July 25, 200817 yr "new" ISR platform coming to a theater near you. Probably making it harder to stay in your current flying job. //exerpt// For the Air Force, congressional approval would bring $197.9 million to buy intelligence systems like seven Hawker Beechcraft-manufactured C-12 aircraft, which, the document said "supports the [secretary's] initiative to put more ISR capability in the war fighters' hands immediately." Another $61.6 million would go toward integrating new imaging and defensive systems on those C-12 planes. The remaining amount intended for the air service would buy other items, including training systems, software, sensor packages and other aircraft modifications. Full article If Congress signs this, watch out. More aircraft = more requirements to pull you out of your current job. Good news is at least it's flying, but it's guaranteed to be High Demand, Low Density from the start. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. Who will fly them, what will the TDY rates be like, what will this do to rated manning, how will this tie in with the current demand for UAV pilots, how much will this affect the strained flying hour program, where will the FTU be?
July 25, 200817 yr I recently received an AFPC briefing that indicated an RC-12 is coming out in 2009 for the AF. It is true it is a new ISR platform with requirements to be filled. I'd keep your eyes out for that opportunity. It'll probably be stationed at Andrews.
July 25, 200817 yr They should dual-qual up the predator pilots in the RC-12. That would ease the pain a bit of being a pred operator.
July 25, 200817 yr The pred community is already short manned, there is no way they could support two aircraft.
July 25, 200817 yr Any time another MANNED platform is added or being proposed you'll always find me cheering--more job security and more oppurtunities to stay in the air as opposed to a UAV... Don't know, just my initial reaction. I know c-12s aren't glamorous but...
July 26, 200817 yr "new" ISR platform coming to a theater near you. Probably making it harder to stay in your current flying job. Or making it easier to get back into a flying job coming out of a staff gig.
July 27, 200817 yr sounds great to me...more manned platforms = good, actual flying jobs near DC = even better
September 18, 200817 yr Anyone heard anything new on basing or the manning plan for the RC-12 as it comes online? https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/09/...d_rc12_091708w/ Guard to train RC-12 pilots, sensor operators By Sam LaGrone - Staff writer Posted : Thursday Sep 18, 2008 7:40:31 EDT Crews for the Air Force’s newest intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft will be trained up by the National Guard. The 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, Miss., will train 1,000 pilots and sensor operators for the RC-12, an Army ISR aircraft the Air Force plans to bring online this year. “The pilots and the sensor operators will come to us qualified in the RC-12,” said Lt. Col. Brad Crawford, the 186th’s executive officer. “The piece that we’re responsible for is training these crews on the mission qualification part of it.” The RC-12 training program, called Project Liberty, will begin in January, draw $100 million dollars and provide seven of the converted Beechcraft King Air planes to the 186th. Crawford said the mission qualification training could take six to eight weeks once the training specifics are nailed down. The service plans to acquire 30 aircraft in addition to the seven at Key Field to operate primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq in support of battlefield commanders on the ground in small-scale engagements. The acquisition of the RC-12 is part of the Air Force’s stated goal of providing more manned and unmanned ISR capability inside theaters, especially Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
September 19, 200817 yr From what I heard , the backenders (Cam and sensor ops) will all be enlisted aircrew pulled from existing platorms such as AWACS and JSTARS.
September 19, 200817 yr Those training in this with the Mississippi Guard are very lucky. I fly the RC-26 and have flown with these guys in other areas...by far some of the most knowledgable pilots out there. Its just too bad the RC-12 isnt going to the guard.
September 19, 200817 yr The AF already has a very robust and ever-expanding manned ISR platform. Why don't they just fuel that fire a little more rather then build a new pipeline with a new asset? It doesn't make sense to me.
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