McChord AFB ?

cowtown · Posted: 03-05-2010, 07:18 PM

So I have been meaning to get post something up about this base as I can't find much on it. I am getting stationed at McChord AFB after tech school and was wondering if anyone had any info on the base, traffic, etc. The only pieces of info I can seem to dig up over google is it's a tower only base, with a good number of c17s, besides that is any one stationed there who can put forward some insight. Thanks.

Ryan

RadarContact · Posted: 03-05-2010, 09:12 PM

I spent the first 5 years of my AF career there, though I was a crew chief and didn't work air traffic back then. What you already said is pretty much it in a nutshell. Several squadrons of C-17s, and you'll get a good mix of traffic from them, playing in the pattern, going out on missions, doing night pattern work, etc. Navy planes come and do pattern/approach work often... P-3's and EA-6's from what I remember. I think theres some guard F-15's (just a couple) still there but they rarely flew. Seattle approach runs the radar airspace surrounding it. You'll also get quite a bit of civilian planes crossing over the airspace, from Tacoma Narrows and Puyallup airports. I did my private/instrument training at TIW so I got some low approaches in at TCM when the tower wasn't busy.

I am envious by the way.. enjoy it, the pacific northwest is beautiful, just deal with the rain (8-9 months of the year) in your own way and you'll be fine

GolfJuliet · Posted: 03-06-2010, 01:55 AM

What's with the user name?

BernieB · Posted: 03-06-2010, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadarContact

I spent the first 5 years of my AF career there, though I was a crew chief and didn't work air traffic back then. What you already said is pretty much it in a nutshell. Several squadrons of C-17s, and you'll get a good mix of traffic from them, playing in the pattern, going out on missions, doing night pattern work, etc. Navy planes come and do pattern/approach work often... P-3's and EA-6's from what I remember. I think theres some guard F-15's (just a couple) still there but they rarely flew. Seattle approach runs the radar airspace surrounding it. You'll also get quite a bit of civilian planes crossing over the airspace, from Tacoma Narrows and Puyallup airports. I did my private/instrument training at TIW so I got some low approaches in at TCM when the tower wasn't busy.

I am envious by the way.. enjoy it, the pacific northwest is beautiful, just deal with the rain (8-9 months of the year) in your own way and you'll be fine

I was stationed there as an ATCer from '03-'06 and what RadarContact said pretty much nails it on the head. Not a bad first base to get your feet wet. Just head elsewhere after a few years for more traffic. Also, prepare to deploy. PM me for any further info.

cowtown · Posted: 03-06-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

I spent the first 5 years of my AF career there, though I was a crew chief and didn't work air traffic back then. What you already said is pretty much it in a nutshell. Several squadrons of C-17s, and you'll get a good mix of traffic from them, playing in the pattern, going out on missions, doing night pattern work, etc. Navy planes come and do pattern/approach work often... P-3's and EA-6's from what I remember. I think theres some guard F-15's (just a couple) still there but they rarely flew. Seattle approach runs the radar airspace surrounding it. You'll also get quite a bit of civilian planes crossing over the airspace, from Tacoma Narrows and Puyallup airports. I did my private/instrument training at TIW so I got some low approaches in at TCM when the tower wasn't busy.

I am envious by the way.. enjoy it, the pacific northwest is beautiful, just deal with the rain (8-9 months of the year) in your own way and you'll be fine

Thanks for the info, exactly what I was looking for. As for the rain, I lived in Eugene, OR for a year which totals on average a foot more than Tacoma in rainfall anually, I have to agree PNW is beautiful no doubt.

Quote:

What's with the user name?

I am from a town in California called Vacaville, commonly referred to as "cowtown", it's also my user name on various car forums

Quote:

I was stationed there as an ATCer from '03-'06 and what RadarContact said pretty much nails it on the head. Not a bad first base to get your feet wet. Just head elsewhere after a few years for more traffic. Also, prepare to deploy. PM me for any further info.

I heard a rumor AMC bases are known to deploy a lot, so I expected this. Sounds like this base might be the perfect first base, I'm glad I am assigned to it.

