For the pilots, do you think there would be any benefit to the wing funding hours at the aero club to maintain proficiency. Not to be used as a replacement for hours, but as a supplement. For example, an E-8 will burn $10,000/hr in fuel alone for a flight, not including mx. For that price, you could fly 100 hours in a Piper Arrow.
Pros
- GPS Approach proficiency
---- The JSTARS cannot fly GPS approaches
- VFR proficiency
---- Try telling your Sq/CC that you'd like to go fly VFR point-to-point
- Fill in the gaps of some sim training
---- In the sim, you're the only airplane in the airspace. But you get to deal with congestion if you take an airplane into Atlanta Class B
- General Airmanship
---- Flying twice a month may keep you current but won't build proficiency. An airplane is an airplane and will build air sense regardless of platform.
Cons
- Not MWS Specific
---- May build habit patterns that don't translate (P-Factor, etc)
- Cost
---- The squadron may have to find money somewhere to fund this. Probably a tough sell to pull this cash from the FHP.
- Time
---- Pulling the pilots out of the squadron will take them away from their other duties.
In addition to the aero club idea, I was also wondering about the value of placing T-6s at heavy bases like this for the same purpose. However, I think the mx and life support functions would drive the complexity to a level where it isn't feasible. Not to mention the fact that you know the AF would require flight evals, boldfaces, etc...
I'm trying to write a paper on this, so please give me some feedback on my idea.