USAFA Flying Team request

[ejfrey]

I received this from our son tonight. It seems that an interesting combination of Air Force rules make it almost impossible for the flying team to both host, and participate, in this event without outside some external financial assistance. I decided to pass this on in case any parents clubs would consider helping, or if anyone knows of other ways to assist the team.


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The USAFA Flying Team is hosting the regional competition at the USAFA Airfield from 2 October through 10 October. Our performance in this regional competition will decide whether or not we get an invitation to the National Competition this year. While hosting this competition is an honor for our team and squadron (557th FTS), it has left us with a few rather important problems. Since we are funded through AETC, we must abide by the rules governing Appropriated Funds. According to Joint Force Travel Regulations (JFTR Chapter 4,Part F, Paragraph U5410), the Flying Team cannot be put on TDY Orders unless we are 50+ miles from our home base. This means that we must stay in the Dorms unless we can garner support from another source.

Being able to not stay in the Dorms is essential to our safety and ability to compete. NIFA (the National Intercollegiate Flying Association) competitions are inherently stressful due to the level of flying that is required to win. The team mitigates this stress by trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. This will not be possible in the Dorms, due to the hectic nature of life at the Academy, as well as the homework and military requirements causing each of our roommates to stay up late each night.

It is also essential to team unity and preparedness for us to stay close to each other for these competitions. Staying together allows us to get to know the new members of the team, which in turn allows us to better compete as a group. Staying together also makes it much easier and practical to gather as a team to study for the events of the competition.

Considering the above reasons, we have no alternative but to seek funding assistance that allows us to stay out of the Dorms for this competition. Below is an outline of the support we need.

Essential to safety and competitiveness:

-- Hotel rooms for the night of 2 October through the night of 9 October (8 nights)
-- 8 rooms (for 17 cadets- we are willing to double or triple up)

Less important but still a problem (we are willing to spend as much of our own money as we can):

-- Any support to help offset the cost of meals (we will not be able to go to Mitchell Hall for any meals) for 17 cadets over 10 days

Thank you for your time in reading this request and I apologize for the short notice (we only found out about the rule at the end of last week).

Respectfully,


USAFA Flying Team
United States Air Force Academy

[hornetguy]

Pardon my seemingly lack of compassion, but I feel like I'm being fed a lot of BS. I am good friends with a flying team firstie and friends with one of the 2 digs. They are not obscenely stressed by their competitions based on conversations with my fellow compadre. I understand the 8 hour rule, if they can't get that in the dorms, they have PLENTY of avenues to fixing it within the wing. Seriously.

Now, if I'm completely ignored on that point and discredited, this statement is a load of crap: "It is also essential to team unity and preparedness for us to stay close to each other for these competitions. Staying together allows us to get to know the new members of the team, which in turn allows us to better compete as a group. Staying together also makes it much easier and practical to gather as a team to study for the events of the competition." The IC teams use this excuse to take the four degrees at lunch to the "ramps" tables where the four degrees get special priviliges and act like they don't have to follow a single rule. They practice A LOT. Really, they don't need to interact 24/7 to get to know one another better. They spend ample hours a week working together to do that.

Take what I say as you will. I've heard these types of arguments over and over and they become less convincing every time.

[ejfrey]

Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[raimius]

I really have to agree with Hornet here...
If you really REALLY require your crew rest, get your SDO to keep the squadron quiet during ACQ (or invest in a 50 cent set of earplugs). If your roommate works late (like I often do), tell them in advance and figure out some way to keep your bed area dark.
You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to stay at a hotel...

The "team unity" aspect is important, but you aren't going to develop that significantly more over the course of a week by staying somewhere else.

[ejfrey]

Thanks guys. Your perspectives make sense to me and they will get passed on. Again, I appreciate the time from both of you to respond.

[ejfrey]

After reviewing this thread (and since I started it), I feel responsible for ending it without leaving a wrong impression that could be reached based on the responses. While I was at the AF football game today, I took the opportunity to meet with some of the Flying Team members to better understand the circumstances -- my assessment is this is a legitimate and valid request. (It is not "a lot of BS".)

