RadicalDude
Social Justice Warlord
Thanks, JAC. Couldn't have said it better myself. It's difficult sometimes to quantify exactly what fleet WSOs do to the younger folks, even as a WSO...
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SNFO Primary (UMFO)
- Thread starter TAMR
- Start date
Thanks, JAC. Couldn't have said it better myself. It's difficult sometimes to quantify exactly what fleet WSOs do to the younger folks, even as a WSO...
Just say what you want to say. Every time you post to this thread, it seems to rise to the level of "new posting". I, for one, would be interested in your new perspectives… Hope it's going well for you.
Just add to the bottom of the thread....otherwise a moderator will have to interviene.
I just finished Primary yesterday after 6 months from the start. Selection is this Friday, I'm hoping for Tailhook (intermediate), but we'll see what happens. There are about 15 of us in my class (1 German, 1 Marine and 3 Saudi's whom don't count for selection) and all but 2 want intermediate as well. If I select intermediate I'll post the syllabus in another post after I get a hold of the curriculum guide. Intermediate is now UMFO as well, thus on a new syllabus of which no longer includes T39 training. From what I've heard, intermediate is only 11 or so flights, 2 being single-ship instrument hops, and the rest being section INAV and VNAV flights. I've updated my writeup on the syllabus as I have now completed these blocks.
4. VNAV (Visual Nav): VNAV builds upon INAV, but uses navigating off of TPC's and visual means instead of nav radios. These flights are low and fast. VNAV ground school starts every two weeks as well, and is only one week long. There are only 2 sims, and then 3 flights with a Checkride. There is only one test, but there is a lot of new material, and the week is PACKED. My suggestion after finishing VNAV ground school is that you get the 6 required charts done before anything else. Your first two sims will be routes 1 and 4 as well as your first two flights, but after that any of the 6 VNAV routes are fair game. These VNAV routes are VT-10 specific, and are not on any MTR's (this will come in intermediate). They have now added AERO as a requirement to be completed after each VNAV route. That's always a blast. The VNAV portion is pretty straight forward: target on time is MIF, or baseline. Where you earn your good grades is how well you handle the mission up until that point. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: N3001, N3002
B) Flights: N4001, N4002, N4003, N4190 (Checkride)
At this point Pri1 is complete, and the Pri2 syllabus starts. Again, when the UMFO syllabus is fully integrated and the multi-crew sim is operational, students will select Tailhook or land-based at the end of Pri1, and continue onto Pri2 or head to the RAG (P3,EP3,E6) accordingly. As of now, everyone goes Pri2.
Pri2 is much shorter than Pri1, including only a few instrument sims, flights and then FORMS. You'll go back to the simulators the day after Pri1 grad and fly two instrument hops. These are more difficults than the first INAV block (50kts tailwind, diverts for wx etc) but thankfully use the same concepts. After this, you'll go do 4 more instrument hops which will be either out and ins or cross countries. At this point if you start the flights strong showing the IP you know the material, many will let you start integrating GPS into your enroute procedures. Some still want you to use VHF Nav only, so don't forget how. The MIF grades go up to all 4/5 on these instrument flights. Make sure you study back on up instruments because you'll be expected to make none of the JV mistakes you made in first block of instruments. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3101, I3102
B) Flights: I4201, I4202, I4203, I4204.
After those hops, you'll go into FORM (Sections) ground school. This week of ground school makes VNAV's look like a piece of cake. I had FORM ground school on a Wednesday, and had both FORM flights on the following Saturday. Get a good FORM partner quick and start practicing for the brief. There is a ton of material and you need to be able to brief the entire flight from start to finish with few hiccups. These flights will be the first that will you brief from start to finish, and fully debrief when you get on the ground again. The best gouge on these two flights is that if you can nail the brief, the IP's will help you out during the flights. I found this to be completely true. If you show you know the material on the ground, they'll throw you a bone or two up in the air. The first brief at the squadron is just for the first flight. You'll brief the second flight while eating gumbo at Bay Minette, so it is a bit more relaxed. Make your impression the second they walk into the room on that first brief and you'll be good to go.
