noumenon

Great Instructor. Hands on, as required, to correct deviations in the cockpit. Charming Southern accent made it hard to ignore oral instruction.

It was about 4 hrs total, 2 flights including the checkride. 1536 plus 400 for the DPE fee. I stayed at the Navy lodge 20 minutes up the road, good rooms for $80 a night. Drove over on a Tuesday, left DT at 1 o'clock on Thursday to drive home.

Downtown sent out Piper Twin specific gouge and notified me well in advance (3 months). I then followed up about a week out to confirm. Big picture, the gouge will be extremely similar between the duchess and the twin Comanche, other than different V speeds and the Twin being fuel injected. I felt like the GK on day 1 was a bro check to see if I actually cared enough to study prior...they are doing a review to make sure you are indeed the knowledgeable aviator they believe you to be due to your military flying background. The ATP tabletop portion covered a diverse area of information, but I wasn't asked anything about a light twin or the Piper that I didn't know from the gouge or the Instruction given day 1. Study the gouge, and get a copy of "Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot," this book is your one stop shop for all things you want to learn quickly in an easy to read format. If you are willing to show up prepared with a positive attitude, and take their program seriously while remaining humble--this is your place to go. I was flying with a 22 yr old getting schooled like it was day 1 of pilot training on the first day. I chair flew the stuff she taught that night, stressed appropriately until the alcohol kicked in, and went to bed early. Day 2 = ATP in hand, and happy happy happy. I repeat, you will NOT feel over prepared, but you will be prepared for the check ride. Not a walk in and walk out with a ticket kind of place, but I am confident they can get you where you need to be. Rest assured, if you need additional time in the light twin, they will provide it or even recommend it to you. IF they recommend it, I'd suggest you take it...if they don't think you need it...go to the check ride. PM me if you want more info, happy to help.

I did the ATP in the Twin Comanche at Downtown Aviation. If you need recent gouge, PM me. BL - YOU WONT FEEL OVER-PREPARED walking out to the airplane, but you will be prepared. If you show up prepped, should be a smooth first day, and on the second day...you will fly the airplane to the standards of the ATP practical. If you're a semi-proficient mil pilot you SHOULDNT have anything to fret about. It was the right place to go for the money...$1950 for the ticket including the DPE fee. My prep was about 10 hours on the front end, and then 3 hours on Day 1 after the first flight.

Anyone been to Downtown Aviation in Memphis lately? Looking for gouge/study guides. They've added a Piper Twin Comanche so gouge specific to that would be helpful. Please PM if you can help, thanks!

Stick, I'm congratulating you for having the courage to punch despite being on the "path." You made your mind up, followed your convictions, and it worked out. You will be missed brodimir putin, take her easy.

check your personal messages.

True...while I can't find anything specifically saying that VSP is a required first step (legality) in reducing forces, it seems best to think of it that way. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title10/pdf/USCODE-2011-title10-subtitleA-partII-chap59-sec1175a.pdf --for anyone interested, here is the law of the land. Worth getting familiar with a few things from title 10 these days IMO.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131114/BENEFITS02/311140038/Pilots-pass-up-225-000-bonuses Rut Roh...

The term Gucci originates from the issued flight bags the original -10 guys (circa Barksdale/March/Seymour etc.) carried with them to the airplane. At the time...the shoe fit. From a space available reference: no glass...manual TOLD, airplanes beat to $h!t, smelled like piss and only 'hot cuz they're deployed'...a lot. Still the most comfortable military airplane I've been on, felt like an airline flight. Hate to hear this might be going...from a planner's perspective this airplane has an extraordinary ability to save CAS in the AOR. It was always the 'best' choice for the CAOC when you needed a plan to support navy/air force/heavies...to include the mighty herk. -130 crew stuck in Lajes for 5 days due to winds...-10 crew came through, drank heavily, and then offered to hang with us to refuel after 30 minutes of flight to get the tanks full...came through the next day unbeknownst to their mom at TACC...got us home. Very good dudes.

PM

Last stand of the Legacy...AMC wants to divest itself of slick TFIs in 2015. An adequately vetted rumor, anyone with more insight?

