186 replies to this topic

[check6]

does anyone have the checklists saved to their computer from www.dossoperations.com? at least that's what i think the website was that had them, but it doesn't seem to be up anymore.

[Duck]

Yeah... Doss went super security. No more public internet checklists or manuals. They are issuing computers now that are nothing more than over powered e-books. No more hard copies of ANYTHING. All manuals are on their intranet which can only be accessed from the Doss CPUs. You can't email attachments out of them to protect IP. You can't put thumb drives in them... oh yeah and no more student drive. No more sharing gouge electronically.

Overall thought this seems like a pretty good program. But almost EVERYTHING has changed from 08 to 09-01.

[budderbar]

So from what I have read in this thread is that if a Pilot candidate washes out of IFS he/she is often or sometimes given the opportunity to go CSO.

What happens to the CSO trainee that washes out? Are they just pushed along to UNT as well ?

Are instructors easier on CSO trainees at IFS? If not, it doesn't seem right that a Pilot trainee washes out and gets pushed through to CSO but a CSO washes out and gets retrained in a non-rated AFSC.

Can someone that knows the process explain it?

Thanks

Edited by budderbar, 26 September 2008 - 04:50 AM.

[FLY6584]

ATC, on Feb 23 2009, 06:03 PM, said:

What are people's thoughts on driving to Pueblo instead of flying? Is there any benefit to having a vehicle while you are there? It looks like I will start IFS at the end of May.

Definitely drive if you can. It's really nice to have a car out there though usually quite a few people have cars out there also that you can hitch rides with. Just nice to have the freedom to go when and where you want.

[brabus]

Definitely drive if you can...there's tons of stuff to do in CO, and it all requires driving out of Pueblo.

[brwwg&b]

Not sure if this should go in the TDY pay thread, but since it is specific to IFS I thought it should go here...

Has anyone driven out to the new 4 week program? I am being told at my base that we will only get 1 official travel day, and the rest of the travel time will be given as permissive leave. However, I have not gotten a straight answer on how this will affect getting paid on the travel voucher. I have been told that we will be reimbursed up to the cost of the plane ticket it would've costed.

However, I am also being told that we will not be reimbursed for mileage on the permissive days. i.e. I would only get paid mileage for the one official travel day. I have also been told to keep receipts from lodging and gas so that I will be reimbursed for that. I am curious as to how the travel voucher will be processed, and if gas/lodging from the permissive days will be reimbursed as well. Also, I'm guessing that the official travel day will be the day before my IFS class starts. If that is so, it could influence where I am making my stops, so to make that day of driving further to get more mileage paid.

Any help/clarification on this would be greatly appreciated! Thx

[VFR800]

What base are you coming from? They are doing a "cost comparison" and probably determined that it's more advantageous to the Man for you to fly. You can still drive and you shouldn't be charged leave, but you will not be reimbursed for more than the comparable flight itinerary, which should include one day of travel, plus airline mileage, plus ticket cost. This is usually itemized when your voucher is processed.

You'll probably still come out on top if you drive, but lodging/gas/etc. for those permissive days is not going to be reimbursed.

[brwwg&b]

From CAFB they are saying we get 1 day official travel and 3 days permissive. Staying with buds along the way/way back is gonna help, instead of paying lodging costs out of pocket, but how exactly they are paying the mileage to us isn't quite clarified. As in, if I'm going to Albuquerque in the 3 permissive days, and then driving up from Albuquerque to Pueblo on the day before IFS begins, will they end up paying mileage only for that leg of the trip, or will mileage be from CAFB to Pueblo.

It makes a difference in how I'll end up spacing the trip out, and whether or not I will even have claims up to the cost of the plane ticket. If they are paying the full mileage, that alone is enough to bring the cost equal to the plane ticket, but if not, I might be holding on to alot of other receipts to try to get reimbursed.

[spectre56]

sumotu, on Mar 26 2009, 10:54 PM, said:

From CAFB they are saying we get 1 day official travel and 3 days permissive. Staying with buds along the way/way back is gonna help, instead of paying lodging costs out of pocket, but how exactly they are paying the mileage to us isn't quite clarified. As in, if I'm going to Albuquerque in the 3 permissive days, and then driving up from Albuquerque to Pueblo on the day before IFS begins, will they end up paying mileage only for that leg of the trip, or will mileage be from CAFB to Pueblo.

It makes a difference in how I'll end up spacing the trip out, and whether or not I will even have claims up to the cost of the plane ticket. If they are paying the full mileage, that alone is enough to bring the cost equal to the plane ticket, but if not, I might be holding on to alot of other receipts to try to get reimbursed.

When I went last year (6 weeks), I was "allowed" 1 day of travel per my orders from Dyess to Pueblo. I took 2 and there was no problem. You're allowed 350/400 miles (can't remember which one) for a travel day by car. I had no problems claiming 2 days of travel and neither did my buddy I went with who came from Pensacola. Hope that helps just a little.

[flyinjahawk]

Does anybody know if we can carpool to IFS? I was planning on riding with a bro from AMS but one of my friends who just graduated a class or two ago said this is a bad idea. He carpooled and said if he hadn't gotten lucky and finished the same day as his ride they were going to make his ride leave and force him to buy a plane ticket home?...sounds ridiculous to me and I'd rather not drive my poor guardbum Honda out there.

