Transfer to the Air Force, need gouge

[Bigred]

99,

   Just got my approval for transfer into the KC-135 community and I'll be heading to Mildenhall in about a year. I've been flying helicopters with the Navy for about 15 years so I'm looking for some gouge/guidance on what I need to start studying wrt Air Force specific flight rules as well as Air Force-isms in general. I realize I have a learning curve ahead of me so I'm trying to get ahead of the game.

For reference, my background, active Navy O-4 helo driver with about 2,700 hours in both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. And before anyone asks, I would rather go to the Air Force and get my retirement than get out now and slog through the regionals to make mins for the majors.

Appreciate the info/help.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Bigred

[Standby]

https://www.e-publishing.af.mil/

AFMAN 11-217V1 for instrument rules. 

11-202V3 for basic flight rules. Each MAJCOM has its own supplement but the parent reg should get you started. 

[ThreeHoler]

That is good info on the current regs. I would recommend dropping the “99” we like to say “all players.”


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[Bigred]

2 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:

I would recommend dropping the “99” we like to say “all players.”


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Of all things, I have a feeling this one may be the most difficult to get past :)

[ThreeHoler]

I laughed when I read the “99” because I got what you were saying. People might just look at you weird.


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[VMFA187]

17 hours ago, Bigred said:

Of all things, I have a feeling this one may be the most difficult to get past :)

Be thankful you're not having to deal with Aspect Angle vs Target Aspect and Sections/Divisions vs 2/4-ships.

 

Congrats on the transfer. A number of my buddies have and are in the process of crossing over.

[matmacwc]

22 hours ago, Bigred said:

99,

   Just got my approval for transfer into the KC-135 community and I'll be heading to Mildenhall in about a year. I've been flying helicopters with the Navy for about 15 years so I'm looking for some gouge/guidance on what I need to start studying wrt Air Force specific flight rules as well as Air Force-isms in general. I realize I have a learning curve ahead of me so I'm trying to get ahead of the game.

For reference, my background, active Navy O-4 helo driver with about 2,700 hours in both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. And before anyone asks, I would rather go to the Air Force and get my retirement than get out now and slog through the regionals to make mins for the majors.

Appreciate the info/help.

Captains and below are not “JO’s”, leave that in the Navy 

[M2]

42 minutes ago, matmacwc said:

Captains and below are not “JO’s”, leave that in the Navy 

Actually,  the Navy considers LCDRs (O-4s) and below to be JOs; although LCDRs don't consider themselves to be JOs nor do ENS/LTJGs/LTs consider LCDRs to be JOs (everything has to be complicated in the Navy!)!

For other nautical slang, please refer to this...

https://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf

[GreenEmUp]

I did it in '81. It's a big transition. While the flying regulations are similar, they're not the same. The USAF has much more regulation than the Navy. Learn what a Supplement is. I flunked the instrument test the first week because I didn't know. In the USAF, every level of command issues a supplement to every regulation. Overall, the USAF is much more conservative re wx mins. Besst of luck. USAF was an easier service to live with once you got past the nitnoy BS. But the ANG is the best. I ended up there.

[matmacwc]

Did he just say 81.

[SurelySerious]

On 2/13/2019 at 2:08 PM, GreenEmUp said:

I did it in '81. 

 

At least it’s nice to know the ridiculous supplements upon supplements hasn’t changed. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by SurelySerious

[HuggyU2]

On 2/13/2019 at 12:08 PM, GreenEmUp said:

 Overall, the USAF is much more conservative re wx mins. 

Back in the 80's, I'm not so sure.  As a 2Lt FAIP in 1987, I recall shooting T-38A PAR approaches in to Corpus when it was 100' and 3/4 one day.  Legally.  

[LookieRookie]

10 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

Back in the 80's, I'm not so sure.  As a 2Lt FAIP in 1987, I recall shooting T-38A PAR approaches in to Corpus when it was 100' and 3/4 one day.  Legally.  

