Thoughts on Clearwater, FL?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dahoob,

well, heres the deal. CLearwater is Ok. The surrounding area is awesome. There is so much to do so many beautiful people, and so many beaches. Then there is the station. The station is fast paced, long hours and shitty deployments. Once you get here you will be expected to deploy 6 weeks at home then 2 weeks deployed. Non-stop all year round. Unless you went to one of the Non-Deployment shops which is unlikely. The maintenance comes in cycles, but not in the sense that you may already know. For like two weeks straight you will be putting in like an hour or two after you shift. Then for like a whole month there is nothing but looking busy work. Clearwater was my first station and for me i loved it because i knew nothing when i got here. You learn so much so quickly. Right now there is a lot of new guys so it keeps me busy with training, trying to get these new "boots" experienced. Although i say these things, if you let it Clearwater will break you down. Leave is not used here to go on a little vacation. Leave is used here for some "Leave me the Hell Alone Time". But over all i loved Clearwater. I know that i can go anywhere and Know the HH-60J helo as well as know my own truck.

I am not familiar with the distance restrictions the CG has for living areas from the base. I was assigned to the Customs Marine Div. out near Clearwater Beach. I lived from '02-'06 up in Palm Harbor which is about 15 miles north of the CG Air Station. Palm Harbor is a very nice area with every store or restaurant you will ever need right nearby. The schools are good as far as elementary schools. I don't know about higher.

Some of our guys bought homes one county to the north in Pasco County. The road that runs from the Air Station to the north is called McMullen Booth and it can be a joke during rush hour traffic. Other areas even closer and still to the north include Safety Harbor or if you want to be over towards the water, Dunedan.

I lived in an apartment/condo place, not sure what they renamed it, and it allowed large dogs....I have a Shepherd that was OK there.

Good luck with your assignment there. I was an SA TAD there right after bootcamp in 1982 while waiting to be flown to the CGC Chase on patrol in the Caribbean. I loved it there.

Beware of the gators, they're everywhere!

Don

I haven't seen any gators near me yet, except for when I went up to Crystal River for some tubing.

I thought HH-60's cant deploy, i thought only dolphin's can go on cutters.

All aircraft "deploy." Presently, only H65s deploy to Cutters.

Not sure about now, but when I was in Clearwater (4 years ago) the C130's deployed down there and I believe they had either one or two of the 60's for OPBAT. As far as any of the Aviation folks that I was friends with...they loved it! I loved it....never heard anyone say that "Clearwater will break you down", that to me is a joke...Clearwater was and is still an awesome place. As for the Airstation, Stations change with new commands, supervisors, etc....it was awesome then!!!

Good Luck in whatever you do and I can only speak for myself and my husband, but we'd love to go back to Clearwater, best area I've ever been stationed in...of course the best command I ever worked for was at SFO Atlantic City, NJ...though Clearwater was by far a better area.

quote:

Originally posted by n1dp:
All aircraft "deploy." Presently, only H65s deploy to Cutters.

along with the hitron Augusta birds.

OOPS! Forgot they are still in service. When is the transition to 65s?

quote:

Originally posted by dahoob:
Thoughts on Clearwater, FL?

I did three tours there. Hope that helps!

chapwood....

quote:

OOPS! Forgot they are still in service. When is the transition to 65s?

right now. The last Agusta should be leaving this week.

Anyone heading for an assignment at Air Station Clearwater I would think would be plenty happy with it. Every time I was there, I was very impressed. The crews seemed to have a good level of morale.

Pinellas County has plenty of beautiful areas to live.

Don

Okay this is coming from spouse point of view. The station is one of the busier stations that the Coast guard has. Crews for the C-130's do not deploy as much as the 60's. The area is beautiful, and there is alot to do, but it does get hot. The traffic can be crazy depending on where you choose to live, and if you have children be careful where ya chose to live. They bus children just about anywhere but your local school.

quote:

Originally posted by tankkllr:

quote:

OOPS! Forgot they are still in service. When is the transition to 65s?

right now. The last Agusta should be leaving this week.

Is the CG going back to just 2 helicopters? Why did they decide to ditch the Augusta?

quote:

Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:


Beware of the gators, they're everywhere!

Don

Like I was saying......

Woman finds 8-foot alligator in kitchen
69-year-old Floridian spots animal after it pushes through porch screen
The Associated Press
updated 6:44 a.m. PT, Tues., April. 22, 2008
OLDSMAR, Fla. - And some people get jittery about mice in the kitchen.

Sandra Frosti, a 69-year-old central Floridian, found an 8-foot long alligator prowling in her kitchen late Monday night, authorities said.

Frosti said the gator must have pushed through the back porch screen door and then went inside through an open sliding glass door at her home in Oldsmar, just north of Tampa. It then apparently strolled through the living room, down a hall and into the kitchen.

A trapper with Animal Capture of Florida removed the alligator, which was cut by a plate that was knocked to the ground during the chaos. But no one inside the house was injured.


© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Don

I came to the Clearwater area in 74. Had two OINC jobs and retired in 79. All these years have lived in the Dunedin/Palm harbor area. Put four kids through the local school system both parochial and public. They just established new school zones for next year. As always they don't always make sense. They have a school of choice options also. Some of the high schools have baccalauriate programs which are very popular. Palm Harbor HS is one of them.

Commuting in the area can be a bear. The county is built out and the main roads are still trying to catch up. I'm fortunate that I have a very good work schedule. I'm ahead of all the traffic both ways.

My oldest son a CMDR in the Navy is doing his twilight tour in Central Command at McDill AFB in Tampa. They looked all over the area considering schools, travel time and home prices. They bought a home in Palm Harbor. It's only about 25 miles from the house to McDill but it has to be one of the worst commutes in the area. Ther biggest concern are the kids schools and activities.
North Pinellas County offers any kind of program that you can think of for the kids. I'm sure that's true through out the county but I'm not familiar with the southern half.

Depending on who you want to believe, property values have decreased about 18% in the last year. There are some real bargains out there. Name your price and you'll probably get into a nice home. The bad side of course are the taxes, and home owners insurance. Even though this area has been very lucky with the lack of hurricanes(last to hit the area was in the 1920's). Wev'e had more damage from "No-Namers" over the years. Every one in the state is footing the bill for damage in other parts of the state.

The weather, what can I say. If you don't like it just change the channel. None of them give the same weather. God awful hot during the summer. When they say it's not the heat but the humidity, bull $hit, it's the heat. AC,AC and more AC. Low 90's most of the summer. AC on from May until October if it's a good year. Come fall, winter and spring it's open up the evey window in the house. That strange smell is fresh air. Sometimes we miss fall and spring.

Why am I still hear? Love the area. Us old farts have to think about cost of living, medical facilities, no state income tax, etc. If anyone leaves this area they head for north Georgia, western SC and NC. More temperate climate. Don't know that it's cheap up there anymore.

As far a duty stations, I'm afraid that it's changed alot since my time. I won't bore you with the "Old Guard" routine but back in my day etc,etc.

"Keep Florida green, bring money"

quote:

Is the CG going back to just 2 helicopters? Why did they decide to ditch the Augusta?

Sorry, I missed replying to this earlier.

The CG had a lease for the Augusta's and it was near its end. We validated that the HH-65C could do the same mission in 2004 and the decision was made to use HH-65Cs instead.

This change does a lot. We don't have to worry about another airframe, it integrates the pilots of HITRON back into the fold of standardization, and we don't have to requalify pilots when they PCS. There are of course some problems as well, mainly we needed more airframes and now the HH-65 community is taking the brunt of the workload for the operation. Before you could fly any helicopter and be assigned there. Not so anymore. But overall I think it will be a good thing in the longrun.

I have been stationed there twice, and loved it!! When you hear that the pace is fast,and it can "break you down",I understand that fromapersonal experience. I used to describe my work there beginning with a pleasant early morning drive to beat the rush hour traffic. The water seems so still as you drive across the bridge and my favorite early morning music was a jazz station. Once you drive in the gate and park your car...start to run as fast as you can, like a hamster in a wheel. The operation tempo was so fast and there were so many phone calls and SAR launches and Deployment issues that it can be overwelming. As a supervisor, I found it easier to manage the shop from a standing workstation rather than sitting in a chair,I found it easier to keep up. This pace goes on beyond the shift change for various reasons and pass downs or getting equipment over to the C-130 ramp prior to adeployment, or training, training, training. Then you get to enjoy horrendous rush hour traffic going home, unless you take the time to get a good workout in at the gym and maybe a brew at the club(it is sometimes open and sometimes closed except for private functions depending on the command). I want to remind you that I loved it, The kind of pace keeps you engaged and you feel "part of the action" and any other cliche you choose. You will also learn to be very good at you job, when you transfer,the next Airsta will feel very small.
Best of luck.
JG

quote:

Originally posted by Greenswmr:
I used to describe my work there beginning with a pleasant early morning drive to beat the rush hour traffic. The water seems so still as you drive across the bridge and my favorite early morning music was a jazz station. JG

When I worked the day shift for CBP at Clearwater Beach, I'd listen to "Bubba the Love Sponge"

He came up to our CBP boat one day on a jet ski by the Clearwater Causeway with Hulk Hogan on another jet ski. I had no idea who he was at the time but thought he was pretty cool. He talked with us for a while but Hulk stayed to himself.

I really enjoyed living and working in and around Pinellas County from 2002 to 2006.

Don

21,
I remember Bubba, his morning show was funny, but tended on to the rediculous side as the years went by. I met him backstage at a concert once and thought he looked like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon. He must have weighed 400# and was wearing a silk suit and it made him look laughable. I heard that he has since lost weight and has gone sindicated, is this true?

JG