Can NFO's pilot jets??

[KBayDog]

testing my memory of course...on the fwd and aft...but I think I got it right...

:icon_lol:

 

[Pugs]

If I was a jet guy, id want my NFO to be able to fly incase I took a bird in the face... Just me.

On the fighting drumstick most pilots briefed flying at least low levels with a touch of nose up trim such that letting go of the stick started the jet away from mother earth. At that point I would reach over and hit mach hold on the autopilot and it would at least give the pilot time to wipe the bird feathers away and get control. Failing that it got you a couple seconds to get in position to jettison the a/c. Only tried it once to see it would work and it did just fine. Of course no way to verify that the pilot really was flying with any nose up trim.

 

[Venom-0]

Don't know about them being able to land on the carrier; that being said, however, I did have alot of friends (during my time in the Navy) who had tons of flight time before joining the Navy as NFOs. I'm sure they won't have too hard of a time landing it on a decent sized runway....Heck, even an NFO with no flight time might be able to do ok given he knows the limitation of the aircraft and doesn't overspeed the flaps or gear and doesn't stall that B****.

 

[Flash]

With a pilot slumped over in the front.. I cant think of anything more pressing ;p.

Do you know how rare instances like this are? Very rare. I can only think of three right off the top of my head (one A-6 and 2 EA-6) and in two of hte instances the NFO was not ultimately sucessful in preventing a mishap, even after trying to help.

Out of millions of hours of multi-crewed crewed tactical jets with one pilot flying them and no NFO controls, the possibility of an infintesimally small number of incidents is not worth the expense and time that would go into training all of the NFO's to a basic flying standard to prepare for such an eventuality.

I am with Brett, pull the handle.

Ironically, there are controls in the backseat of the only USAF tactical jet with a NAV, the F-15E.

 

[Blutonski816]

See, the one good thing about NATOPs is that it'll usually end mindless little debates like these...

The way I see it... If I'm an NFO and my pilot takes one in the face, I'm not gonna try fvcking around in an aircraft I was not trained to land, previous stick time or not. An A/C like the Prowler (or any other platform) is not something for an ameteur to try and land in a clinch.
Conversely... If I'm in the left seat, and I get Pwnt by said birdstrike or whatever, and I can tell it's too much risk to try and landing a crippled A/C... I'm gonna GTFO, and I expect the rest of the crew to do the same...

 

[Blutonski816]

Ironically, there are controls in the backseat of the only USAF tactical jet with a NAV, the F-15E.

So did the AF versions of the F-4... reasoning being that in those days, the Backseaters were Pilots and not NAVs...

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Don't know about them being able to land on the carrier; that being said, however, I did have alot of friends (during my time in the Navy) who had tons of flight time before joining the Navy as NFOs. I'm sure they won't have too hard of a time landing it on a decent sized runway....Heck, even an NFO with no flight time might be able to do ok given he knows the limitation of the aircraft and doesn't overspeed the flaps or gear and doesn't stall that B****.

But do you want to take the chance of landing an aircraft that you've never flown, with an unfamiliar sight picture (backseat), possibly damaged? Yes, you might do OK, or you may end up landing on one wheel and cartwheeling off the runway at a high rate of speed endangering your own lives and those of anybody around you. I guess in this extremely unlikely circumstance, you would have to weigh those two options carefully.

 

[Thisguy]

As far as I know, the only jet an NFO can hope to fly is an S-3.

Yep, and that opportunity is gone for new FOs. Would the NFO ever get a chance to recover on the carrier? No. Would the NFO get some stick time so the pilot could walk to the back of the jet and take a piss in his piddle pack? Yes.

 

[Brett327]

Yep, and that opportunity is gone for new FOs. Would the NFO ever get a chance to recover on the carrier? No. Would the NFO get some stick time so the pilot could walk to the back of the jet and take a piss in his piddle pack? Yes.

Thank you. I know this subject pops up from time to time, so let me make it perfectly clear to everyone:

NFOs are not Pilots and Pilots are not NFOs!

If you want to be at the controls, then become a pilot. Otherwise, stop engaging in masturbatory fantasization about completely unrealistic scenarios where the NFO heroically takes the controls and saves the planet - it's pathetic. Furthermore, since Navy jets don't have dual controls (with the noted exception that's well into its sundown phase), it's a completely moot point anyway.

Brett

 

[ip568]

Over the years I'' bet I got 100 hours at the controls of my crew's P-3 in transit. Boring but better than sleeping aft on the deck.

 

[Brett327]

Boring but better than sleeping aft on the deck.

That's debatable. Between my hammock and sleeping bag, I could log some serious rack time back there.

Brett

 

[A4sForever]

...... stop engaging in masturbatory fantasization about completely unrealistic scenarios .....

You don't leave very much joy in an old man's life, do you ??? :sleep_125

 

[Brett327]

^I love you, man.

Brett

 

[eddie]

reasoning being that in those days, the Backseaters were Pilots and not NAVs...

I thought that was an exception to the rule because there was a shortage of NAV's at some point, or something.

Yes, No?

 

[Schnugg]

Would the NFO get some stick time so the pilot could walk to the back of the jet and take a piss in his piddle pack? Yes.

Not gonna happen. I know of no pilot that would leave the controls of the plane they signed for in the hands of an NFO.