PPR Clearances (Permission To Park On The Ramp)

Oh and STS may seem far from me but if it is IFR my airport is usually the same or worse. In fact, we are often IFR while STS and DVO are VFR.
 
Sounds like a nice excuse to go out TODAY. I think there are some cheap motels near Nut Tree (KVCB). Check AOPA Airports.
 
Sounds like a nice excuse to go out TODAY. I think there are some cheap motels near Nut Tree (KVCB). Check AOPA Airports.

Um yeah except for the dog and the boyfriend. But now that you mention it, that thought never did cross my mind.

I don't know that I heart a solo night cross country however and that's the timeframe we're looking at.
 
Oh and to add another takeoff and landing, cab, hotel, etc. to the already huge tab of me flying vs. driving - probably not.

Though hell it would be an adventure.
 
Um yeah except for the dog and the boyfriend. But now that you mention it, that thought never did cross my mind.

I don't know that I heart a solo night cross country however and that's the timeframe we're looking at.

You don't need to 'heart' a solo night cross countries, you just have to do them.
 
Doesn't Boyfriend + Dog = Temporarily Self-sustaining Domestic Unit?

I'd think that would be the solution, not the problem.

Not if you have to drive home to get the dog, to the airport to get the key, to the BF to drop off the dog, then back to the airport, not to mention packing etc to shower at the hotel tomorrow and figuring out if you need to get cash to drop in the overnight box to pay for your plane.

Think about it this way - would you drive 2-4 hours, then pay to stay at a place less than 2 hours from your house?

Makes no sense to me.
 
You don't need to 'heart' a solo night cross countries, you just have to do them.

I do not see a reason to do a night solo cross country in this situation. I'm OK to drive to the meeting tomorrow if I have to.

This is not a fly in, this is a once per year USCG training.
 
I do not see a reason to do a night solo cross country in this situation. I'm OK to drive to the meeting tomorrow if I have to.

This is not a fly in, this is a once per year USCG training.

I don't mean this instance, just in general.
 
It's not because you won't be welcome, it's because there are no tie downs on the 130 ramp. If a Herc were to start up and taxi away you might return to find your 172 blown someplace other than where you left it. :yikes:
I hope you have a blast.

Oh contraire...

I've tied a 182 down next to a C-130 at Camp Guernsey Wyoming, where the C-130 was tied down too. But it's Wyoming, after all. Whole cows blow away up there. :)

And a C-182 tied down in tie-downs big enough to hold a C-130 not only looks retarded, but is retarded. It'd make for something fun to watch if the wind came up, though. It'd make a neat pinwheel or something. ;)

The Safety Officer made us do it. I pointed out that the ridiculously long chains were now a tripping hazard, and they went and found some neon ribbon material to put all along the chain. Hahahahaha. Ahh, fun with Safety Officers.

No wind that day, multiple people cussed after still tripping over the chains multiple times, lots of noise from a big live fire artillery exercise out in the firing ranges, and Army fish sticks suck. Like really suck. I didn't know you could screw up a fish stick.

That's my Camp Guernsey "life experience". I'd kinda like that 12 hours back. :)
 
Re: PPR Clearances (Prior Permission Required)

Kimberly, I love your "go-getter" approach to all things aviation!

:yeahthat: whatever gives you a reason to fly . . . or be in the cockpit while someone else does. I hardly know anything about the USCG and what they would expect from a civillian, but am guessing you'll be learning stuff and that's great.
 
NOAA as well, yeah, I forgot the Homeland Security takeover. USCG was originally the Revenue Cutter service.


Back in the early 70's when Vietnam was still going on, the joke was.. Coast Guard = Draft Dodgers Yacht Club... Especially if you had a good chance of drawing a 1A on the card.:yikes:
 
Not if you have to drive home to get the dog, to the airport to get the key, to the BF to drop off the dog, then back to the airport, not to mention packing etc to shower at the hotel tomorrow and figuring out if you need to get cash to drop in the overnight box to pay for your plane.

Think about it this way - would you drive 2-4 hours, then pay to stay at a place less than 2 hours from your house?

Makes no sense to me.

Makes sense to me, but I fly ultralights, so I meet the folks who drive to fly-ins long after they have arrived.;)
 
By the way, if you're bored and want to read hours and hours of opinions back and forth about whether Aux volunteers should be wearing military style uniforms, (in this case CAP, but they've discussed the USCG Aux uniform differences ad nauseum too...)

Look no further than CAPTalk.
http://www.captalk.net/

I'd say roughly half the threads are about uniforms in some fashion. (Did you catch all those jokes? Threads? Fashion? Ahh... I crack myself up.) ;)

I wear the "Corporate" CAP uniforms almost religiously, not the military ones. My reasoning is that those of you who served, deserve the honor of wearing those military uniforms, not I.