Ryan

atcbrownie · Posted: 03-06-2010, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowtown

Thanks for the info, exactly what I was looking for. As for the rain, I lived in Eugene, OR for a year which totals on average a foot more than Tacoma in rainfall anually, I have to agree PNW is beautiful no doubt.

I am from a town in California called Vacaville, commonly referred to as "cowtown", it's also my user name on various car forums

I heard a rumor AMC bases are known to deploy a lot, so I expected this. Sounds like this base might be the perfect first base, I'm glad I am assigned to it.

Ryan

AMC bases deply a lot because of the nature of the mission, but ATC at AMC bases deploy no more often than any other bases ATC. I was stationed at GrandForks AFB for 03-09 and only deployed once, I knew several people that went and entire enlistment without ever getting deployed.

AW

GolfJuliet · Posted: 03-07-2010, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowtown

I am from a town in California called Vacaville, commonly referred to as "cowtown", it's also my user name on various car forums

Oh...I thought you might have been referring to Ft. Worth, but then when I saw that McChord was way out there I knew something didn't add up and I had to ask lol

Davo · Posted: 03-07-2010, 02:39 AM

I was stationed at McChord for 6 years as a mechanic. Just left there in January actually. I visited the tower a couple of times while there, they were really really slow. If your plan is to transition into the FAA after your service is up I would definitely try to get somewhere with more traffic after a while. I am not sure how long you need to be in one spot to get your CTO, I am sure others can inform you of that info, but you want to make sure you have that before you get out if you want to apply VRA. I have heard stories of others on here that thought they would be VRA qualified and were not.

If you have not been to the base before it is just south of Tacoma which is just south of Seattle so you have the two big cities close by. McChord butts up against Ft. Lewis, an army base. Just in the last couple of years a joint basing project has been starting up between the two bases. I am sure you will hear all about it when you get there because it is supposed to be completed by 2012 I believe. I am not sure how much it will effect you as a controller but it means the army will have influence in all major decisions made on the base. If you like outdoorsy stuff you will love the location. What you hear about the weather is completely true. The summers are great but short and if it is not summer it is overcast and probably raining. Most of the time it is not raining hard but a light rain all day long.

JumperBones · Posted: 03-07-2010, 02:32 PM

I was at McChord 6 years or so too, both as a crew chief in AMXS and as a load. Davo, where'd you work? It's not bad at all, Seattle's 40 minutes away with lots of stuff to do. Tacoma's alright but it doesn't hold a candle to Seattle in terms of stuff to do. As for the rain, for the 6 months of dreariness and rain, you've got about that same amount of sun - seriously, summer's in Seattle are amazing, sunny and the temps are usually in the 70s, rarely do they get much over the low 80s.

cowtown · Posted: 03-07-2010, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davo

I was stationed at McChord for 6 years as a mechanic. Just left there in January actually. I visited the tower a couple of times while there, they were really really slow. If your plan is to transition into the FAA after your service is up I would definitely try to get somewhere with more traffic after a while. I am not sure how long you need to be in one spot to get your CTO, I am sure others can inform you of that info, but you want to make sure you have that before you get out if you want to apply VRA. I have heard stories of others on here that thought they would be VRA qualified and were not.

If you have not been to the base before it is just south of Tacoma which is just south of Seattle so you have the two big cities close by. McChord butts up against Ft. Lewis, an army base. Just in the last couple of years a joint basing project has been starting up between the two bases. I am sure you will hear all about it when you get there because it is supposed to be completed by 2012 I believe. I am not sure how much it will effect you as a controller but it means the army will have influence in all major decisions made on the base. If you like outdoorsy stuff you will love the location. What you hear about the weather is completely true. The summers are great but short and if it is not summer it is overcast and probably raining. Most of the time it is not raining hard but a light rain all day long.

My plan is to transition into the FAA after my initial enlistment but being in tech school I can't say for certain being only in tech school. I don't know how the AF used to do it but you take the CTO test in tech school and are issued upon completion so that shouldn't be an issue.

McChord AFB ?

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