AC upgrade times in the Guard?

[coho92]

With us, it's usually the last guy to sign up for the trip that gets the A code if everyone is MP qualled. Who wants the hassle of dealing with TACC/Stage/etc. it is much better to sit back, gripe about all of their decesions and spend the extra time before the flight on the phone or checking email rather than mission planning.

Just my two cents

 

[Foties]

Anal about the A Code

Maybe some ailrines are going to get smart about this A code thing, but from a few buddies I have in the unit, hiring depts are not concerned with a log book indicating every time you had the A code.

One buddy (A Fed Ex Newbie) used 90% of his flight time from the date he took his MP check.

Another buddy (A UPS Newbie) used all of his time from the day he took the MP check.

Both companies where accepting of their times as PIC. I am not saying lie, but I think it is not neccessary to get crazy about getting the A code even though you are a CAPT flying with a Lt. Col. The militarty records doesn't track A code time anyway.

PS. It looks like my unit local policy of the higher ranking gets the A code is BS though. Late.

 

[hindsight2020]

Things are different now. .....

..... Also, you come out of Little Rock qualified in both seats (at least in the J model). You can't be the A/C yet but you can fly in the left seat. I think the time to upgrade now is 700paa/900tt, but it will be at the discretion of your commander because your already qualified in the left seat, you just need a aircraft commander certification. Clear as mud?

Fly all you can, gain experience, and you'll upgrade in about 2 years give or take a few months.

I continued to research it, and you are correct, now one does come out of Little Rock qualified in the left seat. The course used to be called CIQ (Co-pilot Initial Qualification) but that is no more apparently. The UPT dudes go into PIQ and most of the flying is done on the left seat. If this is true, then it's awesome news.

What I'm wondering is what it means flying-wise. Are your co-pilot duties, and what you're able to do in the plane, expanded? Does this mitigate the need to go to AC school since one is qualified to fly left seat? I don't know what kind of training AC school entails, but if it's a matter of flying from the left side, PIQ would have taken care of that. I'm sure there's more to it, I'm in the dark on that area. Just wondering if this new qualification course changes the landscape...?¿

 

[Foties]

It does change the landscape

Bud,

We got 2 guys newly back from the Rock left seat qual right out of UPT. It's very interesting to say the least. They can do almost anything an AC is allowed to do. They can fly drops, do assaults, and most things at the discretion of the AC in the right seat. According to AFI112c-130V1 they still have to fly a minimum hourly requirement and then meet a cert board to get AC cetified when their unit deems them ready. When they get back fromthe Rock they basically carry a training folder around for 2 years or so and they have a certain syllabus they still need to abide by and have an instructor fill out every once in a while. That's all I really know. Have a good one.
40's

 

[pkober]

The PIQ , flight pilot, pilot cannot fly as an AC until he is AC qualified. He can fly with a qualified AC in the right seat for certain missions. Even though he is in the left seat he is not "A" coded. I don't believe he can do left seat assualts until he is a qualified AC (I could be wrong on the assualts).

Here's a question.

You have a flight pilot in the left seat and a regular AC in the right seat. On landing you get a hung prop and depart the runway. Since the right seat guy doesn't have the tiller wheel to help maintain control he can't do much during that situation. Any AC, in his right mind, will assume control of the aircraft during an emergency. The AC is responsible and his career is on the line. Do you let the flight pilot handle the EP and roll the dice that everything works out. If it does you're lucky. If it doesn't the first question asked will be "Why didn't you take command?". Typical military Monday morning quaterbacking.

This is just one situation of many.

I'm not trying to rag on the flight pilot guys. This is just the program they were thrown into, but it's probable that this program was not thought out. Right now the way the reg is written it says that the flight pilot must upgrade within a certain amount of time. The time is pretty close to when most active duty guys upgrade anyway. But what about the ANG? There is currently no ANG waiver. Hopefully it will come soon.

I hope the program does work in the end. Going back to the Rock just to learn to fly from the left seat is truly a painfull process. Especially for a Guardsman or Resevist.

CLAMBAKE