I got to log .3 hr in a P-3 Orion !!

ScorpionStinger

ScorpionStinger

Well-Known Member
WOW... two days ago.. My squadron Had a Fam Flight. The MO, CO& XO had been taking Squadron personnel who wanted to go flying up in the Air ( FAM Flight)...

Well i found out we had one the next day . So i talked to my LPO ( Supervisor) and my name was on the list to go flying with the MO.

We Took off NAS SIGONELLA ( in Sicily ) and went flying down the coast of Italy @ 300ft above the water and @ 3,500 agl around a couple of Islands to the South East of Italy. The Crew let us peep into the different systemes in the A/c.Let just say Technology has really gone far in the US. Seeing the systems work in flight was really off the charts!!!( we saw how important our work on the ground was in the Air)


To make a 3hr flight short.. let's just say we all got to fly the A/c for about 15 min... It was really cool
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. I Actually Flew a P-3 Orion !!!
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The flight it was really bumpy from the Start, Especially @ 300 ft above the Water ( 1-3 miles off the coast). We had one Lady Puke, and the rest of us Felt like Puking. But it was still a blast!! I was up in the cockpit through most of the flight( it get's pretty Bad as you head Aft of the A/c ) watching other people fly& Try to hold 3,500 and fly around the Islands.
It was Cool how i knew what Those Gages were for and the others didn't!!
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When we got back to SIG we flew a TACAN Approach to R/w 10, and @ right before touch down we Did a Go Around..

We were told that we would perform a VFR BREAK !!!
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next ( AKA.. Fly over middle of R/W and Perform a 45-60 degree Bank,pulling lots of G's to turn Downwind while 500-1000ft agl
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Off i went to sit my ass down and strap on my harness before i get killed... Let's just say It was an intense maneuver. It sucked bad; yet it was a Blast
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We were all Screeming like little girls !!!
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... it took alot stop my self from Puking after the VFR Break
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It was an experience I'd never had in my life before.. It was Great, especially when i was Flying.

The MO ( Maintaince Officer) Knew I had My PPL so he told me to bring my logbook to him so he can Log .3 hr flight time in The Great P-3 Orion .. Wow.
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I felt like I'd just passed a Checkride... Yet i was so glad to be on the Ground !!! ..

I can't waite till the Next FAM Flight !!!
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P-3 A/c .

P-3 cockpit..
 
What do you do in the Navy? I have a close friend who is at Pcola going through Naval Aircrewman training to be a sensor operator on P3's, he was thinking he would get Bangor or Whidbey.
 
Cool Beans! I always love it when stick time comes around. When you're on deployment doing nothing, but flying "Starboard D" for hour and hours, the pilots get bored and the call come over th ICS and ask us crewman if any of us want stick time. HELL YEAH! But its all on th DL of course. I think I have 2.5 Hours logged for the H-46. It handles a lot different than a regular helo. Gotta love that tandom rotor setup.
 
After 8 years in the Marine Corps, and being an H-53 engine technician....

YOU WILL NEVER GET ME IN ANOTHER MILITARY AIRCRAFT!!!!!!

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Kidding...
 
First time I got to fly a P-3, the Aircraft Commander scared the sh*t out of me.

I had no idea about elevator trim, (I was a FE not a pilot) the plane kept wanting to climb so the AC told me to keep putting in down trim. Meanwhile, he was pulling back on the yoke with his knees, I obviously did not know this. After a several minutes of this, the AC told me to look down at the inertial display located on the center console to see if we were on course, when I looked down, the AC let go of the yoke and the whole world dropped out from under me! I remember looking at the AC who had his arms crossed across his chest yelling at him that I had lost it and he was cracking up laughing. I didn't want to fly again for about 6 months.
 
The P-3 is a truely remarkable aircraft. So versatile. We have one that comes in and out of Prescott AZ. Its a Slurry Bomber! Man, they load that thing so heavy it must be making only like 100 fpm on takeoff. The last time I saw that thing, it barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway and all four turboprops were screaming like banchees! What a sight. Man I am envious of anyone who can put a P-3 in the ole' logbook!
 
Our max Takeoff Wt(EP-3) was 142,000 lbs, with a max zero fuel wt of 82,000 lbs. Sometimes I had to get a little "creative" with the weights in order to stay under the max. Some runways in the Middle East and Africa, we would be so loaded down our three engine rate of climb would be in the negatives.
 
Yeah, you guys sure push it in those things. But to me that is just awesome! Using an aircraft to its "full" potential is something that rarely happens in the civillian world due to SAFETY concerns. Have fun man!
 
Hey DE727UPS I'm a Mech (AD) in the Navy
(PowerPlants).

Your Friend is an AW( what Chunk Was ) He has a pretty good Job.. Most of them Love what they do.

Whereever your friend goes ( Brunswick or Whidbey ) He's going to enjoy P-3 Missions. He's also Going to love
Per-Diems( I know i do
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I don't know about the Northwest( except it rains alot )... But I do know about the Northeast.. It's pretty cold in the Winter and Very Nice in the Summer.. Brunswick is a very nice place to live.. The Fall is Spectacular( the Color of the trees and grass are Amazing, especially from the air ) They call Maine the
" Vacation Land".. P.s Tell him to Come to " VP-8 Fighting Tigers " Grrrrr....
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VP-8's home page .. still being worked on
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I don't really fell like saying.. I'm one of those really cautious people aka ( I practice OPSEC. We all should ). We got to Play with the things we were allowed too ( not all ) It was an AIP.



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You see that white round thing under the nose cone.. I can tell you that i got to use it.. --- ---- - -- ..

P.s. I really want to say what it is .. But i really really don't feel comfortable..
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It might be nothing. But then again?? It Might !!!
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.. I feel better now !!
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yea i know that's where i got that pic from...

I got to mess with the IRDS/ AIMS Turrent... We thought it was pretty neat when the AW made it look like we were Flying Inverted through the Pilot's visual Screen.. I'v heard the Crew Sometimes try to Disorient the Pilots with the Turrent while In the Soup

Crazy stuff !!


It nearly worked on me when i was flying through a cloud or two.. But then I looked @ the HSI...


Hey look at what I found
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see a something Familliar !!!
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EODfe,

Did youever get to play with the AIMS turret on the AIP birds? Lightyears ahead of the old IRDS turret. You can rig a ship from double digit miles away! Incredible.
 
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Did youever get to play with the AIMS turret on the AIP birds? Lightyears ahead of the old IRDS turret. You can rig a ship from double digit miles away! incredible.

[/ QUOTE ]

No sure didn't. Most of my hours were in the EP-3B/E and the UP-3A. I did do a tour at FWATD in Pax river and got to look at some cool stuff and fly some very cool test profiles.
 
That's awesome. I got 1hr in a C-5 over greenland. Be careful if you logged it. I'm sure the A/C could get in a lot of trouble if the wrong person found out. A couple years ago at Travis AFB a KC-10 crew was letting a Boom operator do touch and go's. 3 people lost their careers over it. Are you thinking of becoming an officer and flying for the Navy?
 
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