GA-8 for scanner training

[jimmydeanno]

1-Cranking out scanners doesn't do anything. Certified does not mean qualified. Better to train 2 on 1 instead of 2 on 5 or 6. Training scanners is not an assembly line activity.

I agree that they shouldn't be 'cranked out.'  However, I think most people will attest that their scanner training (not including ground instruction) involved sitting in the back of the plane and staring out the window - with minimal if any interaction from the pilot until back on the ground.  Not because the pilot didn't want to help, but was focused on training the observer sitting next to them and flying the plane.

The scenario I provided involved putting an instructor in the plane soley dedicated to air time instruction, without having to 'bother' the pilot who would be instructing the observer in the right seat.  This would enable more interaction between the students and an instructor, the instructor to answer questions, point out things, etc.

I think it would work out better than what I and most people receive in terms of 'scanner training.'

2--8s are assigned to the Regions, not Squadrons, Groups or even Wings. That is why they you may never see one. Wings manage them.

Right, and the example above said for 'organized SAR training events.'  These are usually Wing or Group activities, so getting one or two to a Region SAR College or the like shouldn't prove to be all that big of a task.  Then when the 50 people that just paid to come to this thing actually get an opportunity to get some flights instead of 6 or seven possibly getting qualified, sit with (an) experienced scanner(s), observe how more experienced scanners do things, bounce questions off each other in the air, etc.

ARCHER aside, I was wondering if anyone knows of anywhere they may actually do this already or have at least tried it to see how it works out.  If not, why not see if it is a practical thing to do...you know, that thing called 'progress' (or as the Brit's say 'pro-gress')

[Dragoon]

1-Cranking out scanners doesn't do anything. Certified does not mean qualified. Better to train 2 on 1 instead of 2 on 5 or 6. Training scanners is not an assembly line activity.

"Cranking out" isn't the intent.  Providing BETTER training is.

Back in the day, USAF used to put 8 or so Navigators, with an instructor, up in a single plane to train.  Worked extremely well.  Each was working individually, but working on exactly the same nav problems (i.e. where are we right now, and what will it take to get from here to there?) Saved money and time, and  produced good folks.  Then you finished each guy up individually.  That's the concept I'm stealing from.

The most important part of the scanners job, is, well, scanning.  Right now, that's the one thing we don't actually test worth a darn. 

The best way to test whether the candidate can actually spot ground targets is to set up a grid with a whole bunch of targets, fly the grid and see how many of them he can spot.

The problem with this approach is that it requires a lot of setup, and you'll only be able to use the grid  for a handful of trainees a day.  And you'll burn a lot of fuel.  Unless you want a lot of time wasted on the ground with turn-around, you'll need to commit at least two planes.  And probably 4 pilots.

But...if I can get 4 -6 scanners looking down in that grid at once, instead of just 2, I can double or triple the throughput of the exercise with little or no loss in quality of training.

Of course, there's still elements of the job that are best done one on one, and should be.  But I can nail the basics en mass.