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Geoff's Blog

A blog by spectre56 in General

  • Entries

    110

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    40,734

About this blog

Fun times at IFS, UPT and Airfield Ops

Entries in this blog

Wed April 30

Well, today we learned a bit about patterns, departures, and arrivals into the 3 airports we use up here. Some of it is fairly straight forward, but a good bit of it is sort of confusing. I'm sure it will become much more clear as we start flying. My suggestion would be to get with a buddy or your class and set up a runway on the floor with tape and simply go through taxi, takeoff, patterns, landings, etc. so at least you know the procedures. That way, it should be a little bit smoother when

Thur May 15

So, as of last night, wasn't scheduled to fly...but I get back from breakfast this morning and, voila! I'm on the schedule! I'm getting ready and planning, etc, and there's a stop launch because of winds....again. There were a few people that flew today, but not too many. Chalk another day up to weather. I'm thinking that i'll probably fly tomorrow since the senior class' IPs are getting freed up. Also, the new class got here today, so the place is getting crowded!

Here we go again

Well, got my RIP this past friday and looks like i'll be heading up to Oregon in June. I'm still super excited about it and can't wait to start. Otherwise, things are going well. I got to be a pecker checker the other day which was no bueno, but I got through it. That's about the most work i've done in the past week or so (knock on wood). Also, out of all the other folks that were on CR, 3 or 4 have gotten the boot and, surprisingly, one guy just got reinstated! I'm pretty happy for hi

Wed May 7

Well, didn't fly again today. I think a few flights got out this morning, but the weather came in late morning and all flights were cancelled for the rest of the day. Good news was that our flight commander bumped another guy off the flight schedule who was supposed to do his 2nd or 3rd ride to put me on there. I was going to be one of the last flights of the day, but, as I mentioned before, the weather rolled in and it started raining. I just studied all day, went out to one of the planes

Day 7

Aero Phys Day 4. We did parachute landing fall (PLF) stuff all morning and, while a lot of fun, my knees are killing me! After lunch we had a couple classes on spacial disorientation and noise and vibration. Pretty good day overall. We still don't know if we passed boldface/ops limits or not.

Christmas

So those of us who failed the EPQ took it again this morning and we all passed. So, we were opted to fly, but the weather tanked again! A few people briefed it up for practice, but nothing came of it. We had some shotgun question time for about an hour and our flight commander basically called it a day around 11 or 12. I was glad to leave early but disappointed that I didn't get to fly...oh well, we'll probably start double turning when we get back so I guess I'll just enjoy the down time be

EPQs

So, did I mention that I really dislike EPQs? Well, I do...why? I busted another one; this time by one question. But I guess that's all it takes. These things are killing me! I understand the material, but i'm just not recalling all the info that we have to read. Ugh, I'll make it...it's going to be tough, but i'll get it! Other than that, not much going on today. It's night week so we don't go in until 9ish (am for those who didn't catch that). We don't have many flights this week be

Finally

Well, the man has decided that it would be best if I not continue in pilot training. My new assignment, however, will be airfield operations which, from what i've read, doesn't sound too bad. It sucks that I won't be able to be a military pilot anymore, but I did try my hardest and gave it my best shot, and it just wasn't in the cards for me. I thank everyone who has been reading this and supporting me along the way. I'll still be around on Baseops about as much as I normally am, but proba

Donuts anyone?

Well, still waiting on word on where and when i'll be going. Little bit of good news today, though: learned that i'll find out when and/or where i'll be heading either friday or next week sometime. Bad news about that is that, since the school is 2 years long or so, and each of the 10 guard bases where the training occurs can only accommodate 4 trainees each, i'll be sticking around here for another 2-3 months. Not bad in the grand scheme of things, but it would be nice to leave sooner rather

Change of plans

Ya knew it was going to happen! Well, dates are still the same, but we'll be moving up to Travis AFB instead of Oregon. Still pretty excited about the move; even a little moreso now that we'll be at an actual base with all the amenities therein. I will be sent to Oklahoma City for a day or so to take an ATC aptitude test to see if i'm "worthy" to be an ATC dude. I guess a lot of people have been washing out of the program so the AF wants to implement this test to nip these things in the bud.

Finally!

Weather cleared up around noonish today and got to do my dollar ride this afternoon! Pretty cool, but I need to put my nose in the books that much more now. That was my only free ride in T-6s and we just went out to the aux field and then to the area to tool around some. Came back after an hour flight and called it a day. End of week 1 in phase II and so far so good! We get paid to do this stuff?!?!?! What a deal! Have a great weekend!

Settling In

Well, got my new house (and when I say new, I mean it was built in the last month or so) on base and we're breaking it in just nicely. It's nice not having to look for a house anymore and worry about that anymore. On another note, should be going to Keesler in a couple weeks for training. Mississippi in July: just what I wanted!! Should be great. Other than that, nothing new going on, just seeing what I can see and learning as much as possible in the real world vice what i'll get in AETCl

Day 22

Took the aero test - again - this morning. Passed! I have to keep those to a minimum... Had another sim today...went much better for me than the one yesterday, but still need to study like it's going out of style! I'm home for lunch right now and have to do about 5 CAIs before a class at noon tomorrow. I'm relishing these "easy" days before the poop hits the oscillating device.

