The 200 hour per aircraft goal

[a2capt]

Certainly launching to listen for, and isolate, and have a strong chance of finding the source of an active ELT.. if there's ambulatory conscious survivors, they could possibly even signal back.

[Eclipse]

NHQ released the FY13 totals last week.  My wing is #2 on average per airframe (yay us!).

Some wings indicate fractions for the number of aircraft they have.  Any idea how that's possible?

Giving up the plane mid-year?  Joint custody between wings?

[JeffDG]

NHQ released the FY13 totals last week.  My wing is #2 on average per airframe (yay us!).

Some wings indicate fractions for the number of aircraft they have.  Any idea how that's possible?

Giving up the plane mid-year?  Joint custody between wings?

I would guess mid-year transfers.  I know we had one last year or the year before that left about mid-year.

[SunDog]

I admit to having drunk coffee at a SAREX,  but I don't think I yammered at the Air Branch folks. Even though they sent my crew out to DF  a practice beacon, then couldn't confirm if we had the location correct location on the debrief, because they didn't know where it had been placed. That's gonna happen sometimes, no one is perfect.

Nobody dispatched a GT to deactivate?

It was a practice beacon, gonna be in use all day. Air Branch just didn't know where it actually was, other than in a particular grid. I kinda  wanted to know how accurate we had DF'ed that puppy - that lat/long thing, wanted to narrow it down a little closer than a full grid. When I asked on debrief, it didn't seem important - debriefer thought I could ask someone or other, he wasn't sure just who.

That repeated on a few SAREX occasions - hey, Air Brnach is learning too. Gentle suggestions are usually welcome. Hints about sun position at time of search, diffrence between AGL and MSL.

As time goes by, squadron-based training seems a bit more time efficient to me. Someone has a practice beacon, someone else has a ground team. Get it done in half a day, skip the ICP chaos, no 2300 phone briefs the night before, followed by the change-up call at 0600.

[JeffDG]

I admit to having drunk coffee at a SAREX,  but I don't think I yammered at the Air Branch folks. Even though they sent my crew out to DF  a practice beacon, then couldn't confirm if we had the location correct location on the debrief, because they didn't know where it had been placed. That's gonna happen sometimes, no one is perfect.

Nobody dispatched a GT to deactivate?

It was a practice beacon, gonna be in use all day. Air Branch just didn't know where it actually was, other than in a particular grid. I kinda  wanted to know how accurate we had DF'ed that puppy - that lat/long thing, wanted to narrow it down a little closer than a full grid. When I asked on debrief, it didn't seem important - debriefer thought I could ask someone or other, he wasn't sure just who.

That repeated on a few SAREX occasions - hey, Air Brnach is learning too. Gentle suggestions are usually welcome. Hints about sun position at time of search, diffrence between AGL and MSL.

As time goes by, squadron-based training seems a bit more time efficient to me. Someone has a practice beacon, someone else has a ground team. Get it done in half a day, skip the ICP chaos, no 2300 phone briefs the night before, followed by the change-up call at 0600.

So, you've got it all figured out, yet you're unwilling to assist with staffing...gotcha.

[SunDog]

Thanks sparks for responding to my rhetorical question 

I would launch an aircraft on a night electronic search, gather resources for a first light search, determine probabilities, gather cell and radar data.  I would not be sitting on my hands until dawn.  I would be part of a CAP team searching for one our own.

Most definetly, firm agreement. Night is OK with me, let's go find 'em. I just think that by the time the calls were made, the wheels started turning, a 0030 missing would not get going until early/sunrise. CAP member, non-CAP, regardless.

We had that experience a few years ago, looking for our own, but it didn't end well. A CAP MP, in his own plane. Cell data was the clincher. As I recall, the radar data wasn't much use, as it was a target rich environment - not far outside controlled airspace, and lot's and lot's of people squawking 1200. But down in wooded mountains. I don't think the radar data gets delivered at life-saving speed, either, though in this case the outcome wasn't affected.  But can picture a case where folks were waiting and it would get the job done.

I was new MP then - not in mnagament - I think I recall the cell data taking a bit to get sorted out - couple of days? Maybe not that long, though. . .I do leave my cell turned on when I fly now.

[SunDog]

I admit to having drunk coffee at a SAREX,  but I don't think I yammered at the Air Branch folks. Even though they sent my crew out to DF  a practice beacon, then couldn't confirm if we had the location correct location on the debrief, because they didn't know where it had been placed. That's gonna happen sometimes, no one is perfect.

Nobody dispatched a GT to deactivate?

It was a practice beacon, gonna be in use all day. Air Branch just didn't know where it actually was, other than in a particular grid. I kinda  wanted to know how accurate we had DF'ed that puppy - that lat/long thing, wanted to narrow it down a little closer than a full grid. When I asked on debrief, it didn't seem important - debriefer thought I could ask someone or other, he wasn't sure just who.

That repeated on a few SAREX occasions - hey, Air Brnach is learning too. Gentle suggestions are usually welcome. Hints about sun position at time of search, diffrence between AGL and MSL.

As time goes by, squadron-based training seems a bit more time efficient to me. Someone has a practice beacon, someone else has a ground team. Get it done in half a day, skip the ICP chaos, no 2300 phone briefs the night before, followed by the change-up call at 0600.

So, you've got it all figured out, yet you're unwilling to assist with staffing...gotcha.

True enough - have zero interest in moving sticky-notes around on the map. Smarter people than me, who have the time to get the quals, and the interest to use them, do it much better.

I make myself available for SAREX's and other Wing training events, and if they want or need me, I go. Otherwise, I try to stay out of the way - is a pilot slacking if he/she doesn't work in Air Branch?  I dunno, maybe you have a point, and it is true they are sometimes short-handed.