These flights were a blast. The first flight goes through principles of Break and Rendezvous, Tailchase, Parade Turns, Underruns and Lost sight exercises in formation. The second flight is a TAC sequence where you will practice TAC turns in a combat spread (Shackles, Cross Turns, In-place turns etc). These turns prep you for intermediate where you will be doing VNAV flights in a section. With each flight you'll execute section instrument approaches and section breaks. Most of the time you'll go to Bay Minette (1R8) for an out-and-in. As a SNFO (not on the stick), your primary responsibilities are running the sequence of each FORM flight (calls, changing wing's position, fuel management), executing lead changes, as well as Aviating by backing the pilot up with min/max G calls, altitude calls when approaching the hard deck and general area SA. Again, this entire week will be filled with long nights of studying, but the flights are incredibly rewarding if you are well prepared. My final advice is after the last block of instrument flights, pick up the FTI early and start reading.
After this, SNFO primary is complete, and students will select either Carrier aviation or land-based. The form syllabus is as follows:
A) Flights: F4001, F4002
As I said earlier, I'll select this following Friday and try and get the intermediate UMFO syllabus guide.
4. VNAV (Visual Nav): VNAV builds upon INAV, but uses navigating off of TPC's and visual means instead of nav radios. These flights are low and fast. VNAV ground school starts every two weeks as well, and is only one week long. There are only 2 sims, and then 3 flights with a Checkride. There is only one test, but there is a lot of new material, and the week is PACKED. My suggestion after finishing VNAV ground school is that you get the 6 required charts done before anything else. Your first two sims will be routes 1 and 4 as well as your first two flights, but after that any of the 6 VNAV routes are fair game. These VNAV routes are VT-10 specific, and are not on any MTR's (this will come in intermediate). They have now added AERO as a requirement to be completed after each VNAV route. That's always a blast. The VNAV portion is pretty straight forward: target on time is MIF, or baseline. Where you earn your good grades is how well you handle the mission up until that point. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: N3001, N3002
B) Flights: N4001, N4002, N4003, N4190 (Checkride)
At this point Pri1 is complete, and the Pri2 syllabus starts. Again, when the UMFO syllabus is fully integrated and the multi-crew sim is operational, students will select Tailhook or land-based at the end of Pri1, and continue onto Pri2 or head to the RAG (P3,EP3,E6) accordingly. As of now, everyone goes Pri2.
Pri2 is much shorter than Pri1, including only a few instrument sims, flights and then FORMS. You'll go back to the simulators the day after Pri1 grad and fly two instrument hops. These are more difficults than the first INAV block (50kts tailwind, diverts for wx etc) but thankfully use the same concepts. After this, you'll go do 4 more instrument hops which will be either out and ins or cross countries. At this point if you start the flights strong showing the IP you know the material, many will let you start integrating GPS into your enroute procedures. Some still want you to use VHF Nav only, so don't forget how. The MIF grades go up to all 4/5 on these instrument flights. Make sure you study back on up instruments because you'll be expected to make none of the JV mistakes you made in first block of instruments. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3101, I3102
B) Flights: I4201, I4202, I4203, I4204.
After those hops, you'll go into FORM (Sections) ground school. This week of ground school makes VNAV's look like a piece of cake. I had FORM ground school on a Wednesday, and had both FORM flights on the following Saturday. Get a good FORM partner quick and start practicing for the brief. There is a ton of material and you need to be able to brief the entire flight from start to finish with few hiccups. These flights will be the first that will you brief from start to finish, and fully debrief when you get on the ground again. The best gouge on these two flights is that if you can nail the brief, the IP's will help you out during the flights. I found this to be completely true. If you show you know the material on the ground, they'll throw you a bone or two up in the air. The first brief at the squadron is just for the first flight. You'll brief the second flight while eating gumbo at Bay Minette, so it is a bit more relaxed. Make your impression the second they walk into the room on that first brief and you'll be good to go.
