Unit Aircrews as Teams

[Major Carrales]

Late last year our unit, after a year of building and retooling, we finally had 1 MP, 1 MO and 4 MS.  As an "term of endearment" we began to refer to them as the "Alpha Aircrew."  The "Alpha Aircrew" flew very well on Saturday (17 FEB 2007) at a Distributive SARex.

There is a prepetual cycle of training, meaning, that the MS are in training for MO and MO pilots are working up to MP in that they are a few short of the hours they need.

My point/issue is, as we develop more aircrews the practice is been to set them up as a "unit" or "team."  This way the MO and the MP are sort of intune as well as the back seat.

Is it best to informally assign them thusly...odds are if a local SAR was to take place they, in theory, would know each other pretty well.  Odds are are at exercises they would be broken up to fly with others.

Does any other unit do this?  Are Aircrew members to be regarded as a "team" or as individuals?" Is such a concept a good idea...workable?

Before I even entertain this practice...please comment.

[RiverAux]

There are some distinct advantages to having an aircrew "team" but the practical reality is that most of the time the "team" isn't available all at the same time and you need to use a pick-up crew anyway.  The "team" also quickly breaks down during a large SAREX or mission where the "extra" people end up with other aircrews anyway. 

All in all I think most of the time it is better for CAP to train people to expect to work with everyone.  It helps to keep down on clique formation as well. 

[Major Carrales]

All in all I think most of the time it is better for CAP to train people to expect to work with everyone.  It helps to keep down on clique formation as well. 

I agree, everyone needs to work with everyone. 

But, what if your MP...who wants to fly personally paid for proficiency time might like to take the same blokes with him that he might fly with at a SARex?  What if the MO and the MS(s) might help with some time and money?  What if they formed a tight relationship for the benefit of the unit?

The idea is to build an Aircrew around your MPs.  They can then train new CAP Aviators as a team as well.  Maybe also build some "legacy" within the unit.

[RiverAux]

On the MPs dime I say he can fly with whoever he wants, but if CAP is paying for it, then that is a different story.  Then, the theme should be making sure everyone has a more or less equal chance to fly for free.  Not that everyone should have equal time in the air, just an equal chance.  So, with your 4 scanners you should have a (informal or formal) rotation in which each gets called first at some point and gets a chance to turn down the mission.  Then, move on until one takes it.  Next time, scanner #2 gets called first, etc. 

Frankly, it shouldn't be up the MP who they fly with in the first place.  Its the commander's (or OPs depending on how you do things) job to assign crews. 

Nothing else will break up unit morale faster than some people feeling left out because they're not one of the GOBs. 

[Major Carrales]

On the MPs dime I say he can fly with whoever he wants, but if CAP is paying for it, then that is a different story.  Then, the theme should be making sure everyone has a more or less equal chance to fly for free.  Not that everyone should have equal time in the air, just an equal chance.  So, with your 4 scanners you should have a (informal or formal) rotation in which each gets called first at some point and gets a chance to turn down the mission.  Then, move on until one takes it.  Next time, scanner #2 gets called first, etc. 

Frankly, it shouldn't be up the MP who they fly with in the first place.  Its the commander's (or OPs depending on how you do things) job to assign crews. 

Nothing else will break up unit morale faster than some people feeling left out because they're not one of the GOBs. 

Thank you for your input, this is very helpful to me. 

I refer more to the "pilot's own dime" senario.

I think I will leave the "Alpha/Bravo/Charlie Aircrew" practice as a PR buzzword and nothing more.

Again thanks,
Major Carrales

[Eclipse]

I have no issue with building aircrews, I think they are a good idea, build esprit-de-corps, as well as confidence in each other's abilities.  Positive peer pressure between team members will help insure people show up, are prepared, etc.

And for the most part, if you report to the AOBD that you have a cohernet team, they will likely have no issue letting you fly together - base staff are
looking for mission success.  Anything that helps that is usually accepted.

With that said...

I have made it clear that these teams cannot pimadonnas.