I'm usually in the grey slacks and polo combination or the aviator shirt (which does require a name badge, and rank epaulets, and I do put the silly CAP ribbons and a Communications badge on it, just since it helps folks track down the guy dumb enough to be the radio guy at larger exercises). I keep the ribbons down to a dull roar, they can get totally out of hand.

The only purpose for the flight suit is to stuff it in a go-bag in the back of the truck along with a pair of boots. Easier to cart around than a regular uniform... for a real search mission. Green pajamas are helpful that way, but I don't even own a zoom bag yet myself. Too busy doing other stuff on the ground.

CAP can also use a god-awful ugly royal blue flight suit... I never see anyone wearing that. Long long ago we had a "smurf" blue jumpsuit. I did have one of those, I'm almost ashamed to admit. That plus a black long sleeved turtleneck could be thrown on from a go-kit easier than any other options back then (long before the polo was available) for ground activities. (Black was locally authorized back then. Don't start on me about that.)

It also could be worn for days with a change of shirt, socks, and underwear, which came in handy back then... Searches ran longer back then. Nowadays, unless you're Steve Fossett and in the wrong State, it's probably over in a few days now. We had money for twice the training activities we have today (speaks to the current state of too many people feeling like it's a flying club -- when there were eight exercises at a minimum per year, it was better) as well as competitions, which were boatloads of fun. Competitions went away almost twenty years ago.

And I was a broke 20-something who wasn't going to buy a bunch of uniforms. That was always the real kicker. "What's the cheapest option?" Especially back then.

Military style uniforms are also supposed to only be worn by those who meet the RELAXED height and weight standards for us dumpy civilians, and I'm borderline on good days. Fat guys in flight suits look like crap. I really get ****ed when I see some 300+ pounder stuffed into a military style uniform. It makes everyone look bad. They're technically out of uniform doing that but some PC Commanders won't call them on it.
 
Interesting info, denverpilot.

So, in CAP, can you get away with never wearing the dress and field uniforms? Is there ever a time where wearing one of the those two is unavoidable?
 
Back in the early 70's when Vietnam was still going on, the joke was.. Coast Guard = Draft Dodgers Yacht Club... Especially if you had a good chance of drawing a 1A on the card.:yikes:

I wonder how many airmen over there called them that when they were being ulled out of the water?
 
Interesting info, denverpilot.

So, in CAP, can you get away with never wearing the dress and field uniforms? Is there ever a time where wearing one of the those two is unavoidable?
Suitable corporate "uniforms" are always permitted. Sometimes they will require you to wear an aviator shirt instead of the polo, but nowadays the simple polo is almost always acceptable and no more annoying than a golf shirt (which basically it is).
 
Interesting info, denverpilot.

So, in CAP, can you get away with never wearing the dress and field uniforms? Is there ever a time where wearing one of the those two is unavoidable?

Dress can usually be substituted by the "blue blazer" combo that's basically just a name plate and crest on the pocket, and a specific tie, specific type of shirt and pants. At formal functions, they almost always offer the option of appropriate civilian dress attire. (There's people who are just too big to look right in a military dress uniform, but paying respects at a funeral, an honor event at the Capitol, etc... You do need to dress appropriately.)

The military style field uniform is BDUs and then add aquamarine name tapes. Ick. Aquamarine name tapes on woodland camo, looks god awful if you ask me. Maybe they've changed that, haven't looked in a while. Then add safety orange over it because you may not come walking out of the woods in woodland camo around here during hunting season. It gets ridiculous. But it's one of the only outdoor options that's warm, so ground teams do tend to use it. I'm usually not traipsing around the woods, so...

The entire uniform manual is here...

http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/m391_e6f33eaaec28a.pdf

Chapter 4 is the "Corporate" stuff. Technically the minimum required uniform is the white-aviator shirt combo, in the regs. Many Squadrons meet in the polo shirts and new members think that's the minimum uniform, but it's actually an alternate. They can be caught unaware if they attend a Squadron Leadership School or other Wing function with an old-school instructor who says, "no polos".

But... It's rare for a commander to say the Uniform of the Day is white aviators only. Usually you do see tighter uniform wear in Squadrons that have Cadets (Composite or Cadet Squadrons versus Senior Squadrons).

As someone else noted, the real ex-military folks are typically NOT in military style uniform around here, unless its a formal event that needs more formal dress. On the other hand, there's always one person who gets a mess dress jacket custom tailored to fit an enormous ribbon rack. Whatever floats their boat, I guess. Some squadrons in the mid-west and East coast will whip out the ruler and measure stuff at meetings. Maybe some around here. I avoid 'em. I'm just a civilian doing volunteer work.

You just kinda find a group that matches your style and don't embarrass them by looking a mess if you've got work to do where you visit Wing or higher eschelons...so I keep some "squared away" Corporate uniform stuff for that, but it's usually the Blazer combo.
 
