Delayed Flight School Question

USNA 19 DAD

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So my son is finishing up TBS in a couple of months and has a flight contract. Two classes before his was told there was an 8 month back-up for their flight schools. So my question is... Is it possible that he will only have a 4 month delay once he gets to Pensacola, or more likely it's going to just trickle down and he will also have a long delay?
 
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The answer is yes.

The big unknown is what's going on further down the pipeline. Are they overloaded, or has there been a large number of drops? Also, what are the endstrength numbers for MC Aviation? These are all unknowns to the students, and often, the instructors. All he, and anyone, can do, is be ready when the assignment comes.
 
My friend finished TBS in December '18, got to pensacola that January, and did not class up for IFS until May. The Marines have always moved slowly through the program, and I would fully expect to be waiting 6+ months to start.

Schools Command will be even more backed up that usual considering they shut down production for an entire month after the shooting. They only resumed API and IFS this week.
 
Thank you both for the replies. He did solo during powered flight before his Firstie year. I think he gets to skip the very first segment? Maybe that will help move things along? I guess there are worse things than being in Florida being paid to study.
 
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Pools in Pcola are pretty common....the pipeline has only so much capacity, and even then subject to the whims of weather, money, and needs of the Navy (or USMC) and of course the shooting. I would expect at least some of pooling to be shortened this time of the year, before the Navy dumps hundreds of new Ensigns from USNA and ROTC into the system this summer.

There are certainly worse things than being pooled in Pcola, although this time of year isn't optimum. In my day, we had to report and muster at Schools Command every day, a handful would get picked to stand duty or perform some task, and the rest would be released. I played a bit of golf (back in the day, Pcola had two course, one very nice course , and a hacker's court that cost a couple bucks a day to play (and had a beer machine !). There wasn't really much studying to do....sure, some hardchargers finagled a copy of the T34 NATOPS, but until it really didn't have much meaning until you started training.
 
I would expect at least some of pooling to be shortened this time of the year, before the Navy dumps hundreds of new Ensigns from USNA and ROTC into the system this summer.

Thanks BGO. I hope for his sake it will be before the end of the school year for the new newbies. Most of his buddies that went Navy are already about 6 months into flight school. We talked about that, and when I asked "Do you ever wish you went Navy?" because of that I was met with an instant "No". I should have known better than to ask someone that chose MC. Would like to see the kid "wing" before he is a Capt. though :p
 
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Most my friends who went jets winged as O-3s. It wasn’t uncommon. Delays in the pipeline have been around for decades. And there could be delays between phases too. They usually aren’t as bad as those to start and can vary by airframe. Congrats to your DS on finishing TBS and getting to flight school.
 
Most my friends who went jets winged as O-3s. It wasn’t uncommon. Delays in the pipeline have been around for decades. And there could be delays between phases too. They usually aren’t as bad as those to start and can vary by airframe. Congrats to your DS on finishing TBS and getting to flight school.

Thanks Hoops! It will be what it will be. I realize that. I am sure he will appreciate a little break after TBS.
 
Even worse than waiting to start is waiting for flight hours once you are in the pipeline. Seems to take forever. Our DS's winging date was delayed three times, eventually taking about six months longer than what he was originally told.
 
Thank you both for the replies. He did solo during powered flight before his Firstie year. I think he gets to skip the very first segment? Maybe that will help move things along? I guess there are worse things than being in Florida being paid to study.

Validating IFS will help to an extent, although it will not expedite the process as much as it will for Navy students. My Marine friends that validated said that they had to wait for everybody in the TBS class ahead of theirs to class up for API before they could, even if those people had to do IFS. So essentially validating only put them at the front of their TBS class, which only resulted in saving a few weeks.

Contrast that with the Navy, where if you show up having validated IFS, you just go right into the pool waiting for API. It doesn't matter if Joe Schmoe checked in 4 months before you, if he hasn't finished IFS you don't have to wait for him. For Navy guys/gals validating could say 2 or 3 months of time in Pensacola
 
Most my friends who went jets winged as O-3s. It wasn’t uncommon.

Definitely true. One of my instructors (Marine F18 pilot) spent 5 & 1/2 years in flight school!
Even worse than waiting to start is waiting for flight hours once you are in the pipeline. Seems to take forever. Our DS's winging date was delayed three times, eventually taking about six months longer than what he was originally told.

While getting delayed is definitely more common than getting sped up, the opposite can still happen. I am going to wing about 2 months earlier than predicted.
 
FWIW -there were several Class of '84 Marines (I was '85) in my Aviation Indoctrination class . I am reminded frequently, as our Class Leader became an Astronaut, and often appears a the voice of Mission Control after several shuttle flights of his own.
 
depends on which pipeline you are in, some are quicker than others. as mentioned above, validating IFS can speed things up

DS of a good friend of mine, USNA class of '17, winged in June '19, just barely an O-2. he went P-8s, and did powered flight to skip IFS
 
My nephew commissioned as a Marine May 2006. He finished F/A-18 RAG summer of 2012.
 
Definitely true. One of my instructors (Marine F18 pilot) spent 5 & 1/2 years in flight school!


While getting delayed is definitely more common than getting sped up, the opposite can still happen. I am going to wing about 2 months earlier than predicted.
Yup. See above. Granted, my nephew had to do TBS first.
 
I heard Marines can request PTAD with a squadron of their choosing while waiting for a start date to begin training. Can anyone elaborate on how this works and what it entails?
 
I heard Marines can request PTAD with a squadron of their choosing while waiting for a start date to begin training. Can anyone elaborate on how this works and what it entails?

Don't know how it works but that's what command is encouraging...my kid's Marine roommate was approved for 6 months to a base across the country (but near his hometown) and flew out last week.

My (Navy) kid reported to Pensacola in September & is still waiting to start IFS.
 
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Thanks ncbill. I am sure he will have some options if his orders to Pensacola are delayed. There is only a month left of TBS, so imagine he will get a final answer soon enough. One option he has heard would be to remain on base there and help out with whatever. I tend to stay in my lane unless he asks for opinions. He'll figure it out.
 
Hello! Currently in A-pool, there’s a lot of stuff going on delaying the pipeline from “clearing” as I’ve heard it usually does around this time. I got here in October and as happens in the navy I was just informed I have ~9 weeks left to wait. No hold ups on my end. Personally I am enjoying the time as I am newly married and restoring a 65 Mustang. My best bud in TBS just got pulled to be a platoon leader for a few months due to the wait. Your son will learn all the gauge of the wait when he gets here. I’ll take 8 months (plus another 6 at whiting during b-pool) if it means wings of gold!
 
Son is a 1/C hoping for a pilot slot. He heard from recently commissioned NROTC friends that the wait to start flight school is 22 months. What is up with that? Could it get worse by the time my son commissions in May 2023? Wonder if he could continue his education for a masters degree while he waits?
 
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