TXWG Alpine Mountain Flying Exercise Oct 12-14

[Chappy]

Sorry ChaplainDon but I think Alpine is worth it.  When you look at our latest fatality for CAP it was in the type of flying conditions found at Alpine.  Also the search for Steve Fossett demonstrated the same type of flying conditions, even grounding CAP assests for a day because of the updrafts and downdrafts, something that is experienced at Alpine.
This training has also been helpful as a training for GA flying.  A lot of pilots fly to CO or NM for GA, the training they received at Alpine helps their general skills as well.
It is also a time that air crew - scanners to MP - photographers - etc can get the training they need in a consistant way and wing wide way.

[CFI_Ed]

The Oklahoma Wing guys learned a lot, and we got to meet and fly with a bunch of great Texas Wing crewmembers.  Thanks   

And besides... the parties at Alpine are legendary, to say the least.

Ahem... what goes at Alpine, stays at Alpine! 

It appears that this year, the parties didn't happen (Too busy, and too tired).  Darn the luck.

[jb512]

"My first question would have to be - Have you ever been to the Alpine training, Chaplain?"

YES. Not only have I attended it; I have IC/MC'd it.

I stand by my assessment and my criticism(s) of it.

Then I'm glad you're no longer involved in the activity. 

Even if the majority of the pilots who attended never fly around another moutain top, they got to fly in conditions that were a bit out of the norm.  They flew in gusty conditions with updrafts, downdrafts, obstacles, sharing uncontrolled airspace with that many planes..... the list goes on...  It was very good training, no matter where you fly.

[jeders]

"My first question would have to be - Have you ever been to the Alpine training, Chaplain?"

YES. Not only have I attended it; I have IC/MC'd it.

I stand by my assessment and my criticism(s) of it.

Then I'm glad you're no longer involved in the activity. 

Even if the majority of the pilots who attended never fly around another moutain top, they got to fly in conditions that were a bit out of the norm.  They flew in gusty conditions with updrafts, downdrafts, obstacles, sharing uncontrolled airspace with that many planes..... the list goes on...  It was very good training, no matter where you fly.

Agreed. It was also great training for those of us working the ops desk. After we lost all contact with Sortie 102, we had to start preparing to send up an actual search plane.

The Oklahoma Wing guys learned a lot, and we got to meet and fly with a bunch of great Texas Wing crewmembers.  Thanks   

And besides... the parties at Alpine are legendary, to say the least.

Ahem... what goes at Alpine, stays at Alpine! 

It appears that this year, the parties didn't happen (Too busy, and too tired).  Darn the luck.

Let me say that I think you guys from Oklahoma did a great job here.

As far as the parties, those of us that were invited had a pretty good time at dinner with the IC. Heard a great Pineda impression and had a few beers to get over the roughly 57 sorties we launched and recovered Saturday alone.