Ground Jobs

[HooverPilot]

I’ve heard NFO’s fly and land the S3 all the time? I know a guy that did the pilot transition and he said he had a ton of stick time. I guess their just not NIs or ANIs.

Not really. I have very rarely heard of another pilot letting an NFO land the airplane and I only let 1 NFO ever land the airplane and he started the SuperHornet RAG as a Pilot last month. Not to ding on the NFO's but landing is pretty much the definition of "Critical Phase of Flight". Now as for stick time, yeah, when going from point A to Point B it isn't unusual to have the NFO's fly for a bit, even get some form time in is pretty normal.

 

[S.O.B.]

Not really. I have very rarely heard of another pilot letting an NFO land the airplane and I only let 1 NFO ever land the airplane and he started the SuperHornet RAG as a Pilot last month. Not to ding on the NFO's but landing is pretty much the definition of "Critical Phase of Flight". Now as for stick time, yeah, when going from point A to Point B it isn't unusual to have the NFO's fly for a bit, even get some form time in is pretty normal.

We may be talking about the same guy. Was he a thug from Brocton Mass?

 

[HooverPilot]

We may be talking about the same guy. Was he a thug from Brocton Mass?

If by Brocton Mass you mean Podunk Arkansas, then yeah it's the same guy. Small world 'Eh?

But I probably know your Mass buddy too.

 

[A4sForever]

Not really. I have very rarely heard of another pilot letting an NFO land the airplane......

Lies .... LIES .... LIES !!!!! ) )


Ooohhh ... not true ..... I occasionally let my B/N's fly the bounce pattern. Occasionally ??? Make that frequently. It allowed me to nap while they got an "X" in the box for me. In fact, I would occasionally let the B/N do the start, taxi, and take-off just to mess with the ground crews' heads.

Enclosed (below) is a pix of me and my B/N in ship #524. He --- my B/N ... "ACE" .... is attempting to take-off and the ground crew is trying to restrain us as "ACE" forgot to unfold the wings -- I was napping and missed most of the excitement ... He was so crazy !!



----- We were always playing tricks like this on the men ... Great fun !!

B/N (a.k.a. NFO) Landings ??? Of course ... ROGER-- BOMBARDIER/NAVIGATOR BALL !!

 

[HooverPilot]

Lies .... LIES .... LIES !!!!! ) )


Ooohhh ... not true ..... I occasionally let my B/N's fly the bounce pattern. Occasionally ??? Make that frequently. It allowed me to nap while they got an "X" in the box for me. In fact, I would occasionally let the B/N do the start, taxi, and take-off just to mess with the ground crews' heads.

Enclosed (below) is a pix of me and my B/N in ship #524. He --- my B/N ... "ACE" .... is attempting to take-off and the ground crew is trying to restrain us as "ACE" forgot to unfold the wings -- I was napping and missed most of the excitement ... He was so crazy !!





----- We were always playing tricks like this on the men ... Great fun !!

B/N (a.k.a. NFO) Landings ??? Of course ... ROGER-- BOMBARDIER/NAVIGATOR BALL !!

Ok, Ok, I was just answering a focused statement/question. Just talking about my time as an S-3 Bubba. Just my small piece of the pie. Narrow view of the world. Not the big picture. Lacking global SA. Just a moment in time.

 

[A4sForever]

...... I was just answering a focused statement/question. Just talking about my time as an S-3 Bubba. Just my small piece of the pie. Narrow view of the world. Not the big picture. Lacking global SA. Just a moment in time.

Of course ... I understand completely. You are forgiven ....

 

[Punk]

Wow, that's new one. I mean, I can see if there was a stick in the right seat, but switching seats.

 

[A4sForever]

Wow, that's new one. I mean, I can see if there was a stick in the right seat, but switching seats.

Naaaa, naaaaa, naaaaaaah .... no seat switch, Grasshopper.

Auto-throttles ... engage then and take your nap. It worked like a champ and the B/N's loved it. It required a slight B/N lean-over and unlock of the shoulder harness ..... but you gotta' do what you gotta' do to placate those B/N's ... and I suppose the Uber-ECMO in the right seat, as well.

 

[Punk]

Ahha, all coming together now. Engage the APC and watch the fun. But I think I'll keep atleast one eye open.

 

[A4sForever]

Ahha, all coming together now. Engage the APC and watch the fun. But I think I'll keep atleast one eye open.

Even though you're "napping" ... keep both open ...

 

[HeyJoe]

Community differences

Generally I have found that the pilots in the VS Community would not be overly welcoming to an NFO giving a critique of the pilots flying.

When editor of Approach, I went on Safety Surveys to get to know the communities other than my "big watch" heritage. I have found communities to be like tribes (even different coasts in same platform). In fighter community, the senior RIOs were tutors to their pilots and vice versa. Pilots had to listen their RIOs (senior ones that is) in the jet and certainly in the debrief or they were in for counseling. Likewise, RIOs had to listen to their pilot mentor as they grew in experience. Best times were when OPs decided JOs were experienced enough to be crewed together.

Originally Posted by HooverPilot
Not really. I have very rarely heard of another pilot letting an NFO land the airplane.......

Couldn't happen in the Tomcat with no stick in backseat, but plenty of RIOs got stick time and landings in the A-4 Adversaries...one even got an Air Medal for landing an A-4 from back seat when pilot got incapacitated (no big deal for him since he had plenty of stick time prior). During annual spin training in T-2, normal practice was to let pilot go through series and have RIO talk him through recovery and then let RIO do it. Most RIOs had plenty of sim time, too. If I had a new pilot unsure of whether he should listen to me (1SERGRAD with an attitude in particular), we'd go to the 2E6 domed ACM simulator and have at it...after I gunned him mercilessly and he watched the replay, we got along famously.

BTW, in WWII SBD gunners also got stick time.....gave pilots some relief and was an incentive to the backseaters.

 

[HooverPilot]

Ok, so I'm the A-hole. I guess NFO's get more flight time than I alluded too. They even get landings some of the time. I guess I can say I was wrong...

 

[HeyJoe]

Ok, so I'm the A-hole. I guess NFO's get more flight time than I alluded too. They even get landings some of the time. I guess I can say I was wrong...

Don't be so hard on yourself...you spoke to what you knew...like Plato's Allegory of the Cave....your shadows were different than other's

 

[A4sForever]

Ok, so I'm the A-hole. ..

No you're not ... and don't EVER go there. It's a "big sky" and there's plenty of room for everyone and their opinions/experiences/viewpoints. Except, of course, for the A-holes .... and Bad Guys.

Semper Fi (Navy and Marines) and Fly Navy (not the AW member) ....

 

[zab1001]

No no no, I know Hoov, he really is an a-hole.

I KEED.