GC/Liquid, Another point of view. Lot of talk about that bottom 25% being easy to identify...only easy to identify given the current performance measures and reward system. Lot of folks here agree that YES, it's easy to indentify that bottom. Rethink the whole performance measurement and reward system, and the bottom 25% will change. "The people who are closest to the work, know who's doing it". -Jack Welch. As a hook, this video mentions AWC...

GC This is one pilots point of view. Tracking that we should remove emotion from this discussion, but in that statement I feel we're missing something valuable. Real leaders understand that we are never dealing with individuals just evaluating this decision from a financial point of view or in black and white, even if the bean counters are just looking at money and end strength numbers. I value realism and appreciate the bean counting realism you're offering, but it's a little out of touch. If the bonus isn't the place to show appreciation for a pilot's service, then please use this pilot's forum to find the words it's missing. For example you touched on it with keep the faith, but then erased it with the thank you for your service pilot pansy, that sucked and I know you're better than that. Our inspiration still lies in the warrior ideal, and we need leaders than can inspire that image in our folks, so they can go out and confidently prosecute the mission, bonus or no. This talk about the mission and the people, and finding the right balance of numbers that the nation needs to meet emerging threats from a statistical point of view misses a lot of the quirks that can't be quantified. IMO, we've created entire staffs to work issues that would not exist if the Air Force could inspire it's people by giving them an image of a future that they could project themselves on without cringing, gah. The bonus, why does it exist? The answer to that question seems innumerable but ultimately it's because A1 won't start with the people, its most valuable resource. A1 is starting with numbers to fix the numbers. Start with the people, and you'll end with the mission complete and we'll be thankful all the while. If the retention numbers go up for 11Xs it might also be because Welsh is inspiring, and the bonus is a sideshow that will catch a few on the fencers, but for the most part it's just extra. Check out Steve Jobs here talking about the future of Apple and its people, start at 7:40. It's a message you began to touch on, stick around till at least 12:55. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM4tAXacpVE It's all about end strength numbers and money if I hear it correctly, we'll address the problems as they arise. My opinion is that the Air Force has failed to inspire it's people beyond the initial sacrifice without incentive, and that's a problem the Air Force cannot address with more money at ANY time, hell attempting to fix it with money is part of the problem! If leaders could inspire us all with their words and offer the quality of life that would make the word of the day gratitude there would be no bonus. However, offering a cynical remedy for the disease of cynicism isn't much of a cure. There is a more positive way, just get creative. A1 doesn't have the cajones to get rid of the bonus, that's how cynical A1 is. That 225K$ could be spent on a tremendous educational experience sending every 11X through a great school at the end of their commitment and make the covenant more valuable, while emphasizing the first 10-12 years as a chance to develop tactical expertise without that dreaded AAD distraction. It would be a transition. It would give Airmen a break at a breaking point and invest that same money in a less cynical way. It has the added benefit of getting our message and real leadership experience out in the university setting, attracting and inspiring even more future leaders. It would give folks the chance to add value to their cranium before they go back to ops or staff. That would be a positive message and a score for leadership and the development of critical thinkers. A hell of a sell to congress and a great message to young people wanting to have more options when they don't have the pleasure of serving any more. Thinkers and doers sir, that's what we need, the combo of art and science--develop it. We're worth something more thoughtful. The take it or leave it, there's the door mantra is so cynical, we want leaders that are worth our service and motivate us to follow. The decision to stay or go for a pilot whose commitment is up represents a turning point not only for the individual, but for the entire Air Force that will exist with each individuals continued service, or without it. We mercs will try and evaluate this decision with heartfelt gratitude and more grace than Big blue evaluates us. We'll try and ignore the 3 AM wakeups with tremendous anxiety and myriad images of an uncertain future, the snapshot of the kids and spouses faces that run through our minds with every deployment and just make it a financial decision. All I'm saying is that if you've come to preach to Nineveh, I hope you've spent time sounding the deep in the belly of the whale.

In a previous baseops post, I argued this subject and I still maintain that the question is invalid--are you an officer or a pilot? I'm sorry, for me that's a formal fallacy. This enters me into an argument which is invalid...the premises of the question are both and always true--I am always both. The only way I can answer this question, whether pushing pallets or paper is by asking myself a higher question--am I a leader? If Yes, then I will make damn sure I am always authentically both an officer and a pilot; or, even better, have the integrity to admit when it's out of balance and correct.