They cannot exclude other members from training with them, nor can they refuse to fly with other members when necessary.

As with almost everything CAP (and life), its about setting expectations from the start.

As mentioned, the last things we need are more cliques...

[Trung Si Ma]

As someone who will shortly bring their own aircraft on searches (trying to solve the hum in the i/c from the HF), I like the idea of flying with the same people as often as possible.  I know what my favorite MO does and our quirks are compatable.  I'm a little easier on swapping in MS's, but I want my normal MO.

[A.Member]

There are some distinct advantages to having an aircrew "team" but the practical reality is that most of the time the "team" isn't available all at the same time and you need to use a pick-up crew anyway.  The "team" also quickly breaks down during a large SAREX or mission where the "extra" people end up with other aircrews anyway. 

All in all I think most of the time it is better for CAP to train people to expect to work with everyone.  It helps to keep down on clique formation as well. 

Agreed 100%. 

In an ideal world, working consistently with a crew certainly would be great but that is not our world - the volunteer world.  The chances of a particular crew actually working together is pretty slim.  The model is to have any component (crewmember) be used interchangeably, from aircrew to ground team to mission base.   As a practical matter, it only makes sense.  Thus, we must "train the way we fight".

As such, I'd be opposed to any idea to train as "teams".   As for esprit de corps, there is plenty of opportunity to build that in other places.

[ZigZag911]

It's a great thing to build a team spirit, as long as they remain flexible and willing to work separately, too.

One benefit is if they can be counted on to respond together for actual missions, at least some of the time....this is always helpful to an IC, especially when running an ELT search in the wee hours!

Congratulations to your Alpha Aircrew for their performance this weekend....hopefully they will serve as the heart of your unit's aircrew training, bring some of the other folks along.

[Major Carrales]

It's a great thing to build a team spirit, as long as they remain flexible and willing to work separately, too.

One benefit is if they can be counted on to respond together for actual missions, at least some of the time....this is always helpful to an IC, especially when running an ELT search in the wee hours!

Congratulations to your Alpha Aircrew for their performance this weekend....hopefully they will serve as the heart of your unit's aircrew training, bring some of the other folks along.

Thank you...I will relay the message.  I agree with you comments. 

I guess it is that this is our first aircrew in a long time, I want them to have fun it it. 

[lordmonar]

You got two side of this coin.

Mission Crews Flying/Training as a team:

PROS:

1) Great Team intergration....everyone knows everyone and how they do their jobs.  

2) Good team work equates to better and quicker training.

CONS:

1) Training is harder to schedule....one person not available and your training does not get done.

2) Harder to coordinate crew availability.

3) "Stick Hogging" by the crew.  If the crew is set and fully manned, new ES people would find it harder to get training flights because Pilot X only flies with "his" crew.  New people would have to wait for a slot to open or to find a whole new crew to join.

I am not against it....so long as no one is being left out in the cold.

[Major Carrales]

You got two side of this coin.

Mission Crews Flying/Training as a team:

PROS:

1) Great Team intergration....everyone knows everyone and how they do their jobs.  

2) Good team work equates to better and quicker training.

CONS:

1) Training is harder to schedule....one person not available and your training does not get done.

2) Harder to coordinate crew availability.

3) "Stick Hogging" by the crew.  If the crew is set and fully manned, new ES people would find it harder to get training flights because Pilot X only flies with "his" crew.  New people would have to wait for a slot to open or to find a whole new crew to join.

I am not against it....so long as no one is being left out in the cold.

Thing like "stick hogging" have not even entered my frame of reference.  I agree, no one must be denied training or flying. 

I was thinking of it more as a designation within the Squadron, to demonstrate who trained and in what order.  They would all have to work together to get the mission done.

Right now we only have one aircrew...and no air plane I might add.

In Texas, the way we train is via DSARex (distributive across the WING), I can envision the Alpha AIR CREW personnel deploying to, let's say Brownsville, while the BRAVO Aircrew might Deploy to Victoria and the CHARLIE AIRCREW flying out of the home unit.