everything else is verbotten. Any comments.
semper fi,
air winger

 

[Dave Shutter]

Lewis...API is always 6 weeks in P-cola and then 1 of 4 places for Primary. You can request where you want Primary and usually they'll give it to you but you never know. "Street to fleet" is the priority now and it sometimes dictates that stud's go to places other than their request. If TRAWING x has a huge pool time and TRAWING y doesn't, that's where people will go. I've known guys who were told from day one they were going to x and then told on grad day they were going to y. Not often, but it's possible.

Question for Moody SNA's...when they first started sending guys the requisite was at least 25 hours of flight time (earlier last year) now everyone gets IFS, how do they decide who gets Moody now???

 

[jwilliamsee]

I have a question about NSS scores. If 10% is off fitness then what part of training does that come from...OCS, API, Primary? How do they score it? by number of reps and low run time. thanks

 

[jthomps1]

In response to some prior posts regarding flight experience prior to API/Primary...

I am currently in "waiting" status with an OCS date of Oct 4, 2003. I have an SNA slot, and a lot of time on my hands, but money is always a concern...especially when talking about multiple thousands of dollars for a private license (when I've heard some people suggest 'against' it).

I have heard strong viewpoints from both sides (prior time a huge plus vs. not too beneficial) and my main question is: now that IFS is mandatory after OCS and prior to API, is that 25 hours of flight time going to be enoungh to keep me 'on top of the game'? Or would it still be worthwhile for me to get flight time now (even though the Navy will be paying for (the same)training at IFS.

Any comments would be a great help. Thanks for taking the time! -JT