I wonder how many airmen over there called them that when they were being ulled out of the water?

Good question.... Look it up..... Actually, I didn't know the Coast Guard had a presence in the Vietnam war pulling airmen out of the water.:dunno:..

I did know several who were stationed in the Miami area doing duty out by Fowey light, Stiltsville and the chosen ones got the premier job of defending the Nixon /Key Biscayne southern whitehouse. You remember that one, it was right next door to B.B Rebozo's estate. Protection of that section of Biscayne Bay was the precurser to todays Giant TFR's... :sad: I guess we should call it TBR's.:mad2:
 
Last edited:
Good question.... Look it up..... Actually, I didn't know the Coast Guard had a presence in the Vietnam war pulling airmen out of the water.:dunno:..

I did know several who were stationed in the Miami area doing duty out by Fowel light, Stiltsville and the chosen ones got the premier job of defending the Nixon /Key Biscayne southern whitehouse. You remember that one, it was right next door to B.B Rebozo's estate. Protection of that section of Biscayne Bay was the precurser to todays Giant TFR's... :sad: I guess we should call it TBR's.:mad2:

April 1965- May 1973

http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/USCGVietnamChronology.pdf
 
Well this might be all for not.

Today, around 7am, skies were clear.

Tomorrow, forecast (closest TAF) at 7am is 1 mile viz, mist, and O/C at 100 feet.

Looks like I'm driving.

Ever the optimist, I'm picking up the keys late tonight from the school then taking them home tonight.

Tomorrow, I drive to the airport, arrive at 7am, look UP at the sky, and either drive or fly. Which means tonight I get to flight plan!

I do like flight planning.

Kimberly

Hey Kimberly -- It's totally clear in Petaluma right now!
 
I have yet to determine what the PPR actually does, administratively. We call to get them before a trip, spend 10 minutes on the phone with LCPL Jones trying to explain that a CATM-9X is inert and that it can go through the hot pits, then field another call an hour later from another dude in the airops office asking the same questions. In spite of all the hassle, I have never yet been asked to provide my PPR, nor have I gone to any other frequency aside from center/approach/tower/ground. You land, ask to taxi to the transient line or the pits, and then you park and shut down. Sometimes there is someone there to chalk you, sometimes there isn't. My best guess is that it is purely for book-keeping purposes. Maybe a somewhat different situation for civilian/N-registered aircraft visiting, but it has never been an issue for us.
 
Good question.... Look it up..... Actually, I didn't know the Coast Guard had a presence in the Vietnam war pulling airmen out of the water.:dunno:..

I did know several who were stationed in the Miami area doing duty out by Fowel light, Stiltsville and the chosen ones got the premier job of defending the Nixon /Key Biscayne southern whitehouse. You remember that one, it was right next door to B.B Rebozo's estate. Protection of that section of Biscayne Bay was the precurser to todays Giant TFR's... :sad: I guess we should call it TBR's.:mad2:

The ship I retired from in 1966 was later assigned to Vietnamese waters, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what they did over there. I do know (from a chief gunner's mate who was there) that their 5-inch gun got a lot of use.

This article doesn't say anything about pulling people out of the water:

http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/h_tulichvietnam.asp

Bob Gardner
 
Last edited:
You show love in strange ways.

I like the Coast Guard so far.

Like the Air Force volunteer branch (CAP) we still have to wear uniforms and all that but it hasn't been too bad.

Then again my squadron is one of a kind (no boats).

So for the entire district (spans several states) we're the only one which makes us VERY different than your typical boat meeting.

Weve got an aviation detachment down here in Houston too... flotilla/squadron without boats..
 
Oh contraire...

I've tied a 182 down next to a C-130 at Camp Guernsey Wyoming, where the C-130 was tied down too. But it's Wyoming, after all. Whole cows blow away up there. :):)

I was speaking specifically of CGAS Sac. I was Operations Officer there for three years, and there are no tie downs on the ramp.
 
Back in the early 70's when Vietnam was still going on, the joke was.. Coast Guard = Draft Dodgers Yacht Club... Especially if you had a good chance of drawing a 1A on the card.:yikes:

The CG was the prime actor in Operation Markettime, which was the maritime interdiction effort along the coast using 82ft cutters armed to the teeth. In addition, USCG exchange pilots flew SAR recovery missions over North Vietnam and Laos in USAF HH53 (Jolly Green Giants) which were identical to the HH3s that we flew. I believe some CG pilots were lost, and one 82ft cutter was severely damaged and some of the crew killed by USAF pilots who couldn't tell the difference between a steel cutter and a wooden sampan.
 
