Another post here... the RAG always was a mystery for me, since we had very few Rhino types in TRACOM.
I'll write this up from the WSO perspective in the VFA community, but it should provide some insight from the pilot's perspective as well.
A few notes to un-confuse the whole RAG phase:
1- The pilots are indeed in a class with you. However, up until the last part, they're trained exclusively as single seaters. Then they find out 80% will be two-seat types. Go figure. You'll typically fly in the lead aircraft with an instructor pilot, while the student pilots fly as wingman with an intructor WSO (who is "along for the ride" usually).
You'll occassionally do "crewed-up" simulators with other students, but that's it...
2- It's not quite like TRACOM. Events come in random order, you'll repeat events often or go back and do stuff you've done before if there's an empty backseat. There's not FTI, and frequently learning the material is a matter of finding someone in the know and picking his/her brain.
To begin...
1- FAMs/FORMs
Basic shizznit. Classes-sims-flights. Lots of sims to practice emergencies... something the WSOs never really got enough of in flight school. You start with a few flights to learn the Oceana course rules, how to play with all the gadgets, take care of checklists, instruments, and administrative details. And say "oooooh, I'm in an F/A-18"
Forms, you get to practice basic section and division admin... and watch the pilots do their thing. Mostly a pilot drill, but hey, get your flight time where you can.
2- AWIs and SRAs
Now the fun stuff begins. AWIs (All-Weather Intercepts), you'll practice one-on-one radar intercepts. This is no different than what you did in Advanced, just with a muchh sweeter radar. Shoot him in the face, get behind him, shoot him again with the Sidewinder.
SRAs (section radar attacks), you'll start learning how to do this with a wingman, and against targets who aren't postively identified as hostile. Really, the emphasis in this stage is learning how to use the APG-73 radar, because the concepts aren't too foreign for the WSO types..
3- Strike and LATT
Switch gears, learn a little air-to-mud stuff. This is kind of a buffet... a little of this, a little of that, a lot of exposure to a lot of things. You'll see a variety of weapons systems and how to employ them (at least notionally).
Including JDAM, JSOW, Laser-guided bombs, Maverick, high-drag and low-drag ordnance, and mines
Strike will include a lot of bombing patterns, some target acquisition, and some section maneuvering.
LATT, you'll learn to rage in fast and low, learn how work surface-to-air countertactics (how to defeat missiles shot at you!!), and how to put that together with the Strike stuff.
At some point, you'll go on your Strike det... most likely, El Centro. This is a lot of fun, because you'll be exclusively flying, and be expected to start learning more tactical knowledge on every flight... for example, getting quizzed on specific enemy surface-to-air threats and such. Here you'll do some more strike tactics in the desert, drop some live Mk-82 500' bombs, and finish with some close air support.
As a bonus, you can ask EODDave if he wants to drive around the desert in a rental van like a f#cking maniac.
4- Fighter Weps and BFM
Back to the air-to-air arena. Unlike AWIs and SRAs, now they'll start teaching you honest-to-goodness tactics on how to intercept and kill other planes. I don't want to get into specifics here, but suffice it to say it's just adding another layer. As you slowly start to pick up on this stuff, it'll be interspersed with some good old-fashioned BFM (dogfighting, for the unititiated).
Soon, you'll rush back out on det to Key West, to fight some professional bandits. Again, more learning tactical knowledge one enemy aircraft, and exclusively flying Now they'll give you much more complex problems, with multiple groups of bandits showing varying scenarios. You have to decide how to apply all your tactics, and utilize your wingman to get in and out in one piece. Putting it all together, once you're in visual range and the bad guy's still alive, you're going to follow-up with BFM... if you can see those pesky little F-5s!!! :icon_rage
At the end, enjoy some Key Lime pie and head back to the beach
5- Strike/Fighter
Finally, the pilots will find out if they're going to a single-seat squadron or a two-seat. The single-seater fly by themselves, the two-seaters will be paired up with one of you. What fun.
Kind of a 'cats and dogs' phase. Three parts... first is a quick introduction to SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) and how to use the HARM. A little learning how to refuel from a tanker (yes, another Super Hornet, wise guys), and letting your pilot scare the hell out of you.
The real good stuff is self-escort strike... learn to fight your way through multiple bad guys, drop bombs on target on time, and fight your way back out.
6- CQ
This is what the Navy is alll about. You'll be paired up with one student pilot and fly with him alll the time. A lot of FCLPs (field carrier landing practices), and a bunch of carrier sims. You'll bounce until you're sick of it.
Finally, it's off to the boat! In addition to your first look at the boat, it's your pilot's first look at the boat at night. It's kind of cool, but a little unnerving, knowing that you and another junior guy are working together to get the job done. We got 12 day and 8 night traps out at the Teddy Roosevelt.
See ya in the fleeet!
Once you get back from the boat, you'll go to your patching ceremony, where you replace your RAG patches with fleet patches. If you're a two-seat guy, you'll have all your new squadronmates show up, rip them off, sing the squadron fight song and hand you a drink. If you're a single-seat guy, your RAG instructors will shake your hand and give you a certificate and tell you to call your new squadron on Monday.
