Roger Ball, good and not-so-good questions about the world of "Paddles"

[HeyJoe]

I've seen that done before...sort of like a Mulligan for each line period for the pilots.

From a backseat perspective, I'd prefer my pliots not have the Mulligan option and endeavor to suck less...besides, we use to Greenie Board to know what we might be in for with a particular driver.

Sorry, couldn't find one populated with passes....A4s?

 

[phrogpilot73]

From a backseat perspective, I'd prefer my pliots not have the Mulligan option and endeavor to suck less...besides, we use to Greenie Board to know what we might be in for with a particular driver.

Sorry, couldn't find one populated with passes....A4s?

So, for a dumb helo guy from the green side... What do all the colors mean?!?

 

[HeyJoe]

So, for a dumb helo guy from the green side... What do all the colors mean?!?

Well, I found a better one. The Prowler Greenie Board was "naked" and those colors meant nothing. A "populated" Greenie Board has all the passes from a line period for all to see. A4s or Nose could likely comment whether that is a tool to encourage drivers to "suck less" as they could have easily been kept in a binder. There is no standard shape or design, but most Ready Rooms use "green" as an OK pass and other colors or combos to delineate everything else from a bolter to a no-grade or fair pass. Here's a populated Greenie Board I was able to find since posting the Prowler one.

As you might note, everyone has had their turn "in the barrel".

 

[Schnugg]

I've also seen a huge bolt hung over a chair for the last pilot who boltered in that particular RR.

 

[Single Seat]

All traditions still alive and well.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Well, I found a better one. The Prowler Greenie Board was "naked" and those colors meant nothing. A "populated" Greenie Board has all the passes from a line period for all to see. A4s or Nose could likely comment whether that is a tool to encourage drivers to "suck less" as they could have easily been kept in a binder. There is no standard shape or design, but most Ready Rooms use "green" as an OK pass and other colors or combos to delineate everything else from a bolter to a no-grade or fair pass. Here's a populated Greenie Board I was able to find since posting the Prowler one.

As you might note, everyone has had their turn "in the barrel".

So with this example, as a RIO or WSO crewing with someone, you'd probably prefer Grinder because all but three of his passes are OK?

 

[Single Seat]

Green = ok
Yellow = fair
Brown = no grade
White = bolter

The only thing an NFO needs to know is whose going to get aboard for midrats. Not how pretty it'll be. I've seen 4.0 ball flyers get a cut pass for power in the wires.

 

[HeyJoe]

Green = ok
Yellow = fair
Brown = no grade
White = bolter

The only thing an NFO needs to know is whose going to get aboard for midrats. Not how pretty it'll be. I've seen 4.0 ball flyers get a cut pass for power in the wires.

Right. Until you've had to fly with the guy (on his get well recovery plan) who sliced off six feet of wing drifting right on a bolter and ejected as a consequence, you need to stay in single seat world as far as your comments on what an NFO needs to know. The more experienced you get, the safer you are (hopefully and traditionally). The more experienced a backseater is, there comes a time when the drivers are proportionally less experienced so the greater chance of something going wrong. Both stand at the end of the green table if and when that happens so unless you have been there in either seat in a two seat carrier aircraft, you are out of your depth and do not know what you are talking about.

@ Phrog - Skipper, Stubby or Grinder ain't bad, but as noted above, the more experienced you are, the better the chances are you'd be with the driver with all the colors in the rainbow.

 

[Nose]

We used to have a "Lucky Mole" tracker.

We assigned the pilot's grade for a particular pass to all three moles in the back for that pass. After a while, it was amazing - some moles would get all OK's (just flying w/the right guy at the right time), and some, not so much.

 

[Nose]

A "populated" Greenie Board has all the passes from a line period for all to see. A4s or Nose could likely comment whether that is a tool to encourage drivers to "suck less" as they could have easily been kept in a binder.



As you might note, everyone has had their turn "in the barrel".

The greenie board is the way to tap into the type "A" pilot personality and keep the routine from becoming routine. No one wants to have a "shit streak" (several brown squares in a row) for all to see, so you try harder.

The LSO buck didn't say it was ok to suck, it recognized that everyone slips up every now and again. Many of our pilots used their LSO buck to buy a fair pass that they thought we had screwed them on!

I think the bolt over the RR chair thing is funny, but I always asked our pilots to keep it all in perspective. A bolter, by definition, is a safe pass where the jet forgot to stop. I didn't want guys doing stupid stuff to keep from boltering. (BTW, in CVW-1 we didn't play that BS "hook skip bolter" thing. That is caused by either poor pilot technique or poor maintenance.)

 

[Single Seat]

Joe,
My point was simply that past performance is no guarantee of the next pass. You can jump into a jet with a 3.8 ball flyer and he can hit the ramp just as fast as FNG #2. Though I'll admit confidence is probably a lot higher wtih option 1. You're only as good as your next pass... but you know that.

 

[HeyJoe]

Joe,
My point was simply that past performance is no guarantee of the next pass. You can jump into a jet with a 3.8 ball flyer and he can hit the ramp just as fast as FNG #2. Though I'll admit confidence is probably a lot higher wtih option 1. You're only as good as your next pass... but you know that.

Fair enough. I did fly with an awesome guy (Rigor) who is on the VF-41 Greenie Board. We had a night in the barrel first time out and he casually mentioned "Have you heard I was known on last cruise as the Bolter King?" We worked out a routine for me to give him a burble call so he could add some juice at appropriate time (many pilots asked for that call). He also tended to spot the deck and dropping the nose or trying to "set the hook" were more likely to buy you a bolter than not.

So in answer to Single Seat, I knew he'd get aboard once he settled down, but it usually took a pass or two for that to happen. I still want to fly with him though.

 

[Single Seat]

Fair enough. I did fly with an awesome guy (Rigor) who is on the VF-41 Greenie Board. We had a night in the barrel first time out and he casually mentioned "Have you heard I was known on last cruise as the Bolter King?" We worked out a routine for me to give him a burble call so he could add some juice at appropriate time (many pilots asked for that call). He also tended to spot the deck and dropping the nose or trying to "set the hook" were more likely to buy you a bolter than not.

So in answer to Single Seat, I knew he'd get aboard once he settled down, but it usually took a pass or two for that to happen. I still want to fly with him though.

Who needs an NFO to give him a burble call? I thought that's why paddles screamed "POWER!" at the inclose.

 

[Schnugg]

Green = ok
Yellow = fair
Brown = no grade
White = bolter

The only thing an NFO needs to know is whose going to get aboard for midrats. Not how pretty it'll be. I've seen 4.0 ball flyers get a cut pass for power in the wires.

Concur...just need to know you're not flying with "NAFOD" *

In our VF world...the more senior RIOs flew with the FNGs right out of the FRS. It could be very eye opening.

My worst pass in the F-14 was with a DCAG when I was on CVW staff. I went out and saw the hook scrape just feet from the round down the next day on FOD walkdown.

Unless you were the "Skipper's RIO."



* No Apparent Fear Of Death

 

[A4sForever]

....Sorry, couldn't find one populated with passes....A4s?

Check it out:

http://www.skyhawk.org/3e/va46/va46greenieweb1.htm