Back to work

Well, it's back to work tomorrow. I guess it wouldn't be back to work, since I only popped in for a few minutes last monday...so, just time to go to work. Yeah, that'll work. Looked at a bunch of houses and found a few nice ones...and a few duds. My concern is when will DLA and my PCS pay come through so I can put down the exorbitant deposit these places want!! We've got a few on the short list, so hopefully we'll hear about them in the next week or so: the wife and kiddo are getting ants

Travelling

Well, looks like I'll be heading up to Oregon soon! I have been told that I should receive my orders in a week or two, so hopefully about a month after that we'll be heading up to the northwest. If anyone knows anything about Klamath Falls, let me know. I start part of my training at Keesler around mid November, there for about 3 months, then head back up to Oregon for 2 years to train alongside the F-15s up there. I'm pretty excited and can't wait to move on!

Back to the suck!

Back to the grind! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years! Well, had EPQ 2 today...not so bueno. So, academics aren't going so well overall and now I'm on procedural and academic CAP. I'm understanding the material, I guess i'm just not retaining all of it that I need to. We didn't do anything today besides the EPQ. Supposed to go to the OG/CC call this morning, but I guess there were too many people and all the studs were told to go back to the flight rooms. So we took the

Starting all over

Checked in to the base today. Turned out to be very uneventful. Met my boss and the squadron commander and a few other important people in the squadron. Got some checklists and took off on permissive TDY to go house hunting for 8 days. I'd call it another vacation, but I really have to get hot and heavy in trying to find a place for the family to live since base housing has a horrendous wait. Anyway, not really doing anything until next thursday, so unless something spectacular happens, i'l

Wouldn't ya know it

Well, took the instruments 2 test this morning and, due to carelessness (bad math, marking the wrong answer, etc) I hooked it. That sends me to commander's review. So i'll be in limbo while the wing commander decides my fate. I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best. All I really know right now is that i've done my best.

TGIF

So I flew this morning and it didn't go great, but I don't think it was all THAT bad. I haven't checked the grade, but the IP said I was going to get a fair or a unsat. Not good. I think I would learn stuff a lot better with a different IP...granted, I don't know as much as I should know, but don't get all pissed off and cuss when I do stuff wrong. Nuff said. It's friday and the super bowl is on sunday!! I have a weekend full of studying for instruments 2 test and the EPQ that the rest o

Ifs Lessons Learned

Alright, well, I expected to have more lessons learned, but I don't. Feel free to add on to this as necessary. In no particular order... - Relax: I was super nervous going there. Don't be. Everyone is very helpful and friendly especially while checking in, but also throughout the whole time I was there. Everyone is really there to help you make it through. - If you don't like really hard or fluffy pillows, bring your own. - Bring some electronic entertainment: XBox, PS, Wii, etc goes a

Day 27

Started off the day with a weather class then went into a CAI and a review of the contact lessons. That was it for the morning...I had about 4 hours off before my sim, so I came home and had lunch then went to the gym for a little bit before my sim started. I got out right at 12 hours so me and another guy don't have to go in until a little bit later than the rest of the class: nice.

Still Hangin On

Ok, sorry i've been absent for the last few days...my head's been elsewhere. Had my 88 ground eval on thursday: didn't pass. Had 89 ground eval yesterday: passed. I have been having my doubts about this lately, but thanks to some dedicated family and friends and at least one reader on here, i'm back in the game. I get in a funk sometimes (like everyone else in pilot training at some point, I would suspect) and it takes a lot of poking and prodding to get me out of it. But my attitude is muc

Day 9

Aero Phys Day 6. Did the altitude chamber today. That was pretty fun...it had been about 8 years since I had done it and it was still pretty cool. That took up the whole morning then one of the aero phys guys grilled burgers and hot dogs for us for lunch; good times! After lunch we came back to practice egressing from the aircraft/study for the test for a couple hours. I passed the test! Again, we had no failures. 2 tests down and 6 to go or something like that. We have tomorrow off fo

Dollar ride? Nah...

I was scheduled for my dollar ride this morning, but the weather decided it was more important, so cancelled for the morning. Got to go to commander's call, though! Got back and got scheduled for a dollar ride in the afternoon. You guessed it...the weather was just crappy enough to make us not go--again. We'll try again tomorrow.

Day 21

Ok, thanksgiving is done...let's go christmas! Had our aerodynamics test this afternoon after some CAIs and a sim. This sim was the start of the "real life" sims doing checklists and flying around and stuff; pretty neat. I was way behind the power curve and it showed in the sim. But, now I know exactly what I need to study for the next time. Aerodynamics test....yeah, not so much. Didn't pass. I got some stuff confused in my head and only missed 2 more than what is allowed, but a fail

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