Rumor Control!

[squeeze]

Straight from an instructor's mouth (P3 guy). Also hearing a P-3 guy tell me that he's actually getting a civilian rating in a helicopter (thats how much he wished he'd gone helos) didnt sit well either.

I'd never heard people talk down their community as much as some of the P3 IPs in primary. Not all of them, but a decent percentage would rag on their own community to no end. I just never understood it. Sure, there are aspects of communities that those in them don't like, but you don't go voiceing them to every outsider you meet. Telling a student the pros and cons are one thing, but when they ask you about going P3s and they laugh in your face and tell you "what, are you out of your ****ing mind?" is another. Are there really that many negative guys in VP land?

/boggles

 

[Flash]

i heard the same things you and Patmack heard. i hadnt even started when i mentioned how i'd like to go P-3s and was told not to since the "mission was going away and could be handled by UAV's". Straight from an instructor's mouth (P3 guy). Also hearing a P-3 guy tell me that he's actually getting a civilian rating in a helicopter (thats how much he wished he'd gone helos) didnt sit well either.

These IP's need to stop reading airline mags and pick up a Proceedings or Navy Times every once in a while. The Navy is trying to refocus itself on ASW and UAV's can't do that very well yet, you need humans in the loop for that. Hence, they need something to hunt subs and it will probably will be the MMA (our SSN's can't do it all and the helos are tied to mother).

I'd never heard people talk down their community as much as some of the P3 IPs in primary. Not all of them, but a decent percentage would rag on their own community to no end. I just never understood it. Sure, there are aspects of communities that those in them don't like, but you don't go voiceing them to every outsider you meet. Telling a student the pros and cons are one thing, but when they ask you about going P3s and they laugh in your face and tell you "what, are you out of your ****ing mind?" is another. Are there really that many negative guys in VP land?

Where the hell do they get these guys? My bet, they are bitter because they went P-3's then VT's with the intention of flying the friendly skies. Now, with most of the airlines tanking and P-3's seriously contracting, the future is not so bright for their master plan anymore. They need to give these guys some ground jobs to keep them from thinking too much, you need to keep pilots constantly occupied or they start to say dumb things. Maybe they should give them some brightly colored blocks and coloring books .

 

[VarmintShooter]

I just selected P-3s (and moved to Corpus) and my IPs in Primary weren't altogether negative. I wanted P-3s from the start and the most any instructors would steer me was to "go EP-3s, since their mission will definately not go away." I heard several times the phrase that P-3s were "a community in flux," which I took to mean that they felt their future to be less than certain.

When it all comes down to it I figure that first, I'm already here and thus there's no point worrying about whether our mission is going away (what could I do about it now?), second, I was planning to do as well as possible so that I have the best chance of getting the orders I wanted, so if they cut some percentage off the bottom I hopefully won't be in it (or I will have tried my best anyway), and third, my glass is always half full, so I'll go to bed dreaming of spending my per diem in Pattaya Beach.

How about some P-3 guys sound off? If you had a chance to select again, would P-3s be your top choice? If not, why? I'm definately in until I retire, so I'm sort of curious.

 

[zab1001]

and third, my glass is always half full, so I'll go to bed dreaming of spending my per diem in Pattaya Beach.

How about some P-3 guys sound off? If you had a chance to select again, would P-3s be your top choice? If not, why? I'm definately in until I retire, so I'm sort of curious.

Well, as far as 'in until you retire', take it one step at a time man...think wings right now.

I'd do it again, and I'm most likely getting out.

ah Pattaya....

 

[VarmintShooter]

Got seven and a half years in already ... no sense in quitting now ...

 

[smoke_screen]

In conclusion,

Well, first off, Patmack and Rare21, it really is amazing isn't it! Just HOW MUCH people within the p-3 community rag on it; everyone who claims to be in the know about what's really going on has nothing but "the sky is falling" doomsday remarks...

So anyway, I suppose the vibe from the operational fleet is that things are fine. As I understand it:

The mission is NOT going away and cannot be delegated...

The community is not SO bloated with pilots that there will be drastic instant cuts in the near future...

The actual bird itself is physically able to fly more than 20-30 hours a month if necessary...

The MMA is going to happen...

Thanks for the replies. I will continue to post rumors I hear and please keep us updated with the pulse.

 

[McNamara]

Thanks for starting this thread, smoke_screen. I hadn't heard those particular rumors but the primary P-3 IPs were always mumbling this or that about the community.

I'll be happy just to go to an active duty squadron in either Maine or Hawaii. Beyond that I could care less what rumors about the future of the community are floating around. I'm anti-career so as long as I get my quals and do my best job I'll be having a good time.

It would be nice to do a super-J.O. tour in the 737, though...