WTF is A POOL

[jazzdude]

AF A-pool gouge...
"A-pool" is the same thing as "casual status" up at Whiting for the AF student pilots. Seems like now the A-poolers at VT-3 get jobs until they go to IFS and/or API.

You will get paid TDY mileage for API, but basically they subtract your "normal" commute from the distance you drive to API (read: if you live out in pcola, you'll get paid squat. if you live in milton, you'll get paid okay. if you live on base, $$$). No per diem though.

Be sure to take up a hobby- there's a lot of waiting, etc.

Don't believe what AFPC says about when you'll start flight training. When you sign into VT-3, you are put at the end of the list of names. They start ~2 AF student pilots a week for API. I ended up starting about 5 months later than AFPC said I'd be.

Anyhow, there's A-pool for AF studs in a nutshell

 

[zoomie08]

Dude, my roommate is an AF stud. We went to school together at USAFA (and I crossed into the Navy) so I know a bit about it. He has been here in VT-3 since July and is still waiting to start. His "stash job" is volunteering at an elementary school up in Milton where he does nothing and hits on the teachers. My other AF friends have similar stash jobs. One is a "safety officer" on base in some shop he is not qualified to be in. He calls in every day and works out and plays a lot of golf. Some of my other friends have started or finished API but haven't started primary and still do nothing (one studies a little bit because he is starting soon.) You won't have to go to navy A-Pool down at NASP. You will go to Whiting when you have to go in. We drink and party a lot. If that isn't for you, my roommate told me about some AF dudes who have been taking classes online for master's degrees. Basically, its a lot of fun but it can get old after 5+ months.

 

[a2b2c3]

Hmm... could it be the ensign who drunk drove his car through a living room?

I never heard about this one yet... What they hell happened here?

 

[scoolbubba]

It happened before I showed up in June of 07, but it's pretty self explanatory. Dumbass got drunk in seville, lived in Pace or Milton AFAIK, and thought backroads were a better bet than 10. Plowed his car into some poor schmucks living room. I'm fairly certain he isn't in the canoe club anymore.

 

[Flyboylance]

We're still mustering everyday in khakis at 0730.. Sitting in the auditorium, they ask for volunteers for stash jobs or tests on hypoxia or other crazyness... No one volunteers.. They pick people.. Sitting in my living room by 0815. Oh, and the current wait is 6 months to class up.. Yesss!!

 

[OUSOONER]

Oh, and the current wait is 6 months to class up.. Yesss!!

I know wx, planes, and other anomalies have contributed to this clog in the training pipeline(s), but is there a consensus on what the main factor is that is causing these ridiculous wait times? Or is it so many tiny little things that just snowballed?

 

[gotta_fly]

How would weather and planes slow down API?

 

[OUSOONER]

How would weather and planes slow down API?

TRACOM as a whole is what I was curious about...I believe I have heard people saying wait times have been all throughout.

 

[HokiePilot]

It happened before I showed up in June of 07, but it's pretty self explanatory. Dumbass got drunk in seville, lived in Pace or Milton AFAIK, and thought backroads were a better bet than 10. Plowed his car into some poor schmucks living room. I'm fairly certain he isn't in the canoe club anymore.

Actually, I lived next door to the dude and my roommate saw him out earlier that night. He was at McGuire's and we lived in one of the communities off Gulf Beach out the backgate. He didn't take a turn at the T intersection entering the community and plowed into a house. He drove off but a somewhat identifiable part of his brand new white Lexus was left with the house. He turned himself in the next afternoon.

 

[a2b2c3]

How would weather and planes slow down API?

Advanced students get canceled due to bad weather or lack of working aircraft or accidents. They buildup a pool of students who sit around and do nothing. This isn't good for advanced so they slow down the number of people selecting for advanced.

This in turn slows down the primary selection and creates a pool there.

This in turn slows down the API class up dates as there's no need to further jam the pipeline.

Hence bad weather and aircraft can affect API. It comes and goes. Eventually the log jam will clear up and anyone going to API will class up as soon as they get there. Then something bad will happen and it will slow down again. It comes in cycles.

 

[CommodoreMid]

I wouldn't be surprised if it affects the NFOs as well since my friends tell me they're getting slowed down as well. One of my friends was supposed to P-grad at the end of this month but she is no where near being done due to wx. Right now NFOs are classing up for API about 6-7 weeks before the pilots, if you look at the weeks on board counter on the API class up lists. I really lucked out in that I finished IFS 2 weeks ago, did BOLTC last week, and start API next Friday, but I wouldn't be surprised if these delays stop this good timing that NFOs have seemed to be having recently.

 

[C420sailor]

I really lucked out in that I finished IFS 2 weeks ago, did BOLTC last week, and start API next Friday, but I wouldn't be surprised if these delays stop this good timing that NFOs have seemed to be having recently.

For those of you who are wondering how a SNA compares to this, I finished up IFS in mid November and word on the street is that I might class up for API early March.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Funny cause there was lots of bad wx last spring and the primary pipeline was all backed up then as well, and I spent only 9 weeks in pcola for A-pool/API and selected out of primary about 7 months later (including a month in the "pool" in corpus). Didn't seem to have really any effect on me. I mean if you finish on a given week in primary, you will be selecting no matter how badly the advanced pipeline is backed up.....though it of course might affect what pipeline you go into in that way.

 

[A4sForever]

Pools??? Cry me a river ....

 

[scoolbubba]

Actually, I lived next door to the dude and my roommate saw him out earlier that night. He was at McGuire's and we lived in one of the communities off Gulf Beach out the backgate. He didn't take a turn at the T intersection entering the community and plowed into a house. He drove off but a somewhat identifiable part of his brand new white Lexus was left with the house. He turned himself in the next afternoon.

Thanks for the clarification, e. Memory is foggy from way back last year.