Again, hope that clears up the mystery
I'll write this up from the WSO perspective in the VFA community, but it should provide some insight from the pilot's perspective as well.
A few notes to un-confuse the whole RAG phase:
1- The pilots are indeed in a class with you. However, up until the last part, they're trained exclusively as single seaters. Then they find out 80% will be two-seat types. Go figure. You'll typically fly in the lead aircraft with an instructor pilot, while the student pilots fly as wingman with an intructor WSO (who is "along for the ride" usually).
You'll occassionally do "crewed-up" simulators with other students, but that's it...
2- It's not quite like TRACOM. Events come in random order, you'll repeat events often or go back and do stuff you've done before if there's an empty backseat. There's not FTI, and frequently learning the material is a matter of finding someone in the know and picking his/her brain.
To begin...
1- FAMs/FORMs
Basic shizznit. Classes-sims-flights. Lots of sims to practice emergencies... something the WSOs never really got enough of in flight school. You start with a few flights to learn the Oceana course rules, how to play with all the gadgets, take care of checklists, instruments, and administrative details. And say "oooooh, I'm in an F/A-18"
Forms, you get to practice basic section and division admin... and watch the pilots do their thing. Mostly a pilot drill, but hey, get your flight time where you can.
2- AWIs and SRAs
Now the fun stuff begins. AWIs (All-Weather Intercepts), you'll practice one-on-one radar intercepts. This is no different than what you did in Advanced, just with a muchh sweeter radar. Shoot him in the face, get behind him, shoot him again with the Sidewinder.
SRAs (section radar attacks), you'll start learning how to do this with a wingman, and against targets who aren't postively identified as hostile. Really, the emphasis in this stage is learning how to use the APG-73 radar, because the concepts aren't too foreign for the WSO types..
3- Strike and LATT
Switch gears, learn a little air-to-mud stuff. This is kind of a buffet... a little of this, a little of that, a lot of exposure to a lot of things. You'll see a variety of weapons systems and how to employ them (at least notionally).
Including JDAM, JSOW, Laser-guided bombs, Maverick, high-drag and low-drag ordnance, and mines
Strike will include a lot of bombing patterns, some target acquisition, and some section maneuvering.
LATT, you'll learn to rage in fast and low, learn how work surface-to-air countertactics (how to defeat missiles shot at you!!), and how to put that together with the Strike stuff.
At some point, you'll go on your Strike det... most likely, El Centro. This is a lot of fun, because you'll be exclusively flying, and be expected to start learning more tactical knowledge on every flight... for example, getting quizzed on specific enemy surface-to-air threats and such. Here you'll do some more strike tactics in the desert, drop some live Mk-82 500' bombs, and finish with some close air support.
As a bonus, you can ask EODDave if he wants to drive around the desert in a rental van like a f#cking maniac.
4- Fighter Weps and BFM
Back to the air-to-air arena. Unlike AWIs and SRAs, now they'll start teaching you honest-to-goodness tactics on how to intercept and kill other planes. I don't want to get into specifics here, but suffice it to say it's just adding another layer. As you slowly start to pick up on this stuff, it'll be interspersed with some good old-fashioned BFM (dogfighting, for the unititiated).
Soon, you'll rush back out on det to Key West, to fight some professional bandits. Again, more learning tactical knowledge one enemy aircraft, and exclusively flying
Now they'll give you much more complex problems, with multiple groups of bandits showing varying scenarios. You have to decide how to apply all your tactics, and utilize your wingman to get in and out in one piece. Putting it all together, once you're in visual range and the bad guy's still alive, you're going to follow-up with BFM... if you can see those pesky little F-5s!!! :icon_rage At the end, enjoy some Key Lime pie and head back to the beach
5- Strike/Fighter
Finally, the pilots will find out if they're going to a single-seat squadron or a two-seat. The single-seater fly by themselves, the two-seaters will be paired up with one of you. What fun.
Kind of a 'cats and dogs' phase. Three parts... first is a quick introduction to SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) and how to use the HARM. A little learning how to refuel from a tanker (yes, another Super Hornet, wise guys), and letting your pilot scare the hell out of you.
The real good stuff is self-escort strike... learn to fight your way through multiple bad guys, drop bombs on target on time, and fight your way back out.
6- CQ
This is what the Navy is alll about. You'll be paired up with one student pilot and fly with him alll the time. A lot of FCLPs (field carrier landing practices), and a bunch of carrier sims. You'll bounce until you're sick of it.
Finally, it's off to the boat! In addition to your first look at the boat, it's your pilot's first look at the boat at night. It's kind of cool, but a little unnerving, knowing that you and another junior guy are working together to get the job done. We got 12 day and 8 night traps out at the Teddy Roosevelt.
See ya in the fleeet!
Once you get back from the boat, you'll go to your patching ceremony, where you replace your RAG patches with fleet patches. If you're a two-seat guy, you'll have all your new squadronmates show up, rip them off, sing the squadron fight song and hand you a drink. If you're a single-seat guy, your RAG instructors will shake your hand and give you a certificate and tell you to call your new squadron on Monday.
Again, hope that clears up the mystery