Last edited:
I have a brother who served 2 tours in Vietnam, in the Coast Guard, as I understand it he was mostly on river patrol. When asked what he did over there, the only reply I ever received was ; Things I'd rather forget.
The older brother I adored went over there , and a stranger came home. Maybe one day the brother I have missed for so many years will finally come home.

My thanks to all who served in whatever branch of the military.
 
I have an uncle that was in the Coast Guard during WWII, and was all over the world and saw combat.
 
I got to sit in a C130 captain's chair.

I might even fly in that plane next month to Lake Tahoe.

There are no seats, so I guess we'll be tied to the walls?

Anyways, so many have asked "why are you doing this" (spending all this money, driving two hours each way to meetings and trainings, etc).

Now I have no doubt. Men talked about SAR with people in the water offshore (out here in the 40's you die pretty quickly).... oil spill patrols / info, environmental related flying, and much more.

We also get to eventually (when I'm qualified) get sent to Pensacola for various pilot related trainings.

So yeah, I'm in.

Big problem now is four things have to happen before January and with Thanksgiving and Christmas it doesn't seem likely. If the FBI doesn't finish my background check I'll have to wait until 2014 to start the yearly course for the basic air crew training (non pilot observer).

Fingers crossed for:

Background check complete
Military ID (drive to Coast Guard Island, photo, ID mailed)
Boating Safety Classes (hopefully online since the next in person one isn't until next June)
Other homeland security courses


So yeah, I have a temporary number but I still have a lot to do. I'm not going to buy a uniform yet though since I'd rather wait until I have to.

Christmas is coming and I'll need money for that though I'm going to try and check out a used uniform place and just buy what I need for now.

Oh and flying solo 62nm just put 1.8 more XC hours in my log book and though I thought I'd be scared, flying alone is actually really fun and a chance to have the time to practice using all the instruments. I fiddled with the radio, GPS, etc. and was even thinking of checking wx and doing PIREPS via radio.

I even filed a flight plan both ways and got flight following - which was GOOD since the airport, MCC, is surrounded by Charlie's and Delta's so if you were not on with ATC you'd have to weave around the airspaces and / or stay really low to be below them. With ATC you can go direct if they clear you through the transition.

In my case, I wasn't sure, so I asked. Going back it was hard too so I called them up just to be sure I didn't bust the Charlie which is to SFC at one point.

Turbulence, as usual, over the mountains, but I expected it and just reminded myself it was OK.

Also, on the way there, I kept checking my course in Foreflight. I didn't even pay attention to where I was. No eyes outside. Bad bad bad. On the way back I made sure to:

Look out the window more, using the heading bug on the DG to fly where foreflight wanted me to go and not look so much at the pax seat with the ipad.

Keep it zoomed out enough on the ipad so that I always had an airport to land in / nearby.

Look out the window to see the airport (not just see it on a computer screen)

When airports were too far - like over mountains - look down for emergency landing spots.

I am just so new to all of this, 100 hours or 200 hours is just scratching the surface if you don't fly cross countries that often.

It is fun to fly new places and remind yourself that "basic pilot training" is just the start... giving you the tools to get better.

Kimberly
 
Congrats to you.... You sound like you are becoming a great new pilot:yes:...

As for the background check... When I did the CAP thing a while ago, and I bet that background is very similar, if not identical and it took them just a few days to finish it... Same with the background checks I need to for my JAC airport badge.
 
Glad to hear you had a good experience. Don't worry about seating, it only takes a few minutes to plug jump seats in the back. You will enjoy them. They are scientifically designed to be very comfortable. :rofl:

If you can recall the hull number of the 130 you sat in, I'll check my logs to see if I ever flew it.
 
Glad to hear you had a good experience. Don't worry about seating, it only takes a few minutes to plug jump seats in the back. You will enjoy them. They are scientifically designed to be very comfortable. :rofl:

If you can recall the hull number of the 130 you sat in, I'll check my logs to see if I ever flew it.

Do you guys really call the airframe a hull ??
 
Congrats to you.... You sound like you are becoming a great new pilot:yes:...

As for the background check... When I did the CAP thing a while ago, and I bet that background is very similar, if not identical and it took them just a few days to finish it... Same with the background checks I need to for my JAC airport badge.

Nope, the last guy (a young man) took 6 months, and the wife of this other guy took 9 months.

Getting my number took less than a week. You see, they said it has all slowed since 9-11 because now they check for everything, plus I'm not sure if pilots get more checked out.
 
Glad to hear you had a good experience. Don't worry about seating, it only takes a few minutes to plug jump seats in the back. You will enjoy them. They are scientifically designed to be very comfortable. :rofl:

If you can recall the hull number of the 130 you sat in, I'll check my logs to see if I ever flew it.

I only took a few pictures. If I can zoom in on the in cockpit ones, where would I see the number?
 
SoloXC-10-27-2012.jpg
 
Back
Top