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What are the Blues and Birds doing ths year?

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What are the Blues and Birds doing ths year?

Old 08-10-2013, 07:57 AM
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Default What are the Blues and Birds doing ths year?

With the sequestration, are they still flying practice missions, or have they totally stood down?
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Old 08-10-2013, 08:24 AM
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I assume still doing basic currency. They're both operational squadrons and can be quickly re-configured for combat if needed. They're probably in the same boat as everybody else...minimum flight hours.

Although I think the navy has selectively taken some squadrons below min hours for readiness.
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Old 08-10-2013, 08:24 AM
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The Thunderbirds stood down around 1 April. They didn't fly at all until about a month ago. Those flights were just basic sorties: sounds like they were getting updated landing currencies, knocking out 17-month checkrides, etc...

The press a while back said the Blues were getting 11 hours of flight time per month. Not per pilot, but for the whole team. If true, they are getting 1-2 flights per month, and just keeping basic currency.
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Old 08-10-2013, 11:23 AM
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Can't speak for the Blues, but the T-Birds are back up and funded. They hadn't flown at all for a while, so it'll probably take some time to get back to show standards. As for the T-Birds being an operational squadron . . . not even close. Half of the guys on the team aren't Viper drivers and get a minimum checkout in the jet at Luke. They get zero A/G training and almost no A/A training at Luke, then none at Nellis. Their PA materials like to say they can reconfigure them for combat (including re-paint, putting in a gun and removing the smoke system) but they'd have to find new pilots as well. Not bagging on the pilots at all, just not where many of them came from.
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Old 08-10-2013, 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Nextlife View Post
Can't speak for the Blues, but the T-Birds are back up and funded.
Incorrect.

They have only received enough funding to allow the pilots to begin to get their basic currencies back.
The press used the term "funded" a while back... and that has led to folks mistakenly believing they are working on their airshow profiles again.
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Old 08-10-2013, 02:57 PM
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Let's look at the upside, more time to catch up on GMT, sexual assault prevention training and same sex couples benefit training! Thankfully they can still fulfill those vital responsibilities.
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Old 08-10-2013, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by rickair7777 View Post
I assume still doing basic currency. They're both operational squadrons and can be quickly re-configured for combat if needed. They're probably in the same boat as everybody else...minimum flight hours.

Although I think the navy has selectively taken some squadrons below min hours for readiness.
Not to pick but define quickly. Those jets are no way close to being able to be reconfigured quickly for combat. Those jets are the highest trap count or highest FLE jets out there with minimal hours left not to mention the crap that is pulled out of them(gun/avionics/plumbing). Its depot level work to get them back to being a gray jet, just like its a depot level mod to make them blue.

The blues are and have been flying currency and doing a ton of commits and community service. I'm told the team will remain in place for next year(assuming they are approved to start back up) and they did not take applicants or select new team members this year as they normally would, at least not 2-6.
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Old 08-10-2013, 05:16 PM
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To follow on BDGERJMN's post...

The Thunderbirds followed the Blues' lead, and elected to keep everyone in place for an additional year.

The Blues have always taken pride in using the oldest jets, so I understand they might not be easy to get combat ready quickly. The Thunderbirds are using really new, low-time Block 52's... I'd guess they could be brought up to speed a bit quicker.

Boola Boola: funny! All joking aside, I know a few of them that have blown through a bunch of Masters Degree and PME work in the past few months.
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Old 08-10-2013, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by BDGERJMN View Post
Not to pick but define quickly. Those jets are no way close to being able to be reconfigured quickly for combat. Those jets are the highest trap count or highest FLE jets out there with minimal hours left not to mention the crap that is pulled out of them(gun/avionics/plumbing). Its depot level work to get them back to being a gray jet, just like its a depot level mod to make them blue.
That's how I'd heard it before, clapped out old airframes no longer suitable for combat.
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Old 08-11-2013, 03:27 AM
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Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes View Post
That's how I'd heard it before, clapped out old airframes no longer suitable for combat.
No - 'As' are still suitable for combat.
The Marines took of their oldest As and put them through an upgrade package to make them 'A+s' and had all the nell and whistles needed for the current theaters - even took them to the boat.
USN is concerned about trap count. Many of the oldest As are actually low on the trap count depending on their lineage.
rickair7777 was just relating the press releases and air show commentary that the Blues put out - the same as when they say that all maneuvers are combat oriented. Even when I was doing professional red air did we ever practice the diamond loop Yes - taken individually the maneuvers are basics taught to every Strike/Fighter pilot, but the similarity ends there.
They ARE NOT an operational (fleet/gun) squadron which is even why they fall under CNATRA (Training Command). Things have gone very wrong if the Blues are fitted with a gun again and sent to combat.

I'm not sure how the T-Birds selection process goes, but the Blues only elect from the pointy-nosed community. It would take me some time to remember anyone selected from other than the F-14/F-18 communities for the USN and only a few Harrier guys have ever been selected (at least in my recent memory); maybe Grumble and BDGRJMN have more recent statistics. I don't ever remember an S-3/EA-6B/or even an A-6 guy during my time in the military though I would rule out a current Growler pilot being considered now due to the airframe change.

I'm in Pensacola this weekend and the news has the Blues busy with numerous community events and the Naval Aviation Museum had a flyer/advertisement about them doing something every Wednesday at the Museum.
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