[spectre56]

flyinjhawk, on May 11 2009, 09:14 PM, said:

Does anybody know if we can carpool to IFS? I was planning on riding with a bro from AMS but one of my friends who just graduated a class or two ago said this is a bad idea. He carpooled and said if he hadn't gotten lucky and finished the same day as his ride they were going to make his ride leave and force him to buy a plane ticket home?...sounds ridiculous to me and I'd rather not drive my poor guardbum Honda out there.

I carpooled with my buddy when I went up there. Yeah, it was a risk at the end, but it worked out great for me. They seemed like they would work with us if one of us got done first.

[Jenkspaz]

GonnaFlyfoLife, on Jun 24 2009, 01:37 PM, said:

Hey all, I have a few questions about IFS.

A few weeks ago I pulled an Ab muscle really bad. I can run and do any physical activity besides exercises which solely focus on the abs (ex sit ups). I'm going to go to IFS this Monday, and I hear that they give you a physical fitness test. Will they care if I end up doing 0 sit ups on the test, but still manage to get a score of above 80?

I was put on profile for this (the flight doc said if I was on flying status he would NOT ground me for this injury), but the profile was taken off because my superiors advised me to go to IFS anyway and just don't do sit ups. Any insight as to what happens with injuries at IFS?

When you inprocess Day 1, you'll visit with the MSgt that's in charge of all medical issues at IFS. Spin him up on all of this and he should be able to take care of you and advise you on what you'll need to do. He's a pretty cool dude, so I doubt he'll tell you you can't fly or anything like that. You may even be able to delay taking your PFA until later in the course (like they do with the studs that don't pass their first one). At any rate, this probably won't be that big of a deal.

[summe32c]

Check out the Diamond line... here: http://www.diamondai...t.com/index.php

Find a place near you that has diamonds for rent, and get a few hours. IFS trains in the DA-20C1. Its stick and rudder. When you find a place near you, ask em if you can fly from the right seat a few time to get the feel for the "right handy stick and left handy throttle" feel.

I'll be there in Feb. I have most of my hours in Pipers...so I plan on getting a little right seat stick time as well...

IFS link here: http://dossifs.com/aircraft.html

-summers

EDIT: you can use the locater function on the Diamond site to find a location near you!

Edited by summe32c, 09 July 2009 - 07:56 AM.

[jice]

Do you have the option of flying cessnas or gliders instead of the piper? While the piper is superficially similar to the diamond, I would be willing to bet that a cessna's (150/152/172) or glider, given the da-20s motorglider heritage, flight characteristics will better match the diamond's. In my experience both the cessna and diamond aircraft require much more precise energy management for landing and both get blown around a little more by gusts and up/downdrafts due to the light weight and low wing loading. Cessnas are generally easier to find and, if you can find a 150 can be rented wet for under $90.

I'm making these statements based on time in 150/152/172s, the DA-20's big brother the DA-42, and Piper Arrows. If anybody with more appropriate experience disagrees I defer to them.

[HiFlyer]

jice, on Jul 9 2009, 10:03 AM, said:

Do you have the option of flying cessnas or gliders instead of the piper? While the piper is superficially similar to the diamond, I would be willing to bet that a cessna's (150/152/172) or glider, given the da-20s motorglider heritage, flight characteristics will better match the diamond's. In my experience both the cessna and diamond aircraft require much more precise energy management for landing and both get blown around a little more by gusts and up/downdrafts due to the light weight and low wing loading. Cessnas are generally easier to find and, if you can find a 150 can be rented wet for under $90.

I'm making these statements based on time in 150/152/172s, the DA-20's big brother the DA-42, and Piper Arrows. If anybody with more appropriate experience disagrees I defer to them.

I would tend to disagree only to the basic point of choosing between aircraft. Based on my experience (I've flown all the Cessna, Piper and Diamond single engine aircraft discussed here plus several others), and what I know about the AF training process (as a former T-38 IP) and IFS, I really don't think it matters much what aircraft you fly. The whole point of IFS is to introduce you to the Air Force training system...the way they do things. Much of the stress is on the ground procedures...classroom learning, flight standups and EP exercises, customs and courtesies, etc. Certainly you have to be able to fly to the satisfaction of the civilian instructor corps, but that's only a part of the process, and their standards are pretty much basic FAA PPL standards (with perhaps a little more emphasis on precision). The fact that you have time in the DA-20 is nice for a flight or two because you're familiar with the cockpit, but the aircraft does not fly that much different from either the C-150/152 trainers or the C-172/Piper PA-28 series...the latter only being slightly "heavier" on the controls due to their slightly heavier construction. Any flying time will help, any right seat time will help slightly. Switching from yoke to stick will not be a significant issue and I seriously doubt success at IFS will be significantly affected by which aircraft you fly prior to arrival. If you can, fly a Diamond (20 or 40) just for a personal comfort and familiarity, but if there's no Diamond, any light aircraft will do. Books, people...get in the books!!! THAT will make a difference.

[jimbobpow13]

Pardon my noob-ness. What books are you talking about? Just basic flight principles?

Thanks