So it's been a couple days since I last made a post, due to both internet issues and being incredibly busy, but let me catch everyone up to speed:
In-processing day was simple. I showed up (in blues uniform), checked into lodging to get my room, checked in with security to get my facility badge, checked into IT to get my issued laptop, and checked into medical. Whole process took maybe an hour, after which, the rest of the day was mine to unpack.
Day-One was a lot of your usual introductory info for the first half, like who everyone was that worked here, what the expectations are, where everything was at, etc...followed by a Fitness Test (minus the run due to ice on the track...why they didn't think to put in an indoor track, I don't know), lunch, then academics started with Flight Physiology. Last item of the day was our Bold Face and Ops Limits test, which is basically regurgitating on paper a handful of memorized emergency procedures and operating limits of the airplane...stuff you need to know at a moments notice when flying. The motivation to memorize and complete this test with 100% accuracy is that if everyone in the flight can do it, we can wear our flight suits instead of blues. Out of our eight folks in my RPA flight, we had one guy get one (out of 31) of the operating limits wrong. He put down 108 instead of 106, which killed the chance to get our flight suits...or so we thought. Our flight commander said that was the closest he's ever seen a flight get on the first try, so today he talked the squadron commander into letting us wear our flight suits...booyah!
Day-Two (today) was nothing but academics. 9 hours of sitting at a desk looking at powerpoints, with info that we'll have to know for a test on Tuesday morning. Lot's of info to process through the brain, and I'm extremely glad that I already have prior flying experience and at least have seen all of this stuff before. I feel bad for those that don't have any flying experience and this is the first time they're seeing this. Even my head hurt by the end of the day. There's a couple of them in my flight, so those of us who do have prior experience are helping them out.
Tomorrow is scheduled to be more of the same. Nothing but academics covering weather, airspace, navigation, and basics of flying. BUT, we at least get to be comfortable in our flight suits. I'm pretty sure none of the other 3 flights (30 people each, 90 total for you math experts) passed their test, so they'll all be in blues. I only say this, and revel in it, because all the other flights here are made up of traditional pilot and navigator students, who all turn their noses up at the mention of flying an RPA. So, the fact that we passed our test before all of them is kind of personal win for us in the RPA flight. Granted, we technically missed one AND we only have 8 people vs 30 AND we already knew each other and pushed each other to know this stuff before we got here...but it's still a win in my book.
Personal thoughts:
I'm having a good time, so far. It helps that I'm only in a flight of 8 instead of 30, and that we're all coming from the same squadron at Randolph and will be going through a couple other classes together after this. It's challenging, but I enjoy a challenge. It's also busy, and very regimented with the schedule. I didn't realize until late this afternoon that I haven't been outside of this building for over 48 hours. This one building housing everything. Your room, the gym, the auditorium and classrooms, the dining hall, the clinic...even a barbershop and a mini-mart. Theoretically, you could spend your entire time here without having to leave this building (with the exception of actually going out to fly).
Anyways, I still don't have my personal computer hooked up to the internet yet, so I'll have to wait to add any pictures. This weekend looks like a good opportunity to do that. Until then, I'm off to study/eat/sleep/repeat.
