Pichettet1
Well-Known Member
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.