Originally Posted by
bunk22
Most are scripted but you know, do it every day and you get somewhat good at it, the basics at least.
Absolutely - drilling the basics over and over are very good. As long as you also have the skills to adapt when the guy breaks right instead of left like the script calls for. I'm going off of my own admittedly dated experience from my training command experience (which was fluid and dynamic as a SNA) and looking at it now through more seasoned eyes (though not quite as sharp!
) Maybe the ACM syllabus in the training command with the T045 was revamped. I know the syllabuses go through review quite often. I have to admit though that I thought the idea of introducing NVGs to SNAs was going to step too far.
The stories, maybe fish stories, of the Goshawk drivers beating up on new/relatively inexperienced Hornets in 2 v 1 scenarios. I'm guessing most of the top notch fleet guys go to the FRS...though that's not always the case for all communities as I went to the FRS as an IP
When I was a student going through - so new/relatively inexperienced as you say - we were getting beat up by the guys in VF-45 flying A-4s and F-5s (along with F-16Ns). Of course those older aircraft were being flown by guys with a lot of BFM/ACM experience so I would expect nothing more out of an experience TomCat/Hornet guy now flying T-45s to be able to exploit that experience against a new Hornet guy for example. Now give that Hornet guy a chance to gain some experience (let's say around 500-700 hrs, a full deployment under his belt and ACTI or SFTI Level 4 under his belt and I'll wager that a T-45 isn't going to fare well a vast majority of the time.
But these guys get beat up doing BFM, 3 times a day, day after day. The 45 seat isn't exactly the best for the back. I did a few BFM flights and dozen plus tac form flights towards the end. The tac forms weren't too bad on the back as I recall.
Well....consistently pullings Gs is never that great for the body, but we dot it. There is a thread on here about back and neck problems from the tactical communities. It is real.
[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by
bunk22
Marine jet types can go to Primary flight training. My old skipper at VT-6, Col Ball was a Hornet driver and we had over a half dozen Marine AV-8B and Hornet drivers....maybe one Prowler type. Rarely do I see a Navy jet guy in a primary squadron. I was E2/C2 and it's tough for us to go primary as well.
Part of the reason Col Ball went to be a Primary squadron CO, and he got a lot of tactical guys in VT-6 as IPs, was a thought up the chain the drop in people wanting to chose the Strike pipeline was because of a lack of representation in the Primary squadrons and the fact that there seem to be a feeling that SNAs thought the process was too hard or took too long compared to other pipelines. Again - this has been discussed many times on APC. My OPSO at VT-27 in '91 was a A-3 driver
Personally I'll bet that more strike tactical guys will look favorably on flying the T-6 in Primary rather than the T-34C. It was getting to be a tired workhorse.