These flights were a blast. The first flight goes through principles of Break and Rendezvous, Tailchase, Parade Turns, Underruns and Lost sight exercises in formation. The second flight is a TAC sequence where you will practice TAC turns in a combat spread (Shackles, Cross Turns, In-place turns etc). These turns prep you for intermediate where you will be doing VNAV flights in a section. With each flight you'll execute section instrument approaches and section breaks. Most of the time you'll go to Bay Minette (1R8) for an out-and-in. As a SNFO (not on the stick), your primary responsibilities are running the sequence of each FORM flight (calls, changing wing's position, fuel management), executing lead changes, as well as Aviating by backing the pilot up with min/max G calls, altitude calls when approaching the hard deck and general area SA. Again, this entire week will be filled with long nights of studying, but the flights are incredibly rewarding if you are well prepared. My final advice is after the last block of instrument flights, pick up the FTI early and start reading.
After this, SNFO primary is complete, and students will select either Carrier aviation or land-based. The form syllabus is as follows:
A) Flights: F4001, F4002
As I said earlier, I'll select this following Friday and try and get the intermediate UMFO syllabus guide.
You get to sit in the front seat and fly for the Contacts phase of Primary which is 5 flights.
Face palm... I feel like I read this thread three times before asking that question. I go back and as clear as day there it is. Son of a cracker eatin biscuit.
Any info from the studs on what the new training is like for Hawkeyes?
None of us in VT-4 have gotten past the Core phase yet. Last I heard, the E-2 strand was still getting tweaked.
I can't imagine they will be able to duplicate the training we received in the RAG. But that's just one JOs opinion.
Pleasureman
Wolf Cola, everyone
The idea isn't to duplicate any training at the FRS, but to produce more prepared NFOs to the FRS that can hit the ground running. I can't speak for the E2 pipeline, but I'm an MPR SNFO still in the common core block of the pipeline. Hopefully I can offer some insight into the UMFO curriculum as I progress toward my projected grad near the end of Feb/2016. I'll have an E2 friend only a couple of weeks behind me I can ask if anyone has any specific questions as to the current state of the pipeline. I've had a few conversations with the instructor who designed most of the sims in use (Hawkeye NFO) who says the feedback from Jax/Norfolk is that those NFOs that graduated just prior to the UMFO switch (generally speaking; any NFOs that graduated Pri1->Pri2 and then went to the FRS for winging) are having a much harder time at the FRS than their counterparts that have been through the Multi-Crew Simulator. I'll post updates to this thread as I move through significant blocks of training and offer my opinions, if anyone is still interested. I'll reserve any judgement of the program for when I have bit more perspective, but I can answer general questions about course flow/curriculum.
None of us in Norfolk have gotten to a point yet where our MCS training in Pensacola has helped us practically. By that, I just mean that it will still be another month or so until that training comes into play. We have yet to do any sort of tracking, controlling, sensor employment, etc. Most of the beginning training is "Shut up and color", although we do recognize some of the terms that get mentioned.
Pleasureman
Wolf Cola, everyone
Ok, well forgive my ignorance of pretty much all things Hawkeye. Hopefully, there are some MPR guys going through in Jacksonville on here as well to comment on the MCS for their relative 'advantage.' I've only just completed the FAM block in the MCS, so I'm pretty well versed in button pushing and not much else...
I will say from the post FRS side we're very interested/intrigued to see how the MCS will affect the COTAC initial performance. Teaching ARP is one of my main gigs and depending on squadron manning they often have to send brand new COTACs to the squadron on a crew through our syllabus, which in many cases is not ideal because the new guys often get very overwhelmed. Odds are some of these guys will be in that boat in the next couple months as they check into their squadrons, so I'm definitely interested to see the initial capabilities of these guys compared to a guy who wings in Jax.