The team's request is centered on two strong arguments – safety and teamwork.
(BTW, I am a bit surprised both these arguments didn’t get more consideration in the critical responses. After many years of technical management and leading many teams I have learned that there can be no compromises to either of these. I have seen too often that excellent people form mediocre teams -- unless special attention is paid to teamwork. And unfortunately, poor teamwork that results in lapses to safety have likely touched almost everyone's lives.)

First, let me address the safety argument (and this is the primary basis for their request). There should be no doubt that adequate rest is essential for excellent and safe performance. There is a reason the USAFA air field is one of the busiest in the world, while enjoying a remarkable safety record. Fundamentally, the 8-hour rule is sound and should not be treated lightly. On a normal school night the team members can get 8 hours of sleep between taps to reveille. However, during competitions such as this one, the team cannot operate on the same hours as the rest of the cadet wing. This competition's event schedule requires that the team be at the airfield an hour and half before reveille to account for the mandated show time before an Air Force flight. Simply calculating the time to sleep 8 hours, get up, and travel down to the airfield, means that they must be asleep at least two hours before taps. Most would agree that this is impractical within the USAFA dorms -- even with support of the entire cadet wing.

Second, the teamwork argument. The team members I spoke with agreed that this reason alone was insufficient to generate the request. (I personally place considerable weight on this consideration.) The flying team is relatively small and their flight resources are even smaller. About 17 cadets share 2 or 3 aircraft. This means they are rarely all at the air field at the same time doing the same thing – some are flying at various times during the day while others are doing ground event training. The result is that they don't get to know each other as much as one might expect. These competitive events offer rare opportunities for the team to work together as a group for an extended period of time and learn how to become a team. This year's annual regional competitive event is one of those rare opportunities because the entire team usually does not attend all other competitive events in which they participate.

As far as solutions -- The team identified multiple options, but all have been exhausted. Yes, working through the cadet wing was considered and this sounds great in theory, but realistically what solution can the wing provide? They cannot force roommates out of rooms or asleep two hours before taps every night for over a week. If anyone has alternate solutions, then the team is interested in hearing them. This wider plea was really a last resort.

Bottom-line: this is a valid request. If one wishes to support this team, send me a private message and I will pass it on to a team members.


One last thing -- I had the pleasure of watching the USAFA Flying Team for a day at last year's regional competition in Greeley, and the professionalism and team spirit I witnessed was remarkable. The teamwork appeared so natural that it was almost uncanny; I have been involved with many different teams throughout my career, and even though my exposure to this team was brief, it made a positive and lasting impression. I understand that USAFA won most of the awards last year, but the things I recall a year later are how the teams from other schools looked up to the USAFA team and how the USAFA team treated everyone with respect and helpfulness. They certainly presented USAFA in a most positive light and reinforced the high quality standards of those who attend. My sincere hope is that this team has the same opportunity to perform as well this year on their home turf.

[Sniper308]

I have read the above posts and feel that the flying club is a club that is beneficial to the Air Force Cadets and is one that I would be proud to help support.

Whether some points are valid arguments or not, I feel that as a parent of a Cadet, (not one involved in the flying club) that these clubs are important and the support of us parents is important for all clubs and all sports, and if the address could be posted where to send a donation I would be more than happy to send a donation to assist the flying club.

[hornetguy]

Is it a beneficial club? Absolutely yes.
Is safety and 8 hours of sleep important? Absolutely. Is the situation as bad as they make it out such that a hotel is necessary - I highly disagree. Room mates aren't that crass. When the flying team member in my squad needs sleep for competition, his room mate leaves the room to the CQ or elsewhere to work or uses a small light as his desk. They post a sign on the door. He sleeps fine. Not always the case, but cadets aren't going to screw each other over.
Is teamwork that big a problem? Nope, they practice intimately with their flying mates.
Is the team going to try and cogently argue why they want a hotel? Of course they are.

Do I get annoyed by the common (at large, not just FT) "woe is me" cadet attitudes? You betcha.

So you have the thoughts of some of us common cadets living here in the dorms who interact daily with flying team members and live the life everyday. Again, take our perspective as you will.

[ejfrey]

The following website to donate via paypal: http://sites.google.com/site/usafaflyingteam/

[Sniper308]

Paypal donation sent. Thanks.

[skyblue]

Okay I need a little more information. So the flying team is a club, not a sports team like hockey or tennis. Does the same go for the glider teams and the sky diving teams? Where does the flying team get money to travel to compete away from the AFA? What kind of support do they receive from the Academy?

