Initial Pilot Training and Future Pilot Training

[Clark Griswold]

21 hours ago, Blue said:

It's been equal parts alarming and saddening to watch this develop over the past 20+ years.  And it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Tangent:

It might get better 

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/01/21/trump-taps-officer-who-castigated-lack-of-afghan-accountability-for-defense-department-post-n2184618
 

He's just one guy but light a candle and if there are others to fight for change in the Puzzle Palace things might get better.  Think about it, pretty much the entire LAF officer cadre think acquisition is totally FUBAR, I’m hopeful this is reaching critical mass and change could happen.

Question for guys that live in base or close to it for your airline, if a new UPT syllabus was created along with likely a new aircraft to go with it, would you drop mil leave if you could start your mil duty at or near base flying out in the training aircraft, fly for a week or so then return to your base in said mil trainer.  Students then fly aircraft back to mil UPT base, solo or crewed.  
This is just another of my ideas from left field but the existing UPT bases are not that far from major domiciles, END to DFW is 211 NM, CBM to ATL is 201, etc… if they could out n back to pick up Reserve IPs to fly but cut out the self directed commute and positive space effectively would there be interest?

[Rated Flyer 4 Life]

On 1/21/2025 at 6:53 AM, Clark Griswold said:

Tangent:

It might get better 

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/01/21/trump-taps-officer-who-castigated-lack-of-afghan-accountability-for-defense-department-post-n2184618
 

He's just one guy but light a candle and if there are others to fight for change in the Puzzle Palace things might get better.  Think about it, pretty much the entire LAF officer cadre think acquisition is totally FUBAR, I’m hopeful this is reaching critical mass and change could happen.

Question for guys that live in base or close to it for your airline, if a new UPT syllabus was created along with likely a new aircraft to go with it, would you drop mil leave if you could start your mil duty at or near base flying out in the training aircraft, fly for a week or so then return to your base in said mil trainer.  Students then fly aircraft back to mil UPT base, solo or crewed.  
This is just another of my ideas from left field but the existing UPT bases are not that far from major domiciles, END to DFW is 211 NM, CBM to ATL is 201, etc… if they could out n back to pick up Reserve IPs to fly but cut out the self directed commute and positive space effectively would there be interest?

I know I personally would be interested in it. I’m considering the airline/UPT IP gig as something down the road because it seems like it might be easier to keep up with all the beans than my current gig. Plus from what I’ve been told, it sounds like being a UPT IP has a lot of flexibility in terms of days you have to work and when you work…plus no deployments

[Clark Griswold]

I know I personally would be interested in it. I’m considering the airline/UPT IP gig as something down the road because it seems like it might be easier to keep up with all the beans than my current gig. Plus from what I’ve been told, it sounds like being a UPT IP has a lot of flexibility in terms of days you have to work and when you work…plus no deployments

Thanks that’s one datapoint.

Two ideas:

1 - New syllabus that has out n backs intermixed in different phases to get to where the Reserve IPs are. Start duty at Domicile, fly out in prepositioned aircraft with/without students as required. 3 day trip with return to preposition aircraft for the next iteration of this cycle.

2 - Establish a liaison aircraft program to fly IPs in something like a Cessna Caravan or Courier to UPT base regularly.

Both have costs but if you wanna relieve the AD manning requirements you gotta do something to make it easier and more attractive to get the guys you want to fly it.
I’d also recommend an additional sweetener, two UPT support trips a month gets Tricare Prime or other monetary benefit.

This just addresses the manning, aircraft reliability and availability is another issue but one at a time.

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[CaptainMorgan]

Thanks that’s one datapoint.

Two ideas:

1 - New syllabus bus that has out n backs intermixed in different phases to get to where the Reserve IPs are. Start duty at Domicile, fly out in prepositioned aircraft with/without students as required. 3 day trip with return to preposition aircraft for the next iteration of this cycle.

2 - Establish a liaison aircraft program to fly IPs in something like a Cessna Caravan or Courier to UPT base regularly.

Both have costs but if you wanna relieve the AD manning requirements you gotta do something to make it easier and more attractive to get the guys you want to fly it.
I’d also recommend an additional sweetener, two UPT support trips a month gets Tricare Prime or other monetary benefit.

This just addresses the manning, aircraft reliability and availability is another issue but one at a time.

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Not terrible ideas, but 5-10 years too late. The T-6 is next on the chopping block. Once IPT gets going, there won’t be a reason to repair/replace the T-6. They’ll just let it die and send IPT grads straight to the T-7 if going fighters, or the FTUs for heavy aircraft. Reservist manning won’t matter nearly as much at that point. Maybe Congress steps in, because the Reps/Senators for Enid and Columbus probably don’t want to see the loss of jobs/govt spending in their districts.


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[brabus]

Let’s say funding and airspace access was a non-issue, so we start moving T-6s to airline bases. Some guys will jump on it, and most will stop doing it relatively quickly once they’re reminded why they left the AF for the airlines in the first place (summed up as “all the bullshit.”) The bullshit is un-killable.

[ViperMan]

On 1/21/2025 at 6:53 AM, Clark Griswold said:

Question for guys that live in base or close to it for your airline, if a new UPT syllabus was created along with likely a new aircraft to go with it, would you drop mil leave if you could start your mil duty at or near base flying out in the training aircraft, fly for a week or so then return to your base in said mil trainer.  Students then fly aircraft back to mil UPT base, solo or crewed.

This is just another of my ideas from left field but the existing UPT bases are not that far from major domiciles, END to DFW is 211 NM, CBM to ATL is 201, etc… if they could out n back to pick up Reserve IPs to fly but cut out the self directed commute and positive space effectively would there be interest?

I would do it. Or I would do something like it. In fact, I am currently looking for a "retirement" gig that will let me keep doing military aviation in a part time capacity. I'm figuring out how to min run the airlines, and am winding up with a lot of free time on my hands. May as well do what I like, get paid retirement, get paid min guarantee, and then make extra money chasing clouds. That said, I'm aware of things like Drachen, etc. I also don't want to fly perma red air. For some reason I'd rather do something IFF-like or straight UPT. Maybe I'm crazy.

Not gonna be able to do the part time (non-retired) gig after I'm retirement eligible - I just can't make working for free make financial sense.

Edited 10 hours ago by ViperMan