We Still Need the Airman Program The new method of training entry level airman has placed an undue burden on flight crew and maintainers by placing an increased demand on current qualified personnel for operational readiness. Integration of the airman program into ‘A’ school has made it less effective. The airman program provides exposure and on the job training to potential candidates prior to attending aviation classes ‘A’ school, reducing the likelihood of junior members choosing the wrong career path. The airman program is an essential tool in evaluating how successful an individual will be in an aviation rating. The Coast Guard needs to return to the system that worked for years. The reason the airman program worked. Junior members are exposed to the aviation community which is different than the surface fleet. It provided hands on training …show more content…
Similar to the surface fleet and shore units allowing non rate personnel to actually experience what the various career fields do prior to attending class “A” school. This has been a standard practice in the Coast Guard in order to reduce the likelihood of a junior member choosing the wrong career path. Having non-rated junior members work within the aviation community gives senior member the opportunity to evaluate them for suitability in aviation rates. While junior members are in the airman program most completed a unit specific line crew syllabus allowing them to immediately start the Basic Aircrew syllabus upon return to unit after graduation from class “A” school. This decreases the amount of time it takes new members to get flight crew qualified, standing B-0 ready crew duties. When a new member gets qualified quickly, it increases manpower on the hangar deck. More personnel equal a faster turn around time to complete maintenance evolutions, as well as an increasing pool of air crew members to support the many Coast Guard aviation