[AuzmansMOM]

Flying Team
The Academy Flying Team is a select group of 16 to 18 cadets who hold a Federal Aviation Administration private pilot certificate or higher. The team uses three instrument-equipped 150-horsepower Cessna 150 aircraft to compete against 144 colleges nationwide in regional and national competitions.

Cadets fly approximately 75 to 100 hours per year. They compete in nine demanding ground and precision flying events, such as aircraft identification, flight computer accuracy, short field landings and cross-country navigation. During the summer, officer instructor pilots train new team members in the team's aircraft and competition events. Each spring, the team deploys for a week of intensive flying training prior to the National Flying Competition.


Soruce: USAFA Fact sheet page

It is listed under AFA Cadet Clubs as a "Mission Club"

Here is more info: From USAFA wiki

[RaptorDad2013]

Thanks for the info, Ernie -- Donation sent!

Dave

[ejfrey]

An update from the team.

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9/29/2009
Parents and Friends,

We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. It is heartwarming to know that so many people care.

Through your generous support, we have raised almost $3000 for our hotel expenses -- more than enough to meet our needs for the upcoming competition. The AOG gave us a call Monday night and told us they have a connection at the Hyatt. The Hyatt will provide us rooms for the duration of our competition for less than $2000, (exact final cost is being sent to us). We plan to contribute the left over money to the team fund to help us cover food costs during the competition, which we originally planned to pay out of pocket. However, since we were willing to pay these out of pocket, we would be happy to refund your gift if you wish; email us at C11Nathan.Frey@usafa.edu.

When we first faced this dilemma, we were uncertain whether or not it would be possible to garner the needed support. When the competition begins this Friday, we will use the funds you provided to go and win our regional competition with an added factor of safety. After the competition, we will post both the competition results and the details of the fundraising/expenses on both our website and same email chain that helped make this happen.

Again, the entire team thanks you for your assistance! All seventeen of us owe each of you a debt of gratitude.

Thank you,

USAFA Flying Team

[hornetguy]

Would you like to post an update on what has happened since?

[skyblue]

Well that sounds mysterious? So what has happened since??????

[ejfrey]

As far as I know, everything is going fine, and the competition should have started today.

[hornetguy]

see reasons for edit

[ejfrey]

Originally Posted by hornetguy

The update I received from a friend who is competing right now:

They were fortunate to have a contact at the Hyatt so their rooms were comped.
The AF came through and they are receiving TDY pay to cover food and expenses.

They now have $3000 in their MWR fund for whatever they choose to do.

The information posted above is currently inaccurate, and this is not surprising given the dynamic nature of the situation -- the blessing, and curse, of distributing such information on forums like this.

I was hoping to wait until after the competition to post the team's update, but unfortunately the incorrect information from the above post is being communicated wide and fast. My fear is such inaccurate information misrepresents not only this team, but could also hinder future fundraising for many other worthy USAFA related causes.

Here is the latest (as of this morning on 10/6):
- The Hyatt comp'ed only a portion of their stay and provided reduced rates for the other nights; however, the resulting hotel bill will be substantial and much greater than $0.

- the Air Force did NOT come through with TDY. The squadron officers are challenging this TDY ruling, but it does not look promising.

- All the team members are currently paying 100% of their own way.

- The team will decide AFTER the competition (when they know their final expenses and the TDY results) how they will use the generous donations. They will likely use it to pay the hotel bill and may reimburse the team members for their food expense that are incurred outside of Mitch's serving hours. The team is carefully making this decision and has communicated to me that they are doing their best to do the "right" thing.

As the team promised in their note that I posted earlier, they will provide a follow-up after the competition so everyone knows exactly how the donations were used. I don't plan additional follow-ups until that post.


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Now I am going to get on my soapbox for just a few sentences:

I have received quite a few private emails that voiced significant concerns about this thread and some of the responses it generated.
After thinking for a long time about those concerns and drafting a dozen different replies, I finally found my answer in one of the first places I should have looked -- the USAFA core values statement: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.

Everything I have seen from this team indicates they truly understand, and live, these values. I am confident that the team will do the "right" thing with the donations as they weigh their options against these core values.

-- Ernie

[hornetguy]

Thanks for the correction.