[MilCom] Fwd: [MilRadioComms] Oceana F/A-18s end visit at MacDill AFB

[AllanStern--- via MilCom]

http://news.wgcu.org/post/navy-f-18-pilots-training-tampas-air-force-base 
Tomorrow  – a hush will fall over Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base as 14 
Navy F-18 jets -  Hornets and Super Hornets - take off for a final time. 
Flying  them will be Navy pilots who just finished two weeks of daily 
exercises at the  Avon Park Air Force Range. The Navy contingent also included 22 
instructors and  150 maintainers - or maintenance crew - from the Oceana 
Naval Air Station in  Virginia. 
Before  they flew out - WUSF’s Bobbie O’Brien joined the naval aviators on 
MacDill’s  flight-line. 
The  daily roar of Navy F-18 jet engines is not a common sound around 
MacDill Air  Force Base – which is home to the Air Force KC-135 strato-tankers 
and 6th Air  Mobility Wing. But Navy Lt. Nate Miller says MacDill and the 
nearby Avon  Park range are ideal for the 14 pilots he’s training. 
MILLER:  we’re basically here to train the new F-18 pilots who are going to 
go out in the  fleet in the next probably about 5 to 6 months. 
The  31 year old pilot has done three deployments to Afghanistan -- the 
Navy calls  them sea tours -- where he provided combat air support. Miller says 
all of their  instructors have combat experience. 
MILLER:  So we are teaching low altitude tactics how to fly basically 
between 200-500  feet for different ingress and egress out of a target area. We’
re working close  air support. Those are our two main basic training 
objectives – the air to  ground and close air support. 
REPORTER:  YOU’RE DOING TRAINING RUNS BUT WHEN YOU THINK NAVY PILOTS YOU’
RE KNOWN FOR  HAVING TO LAND ON AIR CRAFT CARRIERS. 
MILLER:  it’s when you come back to the boat the flying is very different. 
You know on my  way home I have a lot to think about I’m going to have to 
have to go back and  land on the boat which is very challenging and stressful, 
very rewarding but  very challenging experience. 
REPORTER:  DO YOU MARK OUT THE LENGTH OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND CHALLENGE 
YOUR TRAINEES TO  LAND WITHIN THAT MARGIN. 
MILLER:  We don’t do that here. We do that back at our Naval Air station 
Oceana. every  single time you come back there’s basically a small box that’s 
on the runway and  we kind of treat that as like practicing to land. 
On  the runway are dozens of support personnel. 
Jessica  Clayton is holds the rank of AM3 in the Navy. That stands for 
Airframe  Structural Mechanic 3rd Class. Land O Lakes is actually home for her 
so she was  disappointed with the 50 degree rainy weather. 
CLAYTON:  I was ready to be sporting my flip flops and shorts coming from 
Virginia but not  this time. 
REPORTER:  SO WHAT’S IT LIKE DOING MAINTENANCE. 
CLAYTON:  I love it. As somebody who is 20 years old without a college 
degree I feel like  it’s a good way to put your foot in the world and shows that 
you can still make  something out of yourself and contribute to society. 
REPORTER:  AND BEING A WOMAN IN THE NAVY. 
CLAYTON:  There’s not a real big difference. I mean you have to try a 
little harder but  it’s worth it at the end of the day. 
She’s  never served aboard an aircraft carrier – so Clayton is really 
looking forward  to her upcoming “boat deck” – a term for a 3 or 4 day 
detachment aboard  ship. 
It’ll  be several more months before pilot trainee, Lt. Nick Adams is 
assigned to a  ship. He and Navy instructor Lt. Kevin Loughmiller had just 
returned from a  flight. They still wore their flight helmets as they headed into 
a  debriefing. 
LOUGHMILLER:  strictly a training mission for him practicing laser guided 
weapons. We have  some laser guided training grounds 
REPORTER:  SO HOW DID IT GO FOR YOU? 
ADAMS:  We haven’t had the debrief yet so we’ll se what he says there. 
REPORTER:  SO WHEN YOU DID THE CLOSE AIR SUPPORT WHAT WAS IT LIKE FLYING 
DOWN AT 200 FEET  IN THIS KIND OF JET? 
ADAMS:  It’s pretty mind blowing. Really up at altitude when you’re fast 
you don’t’ have  the ground rush but the lower you get the faster stuff gets 
moving. It’s just  kind of mind blowing being that close to the ground and 
seeing all that stuff  move by you so fast. 
Once  the 14 navy pilots have completed all their training, Lt. Miller says 
there is  one last challenge. 
MILLER:  at the very end they’ll do 16 arrested landings on an aircraft 
carrier and then  we say ‘Okay, you guys are ready to go out and be naval 
aviators.’ 


AL STERN  Satellite Beach  FL
AllanStern at aol.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MilRadioComms
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HFmonitors
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FloridaMilcom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FloridaComms
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpaceCoastComms
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FloridaPlanespotting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CivilAirlineComms
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScanMarine
**********************************************************