The real question is: did you break out and land or have to go missed?

Edited February 17, 2019 by LookieRookie

[matmacwc]

13 hours ago, HuggyU2 said:

Back in the 80's, I'm not so sure.  As a 2Lt FAIP in 1987, I recall shooting T-38A PAR approaches in to Corpus when it was 100' and 3/4 one day.  Legally.  

TX was pretty bad for rapidly changing WX, it was only about 10 years ago they start letting T-38s shoot to published mins only at home station, were restricted about 100’ higher before that.  Did a form landing on the wing once at 100 and 1/2 during a Laughlin WX recall, legal when we started the approach, no where to go when established.  I prefer initial now, you can have the practice bleeding 

[HuggyU2]

11 hours ago, LookieRookie said:

The real question is: did you break out and land or have to go missed?

Real question?  It is obvious that, after all of these years posting here, you don’t know me. I’m a little hurt. 

Edited February 18, 2019 by HuggyU2

[Bigred]

On 2/16/2019 at 10:02 PM, HuggyU2 said:

Back in the 80's, I'm not so sure.  As a 2Lt FAIP in 1987, I recall shooting T-38A PAR approaches in to Corpus when it was 100' and 3/4 one day.  Legally.  

If that’s published mins, what’s wrong with that?

[matmacwc]

Only published mins at home, “single seat” has higher wax cat mins than other aircraft with obviously some exceptions.  I was 500 1 1/2 until “experienced” then limited to 300 and 1.  That’s how I grew up at least.

[HuggyU2]

16 hours ago, Bigred said:

If that’s published mins, what’s wrong with that?

Because new wingmen don't have the proficiency and experience for going that low.  In a training environment, is there a need to press?  One size does not fit all.

The former SAC Instrument School has morphed into the Advanced Instrument School, and they have done a ton of instrument-flight related research over the years.  There is wreckage on final approach in to Osan to prove it.  Investigating instrument-approach related mishaps drove some of the restrictions that are in place and the mishap rate in this area dropped significantly.  

Edited February 18, 2019 by HuggyU2

[Hacker]

23 hours ago, LookieRookie said:

The real question is: did you break out and land or have to go missed?

Huggy never goes through dry.

[Bigred]

Is the T-38 considered dual piloted? That’s where I think I may have assumed incorrectly. Navy single seat absolute mins are 200 - 1/2, dual piloted can take it to published mins.

[Hacker]

34 minutes ago, Bigred said:

Is the T-38 considered dual piloted? That’s where I think I may have assumed incorrectly. Navy single seat absolute mins are 200 - 1/2, dual piloted can take it to published mins.

No, there is no such nuanced definition in the AF.

[brabus]

Pretty sure the fighter world is generally 300-1 once experienced, with OG/CC waiver down to published mins. local sups may allow published mins all the time at home field. 

[Hacker]

14 minutes ago, brabus said:

Pretty sure the fighter world is generally 300-1 once experienced, with OG/CC waiver down to published mins. local sups may allow published mins all the time at home field. 

It was 200 & 1/2 in USAFE for an experienced pilot when I was there.

[Champ Kind]

What counts as experienced in the fighter community? Certain amount of hours? Flight lead or instructor certification?


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[brabus]

Hours...I think its 500 in type if its your first/only fighter, or 100 in type if you have > 500 hrs (or maybe 750, something like that) in a different fighter.

From what I've seen in three MAJCOMs, experienced = Cat A/1 (published mins), but one sup or another usually caps you at 300-1 without OG waiver.  Obviously not the case in USAFE as Hacker pointed out and I'm sure there are other places as well.  In PACAF we got the waiver quite often due to shitty weather in that part of the world.  Of course that usually meant it was shit weather up to high enough we were getting terrible training anyways..."all Cat A's to the ops desk!" is not the call you want to hear from Top 3.  Gotta love the FHP meat grinder.