Let me start by saying I am all about training in all forms. As long as the skills you are working are beneficial to your overall goals then we are good to go. What started me thinking was when a civilian student asked me, while in a basic level handgun class, why we didn’t offer aerial marksmanship training, I was actually at a loss for words for a few seconds while trying to figure out if he was serious. Turns out he was.
Is training to do this really within the context of how you live your life?
Apparently he had read all about aerial marksmanship training and wanted to find out where he could get this type of training. You know, “just in case.” I had to ask what he did for a living. Turns out he sells electronics, but, “…thought it would be a good skill to have.” I tried to explain to him that it was highly unlikely that he, or any average citizen would ever need to “bungee up and hang in the door.” Not that it wouldn’t be a really fun thing to do, but was it the best use of his training dollars? Was it in context with his daily life?
I can’t imagine a better way to prepare for training than to place it within the context of your daily life. The time and money we have for professional training is so scarce these days that getting the most out of every round, every minute of range or dry-fire practice time only makes complete sense. Before training, take the time to put it in context. Use visualization techniques to set the tone. Is that target placed in such a manner as to duplicate what you might see at home, the office or your favorite restaurant? Do all of your draw and fire drills start from standing while facing the target? Is this a realistic expectation based on your everyday interactions with potential threats?
Only you can decide what is appropriate for your skills and abilities. Keeping your training within the context of your daily life, within the boundaries of reason, will pay off for you in the long run. Stay focused on what fundamental skills you need to master and set yourself up for success. Sure it is not as sexy as flipping the selector over to full auto, or spider rapelling while engaging multiple targets, but are those things in context with who you are and the life you lead? Stay Safe & Keep Training!
You literally took the words right out of my mouth. I’ve been planning on writing several articles about this subject over the next few months. I’ve seen this changing the face of the training industry quite a bit over the past few years. People wanting to go “live the dream” for the weekend taking some super operator course…..never mind the fact that much of what they may be taking may be completely irrelevant for their own reality. It’s all fun, at least people are training, and any high quality training is at least a positive step forward. However, seeing people like the average every day civilian taking high speed operator courses…when they haven’t even taken a basic pistol course? That just doesn’t make any sense. People need to be encouraged to stop focusing on the “cool factor” and start focusing on substance as well as relevance. Great words of wisdom Scott!
The NASCAR Experience… Fighter Pilot for a Day… etc…
Maybe it’s not training but pure fun.
I can understand a trainer vetting his students to insure that he only has the type of student he desires in his class. If you are conducting training with the distinct goal of making an operator a better fighter you will have a different class than one that is to teach people self defense. Hell you may even build a course that meets both of those objectives. But you can’t knock someone for wanting to do something high speed for a day. Now if this guy thinks there is even a remote possibility that he will ever shoot a hog, while hanging out the door of a Blackhawk flying along the coast of Somalia, then he has watched one too many movies about the “D-boys!”
Sometimes you just need to enjoy your hobbies.
Now where is my damn riggers belt and tether?
Nothing wrong with enjoying shooting and training, and having fun with it. My whole point, and I’m sure what Scott was getting at, is that when the “irrelevant” fun takes up a significant percentage of a person’s time and resources versus more relevant training, then there is a problem.
The only purpose I can see for aerial marksmanship training for a civilian is for aerial feral hog hunting. I believe that Texas requires a certain class prior to being able to hunt feral hogs from the air. If you wanted a thrill, good training, and be able to do a service to the ranchers and farmers in Texas whose property is being severely damaged by feral hogs, this would be something very worthwhile!
Currently, there is no law or regulation requiring any sort of safety class in Texas to hunt hogs from the air. Unfortunately, there are a number of shady outfits out there right now that pretty much amount to a guy with a build-it-yourself helicopter in his barn, minimal to no safety training beforehand, and pure luck that no one is getting that short ride to the ground. Cool thing is, despite no real legal requirement, there is one excellent company in the Houston area, owned and run by a number of former military pilots (owner was an OH-58 pilot) and other military personnel, that do offer some aerial marksmanship safety courses that appear to be well thought out and high quality: http://www.helicopterhuntingsafety.com/ I’m not sure if you’re here in Texas Patrick, but I thought I would mention them in case you were looking for a class like that.
Nicely articulated. Many would do well to read both this and a quite similar one from Jon Canipe a few months back.
Soutnarc has a quote ref training priorities that goes something like “if you can’t keep that average dude from raping you in the showers then the last f’ing thing you need is a carbine class”.
That thought applies here.
Kind of funny, I was in the class where the photo was taken. A little background, it was a L/E restricted class for those who do these type of missions and need the training. I spent four years as a full time flight officer in a L/E helicopter and currently am the L/E Aerial Gunnery specialist for Aimpoint to help those L/E officers and agencies that deploy carbines in helicopters. I carried a Steyr AUG with me daily in our helicopter post 9-11 with no specialized training. I wish this type of training was available. This is no joke, very serious stuff. What makes it difficult is that it goes against everything we normally do with reverse leads and lag shooting. I also requires a level of very specific safe gun handling techniques that a majority of shooters do not remotely possess. So the reality is that this type of thing is “neat”, but not only not practical, but not even safe for most people to undertake.
Southnarc is right on the money. If I had a nickel for every person I have found who are barely functional with a typical self defense handgun, but feel the need to go to a class to learn “Mega dynamic assymetric and disrtuptive carbine tactics in animated overseas contractor environments”, I would finally have my pristine1970 Hemi Superbird in my garage. These tactical fantasy camps fill up while many teaching solid practical self defense shooting that focuses on fundamentals and old, proven, and not very cool TTP’s are struggling to get their minimum numbers. It is indicative of today’s world of instant gratification and always looking for an easy way to get to do things. You want to learn aerial gunnery-raise your right hand, join an organization that does this for real, work your tail off for years doing all sorts of not very fun things for very little money, get assigned to one of those units, and then figure out some way to finagle the boss to let you go to one of these classes. By the way, if you ever have to then use that skill, plan on getting skewered by the media and have your personal life affected in ways you never imagined. It really isn’t all that fun.
As I recently told Pat Rogers during a phone call, “if some guy wants to do SWAT rolls, have explosions, and do “Spinning Blossoms of Death” in a set up on the fly shoot house with some whiz bang mega awesome instructor, I don’t want them as students”. All we can do is recommend that people train hard for THEIR mission and world (even if it’s not really very exciting). Some will get it, some won’t. Mr. Murphy and his wife Karma have a way of dealing with those who don’t get it.
Isn’t that the truth?! Sad thing is, there are two local instructors I’ve trained with that are vetted former 1SFOD-D, that in this market are absolutely struggling to fill classes. In contrast, the cult of personality types that are decidedly much less qualified and experienced manage to sell out all day long. Why? Because they’re great at talking about themselves and putting on a show. At the end of the day, all that flashy BS does nothing to put those pointy things on the top of the slide on target and the bullet where it needs to go. There needs to be some serious quality control implemented in this industry.
As an ATP rated helicopter pilot, and enthusiastic shooter, this is definitely a VERY bad idea. I can’t imagine many skilled helicopter pilots that would put someone they don’t know in the back of their helicopter, shooting a long gun. And, if you don’t really know the helicopter pilot, their recent emergency training, and the maintenance history of the helicopter, I wouldn’t consider getting in back as the shooting will take place within an area of the height/velocity curve where a successful autorotation in the event of an engine failure may not be possible.