Not sure I can spare the time for both, and still give the flying part serious attention. This is where the blizzard of other CAP time-suckers start to build up, little-bitty pieces at a time.

I don't FEEL guilty - CAP gets a lot of my time every month, and what I bring to the table is piloting.  I don't do GT or CP either. Should I feel as guilty about those worthy endavours that I also don't contribute time to? Anything more special about Air Branch? I guess you could make the argument that as a pilot, I might have more to offer in AB - but I see non-pilots doing it well enough.

I give the time I can sapre, and since it's volunteer, I spend it on the activity I like and am qualified to do. Will listen to reason, though, will keep an open mind.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

SunDog, you have committed to being a Mission Pilot and we thank you for that   :clap: :clap:

Someday you may want to do more, and we will thank you for that then.

Now back to the 200 hour per aircraft goal 

[BHartman007]

I've seen several mentions to mission pilots getting to fly for free. How does this work? I can't fly CAP aircraft yet, so I'm unfamiliar with it. Though, it will take so long to get to 300 hours I may never need to wory about it at all 

[Eclipse]

Once qualified, Form 5s and 91s are funded.

All cadet orientation flying is funded - get approved for that status and in most wings you can
fly every hour you can handle on the USAFs nickel.

Counter Drug flying is fully funded.

And then of course the majority of mission and mission training is funded as well.
Some wings have budgeted monthly missions, same as the monthly As & Bs which allow for
funded training and proficiency flying against the 60-1 sortie profiles.

Not to mention MX transports, aircraft location changes, new aircraft transports and inter-wing exchanges,
plus encampments and flight academies.

Lots of opportunities once you get qualified.  We have several pilots in my wing that fly nearly 100 hours a year
on CAP, and one who flew in excess of 150 hours last year, all or most funded.

[SunDog]

SunDog, you have committed to being a Mission Pilot and we thank you for that   :clap: :clap:

Someday you may want to do more, and we will thank you for that then.

Now back to the 200 hour per aircraft goal 

SunDog, you have committed to being a Mission Pilot and we thank you for that   :clap: :clap:

Someday you may want to do more, and we will thank you for that then.

Now back to the 200 hour per aircraft goal 

Gad, Yeah, I do wander. . .sorry. Went back and read the OP once again. He makes  sense, and the data is in place to track the numbers he wants to measure - mission symbols would cover a bunch of it.

Engine TBOs are based on calendar as well as total Tach hour - need a minimum number of flying hours per time period-maybe per month? We might need to keep that mark covered, maybe stay at or above that hard floor on every aircraft, to be efficient stewards of the tax dollar.

And, here I go, this could be bad. . .use a GIS tool. Map your airports. Map your pilot addresses (or just thier Zip Codes).  Map your aircraft locations. Put the airplanes near your pilots.

There will have to be some placements that won't work with, for sure, just based on geo coverage. Or lack of tie-downs, other logistics.  Gonna hurt some feelings, too. But the annual scramble to get hours every late summer tells a tale - we aren't being smart about where/how to park aiplanes.

Not the total fix, and very Wing dependent, probably. Might not help Wings that already run with the Mission as first priority. On the other hand, there are three airplanes at my Wing HQ airport tonight. One of them was brought in to get it's doors flown off because it was serving as a static display for most of tbe FY. I didn't check, but I susoect it'sf lown a lot of funded missions the last six weeks.

[JeffDG]

I've seen several mentions to mission pilots getting to fly for free. How does this work? I can't fly CAP aircraft yet, so I'm unfamiliar with it. Though, it will take so long to get to 300 hours I may never need to wory about it at all 

Mission Pilots don't need 300h.

At 100h of PIC, you can become a Transport Mission Pilot...nice thing there is you can get highbirds at SAREXs...anywhere from 2-4 hours per sortie, funded!

At 175h you can become a Mission Pilot Trainee.  You can fly the MP stuff, just with a supervisor riding along.

At 200h you can take your CAPF91 and become a MP.

[BHartman007]

I've seen several mentions to mission pilots getting to fly for free. How does this work? I can't fly CAP aircraft yet, so I'm unfamiliar with it. Though, it will take so long to get to 300 hours I may never need to wory about it at all 

Mission Pilots don't need 300h.

At 100h of PIC, you can become a Transport Mission Pilot...nice thing there is you can get highbirds at SAREXs...anywhere from 2-4 hours per sortie, funded!

At 175h you can become a Mission Pilot Trainee.  You can fly the MP stuff, just with a supervisor riding along.

At 200h you can take your CAPF91 and become a MP.

That's good to know. I was under the impression that full mission pilot was 300 hours and o-ride pilot was 200 hours.

[JeffDG]

I've seen several mentions to mission pilots getting to fly for free. How does this work? I can't fly CAP aircraft yet, so I'm unfamiliar with it. Though, it will take so long to get to 300 hours I may never need to wory about it at all 

Mission Pilots don't need 300h.

At 100h of PIC, you can become a Transport Mission Pilot...nice thing there is you can get highbirds at SAREXs...anywhere from 2-4 hours per sortie, funded!

At 175h you can become a Mission Pilot Trainee.  You can fly the MP stuff, just with a supervisor riding along.

At 200h you can take your CAPF91 and become a MP.

That's good to know. I was under the impression that full mission pilot was 300 hours and o-ride pilot was 200 hours.

CAP Cadet O-Ride pilots are 200, AFROTC O-Rides are 300...I think AFROTC is the only one that needs 300, but I could be wrong there.

MP is definitely 175 for trainee, 200 for CAPF91