AFR C-17 Questions/Thoughts

[Pichettet1]

In Hawks it's not as bad as it would be in Apaches.

Our minimums are higher (70/semi annual FAC 1) but still you are talking about a unit where of 9-14 pilots you have 1-2 AGR guy meeting more than the absolute minimum. That doesn't grow the next group of guys unless you inherit them from the Active side and right now we can't afford to give people away. Plus I know guys getting 30-40 a year because they aren't FAC 1 aviators (staff etc) and they just waiver it off. That is not in any way enough to be proficient at starting a helicopter much less flying it in its mode demanding modes.


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Yeah us 60 guys don't have gunnery to worry about but doing hoist missions with a pilot who's flown 30 hours in the past 8 months I would argue is more dangerous.

Either way, the onus tends to be put on the pilots rather than the individuals managing the flight schedule when, in my unit at least, there isn't much we can do when we're cancelled or not put on the schedule at all.

One of the WOs I work with went in for a week to fly only to find out after spending money on his plane ticket that all AFTPs were cancelled for the week.

 

[Pichettet1]

I did find out some info in my quest. For the reserve units, the chief pilot typically makes the hiring decisions but the C-17 unit here is over strength and not hiring at the moment. On the active side, they aren't taking inter service transfers for UPT or the helo quality course at the moment. Supposedly there is a 1 year backlog at UPT. I'm going to try back after the new fiscal year but my hopes are a little down.

I put a call out the the ANG f-16 unit in the state but haven't heard back yet.

 

[Lawman]

Yeah us 60 guys don't have gunnery to worry about but doing hoist missions with a pilot who's flown 30 hours in the past 8 months I would argue is more dangerous.

Either way, the onus tends to be put on the pilots rather than the individuals managing the flight schedule when, in my unit at least, there isn't much we can do when we're cancelled or not put on the schedule at all.

One of the WOs I work with went in for a week to fly only to find out after spending money on his plane ticket that all AFTPs were cancelled for the week.

It's not gunnery driving our additional hour requirements, it's the FLIR.

I've just now hit the point where I can do a full 60 between NVS flights and not scare the hell out of myself on the first one back while ground taxi/hovering. New guys can't go that long. We try to keep new pilots (<500) getting at least one NVS flight a week. It's just too perishable a skill to do especially with us getting back in with low level DA tactics.


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[scoobs]

Do most people want full-time gigs in the unit, AGR or not?

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[Soku39]

I did find out some info in my quest. For the reserve units, the chief pilot typically makes the hiring decisions but the C-17 unit here is over strength and not hiring at the moment. On the active side, they aren't taking inter service transfers for UPT or the helo quality course at the moment. Supposedly there is a 1 year backlog at UPT. I'm going to try back after the new fiscal year but my hopes are a little down.

I put a call out the the ANG f-16 unit in the state but haven't heard back yet.

If ball and chained to Charleston, SC, you'd do well to contact the C-130s in Savannah, Atlanta and Charlotte. The Charlotte unit is slated to convert to C-17s in FY-18, but I haven't heard if that is in stone or not. The Charleston C-17s will be hard to get in because they have so many active guys to choose from, though I'm sure they need to organically grow new co-pilots into ACs as does every unit, and airlines will undoubtedly be sucking their personnel up over the next few years. Also a 4 hour drive away are the reserve KC-135s at Seymour and guard/reserve JSTARs at Warner Robins, basically at your age and trying to go to FW UPT try and get in anywhere with a 4 hour or less drive.

 

[Pichettet1]

If ball and chained to Charleston, SC, you'd do well to contact the C-130s in Savannah, Atlanta and Charlotte. The Charlotte unit is slated to convert to C-17s in FY-18, but I haven't heard if that is in stone or not. The Charleston C-17s will be hard to get in because they have so many active guys to choose from, though I'm sure they need to organically grow new co-pilots into ACs as does every unit, and airlines will undoubtedly be sucking their personnel up over the next few years. Also a 4 hour drive away are the reserve KC-135s at Seymour and guard/reserve JSTARs at Warner Robins, basically at your age and trying to go to FW UPT try and get in anywhere with a 4 hour or less drive.

Thanks for the tips! I'll contact those units and try my luck.