Post by Ykato on Jul 27, 2012 23:42:44 GMT 12
VP-16 Begins New Chapter
When the VP-16 “War Eagles” recently returned home to NAS Jacksonville from their successful 7th Fleet deployment, they turned in their vintage P-3C Orion aircraft, as well as their tools, equipment and NATOPS manuals.
Then, on July 11, VP-16 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Molly Boron led her aircrews to the P-8A Integrated Training Center – where they are now studying to become the first operational squadron certified to fly the P-8A Poseidon.
Boron, who took command of the squadron eight weeks ago at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, has served 11 years in the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) community.
“I completed my P-3 flight training at VP-30 back in 2001, and now I’m back with a truly talented squadron to transition to the P-8A platform. It’s quite an honor for our people.”
Boron noted that when she was a department head at VP-40 she served under Capt. Mark Stevens (who is now commanding officer of VP-30) and alongside Cmdr. Andy Miller (who is now OIC of the P-8A Fleet Integration Team). “Because we served together at VP-40, it’s reassuring to enter this historic transition having previously worked with the VP-30 leadership and understand their expectations.”
She explained that the previous eight months were a blur of activity for VP-16. “Our final deployment with the P-3C Orion at Kadena Air Base was filled with joint exercises and detachments to destinations that included Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Guam and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The War Eagles flew nearly 4,000 flight hours.”
“After our homecoming at NAS Jax in June, we bid farewell to our P-3 Orions and turned our attention to the P-8A transition. Since early 2011, we’ve been working on the P-8A manpower requirements. Unlike the P-3 aircrew, the P-8 does not require a flight engineer. And the P-8 maintenance department is much smaller – so we’ve been working on transfers for those who will not be joining the transition,” said Boron.
“While on deployment, we sent some of our top maintenance professionals back to NAS Jax to observe the VP-30 safe-for-flight inspection of the P-8A – so we’d have a better picture of what to expect in the coming months.”
At the P-8A Integrated Training Center, VP-16 pilots, NFOs and warfare operators spend their first two weeks getting familiarized with the Poseidon through lectures and computer-based classroom training. Then the training migrates to the P-8A operational flight trainer (OFT), a full-motion reproduction of the aircraft cockpit that replicates the visual out-of-window display and cockpit noises. The OFT can be used as a stand-alone trainer or be connected with the weapons tactics trainer (WTT) in order to “fly” a P-8A complete with mission systems.
In the WTT stand-alone configuration, mission specialists receive realistic weapons and sensor employment training. The P-8A mission systems include dual display screens at five operator stations – two acoustic stations, one non-acoustic station, one tactical coordination and one navigation and communications station. The P-8A stations are completely interchangeable with respect to data. Also, an operator can sit at any of the five stations and operate any system.
Boron added, “As our aircrew train at the P-8A ITC, our maintainers are attending classes at CNATTU-Jax, as well as getting hands-on instruction at the maintenance department of VP-30.”
“We expect our pilots to begin logging actual flight hours at about our 55th training day. If everything goes according to plan, we should finish training in December and be ready for our safe-for-flight certification in January,” said Boron.
“Our greatest challenge is that there is no blueprint for this transition in the MPRF community because it’s been 50 years since Orion went operational. At the same time, it’s very exciting to help shape the transition process and find solutions to any speed bumps we may encounter along the way. We will also pass along lessons learned to squadrons following in the footprints of VP-16.”
In 2013, the War Eagles will enter their traditional Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC) with two P-8A Poseidons. They will certify 12 combat aircrews and be ready to deploy the first week of December, at which time they expect to be assigned six Poseidon aircraft.
The P-8A Poseidon is the latest Navy aircraft designed to execute long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It will replace the P-3C Orion, which has been in operation for more than 50 years
jacksonville.com/military/jax-air-news/2012-07-18/story/vp-16-begins-new-chapter
When the VP-16 “War Eagles” recently returned home to NAS Jacksonville from their successful 7th Fleet deployment, they turned in their vintage P-3C Orion aircraft, as well as their tools, equipment and NATOPS manuals.
Then, on July 11, VP-16 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Molly Boron led her aircrews to the P-8A Integrated Training Center – where they are now studying to become the first operational squadron certified to fly the P-8A Poseidon.
Boron, who took command of the squadron eight weeks ago at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, has served 11 years in the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) community.
“I completed my P-3 flight training at VP-30 back in 2001, and now I’m back with a truly talented squadron to transition to the P-8A platform. It’s quite an honor for our people.”
Boron noted that when she was a department head at VP-40 she served under Capt. Mark Stevens (who is now commanding officer of VP-30) and alongside Cmdr. Andy Miller (who is now OIC of the P-8A Fleet Integration Team). “Because we served together at VP-40, it’s reassuring to enter this historic transition having previously worked with the VP-30 leadership and understand their expectations.”
She explained that the previous eight months were a blur of activity for VP-16. “Our final deployment with the P-3C Orion at Kadena Air Base was filled with joint exercises and detachments to destinations that included Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Guam and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The War Eagles flew nearly 4,000 flight hours.”
“After our homecoming at NAS Jax in June, we bid farewell to our P-3 Orions and turned our attention to the P-8A transition. Since early 2011, we’ve been working on the P-8A manpower requirements. Unlike the P-3 aircrew, the P-8 does not require a flight engineer. And the P-8 maintenance department is much smaller – so we’ve been working on transfers for those who will not be joining the transition,” said Boron.
“While on deployment, we sent some of our top maintenance professionals back to NAS Jax to observe the VP-30 safe-for-flight inspection of the P-8A – so we’d have a better picture of what to expect in the coming months.”
At the P-8A Integrated Training Center, VP-16 pilots, NFOs and warfare operators spend their first two weeks getting familiarized with the Poseidon through lectures and computer-based classroom training. Then the training migrates to the P-8A operational flight trainer (OFT), a full-motion reproduction of the aircraft cockpit that replicates the visual out-of-window display and cockpit noises. The OFT can be used as a stand-alone trainer or be connected with the weapons tactics trainer (WTT) in order to “fly” a P-8A complete with mission systems.
In the WTT stand-alone configuration, mission specialists receive realistic weapons and sensor employment training. The P-8A mission systems include dual display screens at five operator stations – two acoustic stations, one non-acoustic station, one tactical coordination and one navigation and communications station. The P-8A stations are completely interchangeable with respect to data. Also, an operator can sit at any of the five stations and operate any system.
Boron added, “As our aircrew train at the P-8A ITC, our maintainers are attending classes at CNATTU-Jax, as well as getting hands-on instruction at the maintenance department of VP-30.”
“We expect our pilots to begin logging actual flight hours at about our 55th training day. If everything goes according to plan, we should finish training in December and be ready for our safe-for-flight certification in January,” said Boron.
“Our greatest challenge is that there is no blueprint for this transition in the MPRF community because it’s been 50 years since Orion went operational. At the same time, it’s very exciting to help shape the transition process and find solutions to any speed bumps we may encounter along the way. We will also pass along lessons learned to squadrons following in the footprints of VP-16.”
In 2013, the War Eagles will enter their traditional Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC) with two P-8A Poseidons. They will certify 12 combat aircrews and be ready to deploy the first week of December, at which time they expect to be assigned six Poseidon aircraft.
The P-8A Poseidon is the latest Navy aircraft designed to execute long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It will replace the P-3C Orion, which has been in operation for more than 50 years
jacksonville.com/military/jax-air-news/2012-07-18/story/vp-16-begins-new-chapter
