IFS

[lecolin]

Some NFOs do IFS also

Ghish,

I am a student NFO who just graduated from API and is waiting to start Primary at Pensacola right now. IFS is also available for a select group of NFOs prior to API (randomly selected). I think they will phase in ALL NFOs to take the NFO IFS by the end of next fiscal year. I did the NIFS (Navigator IFS) syllabus, but the SNFOs only get 13.5 flight hours, with only about 4.5 hours of that being the basics of actually flying (turns, recovery from unusual attitudes, stalls, etc). The remaining 9 hours were instrument approaches (ILS, localizer, NDB, VOR, no GPS, though) and cross-country navigation using pilotage and dead-reckoning. I was bummed that we didn't get to solo or land the airplane by ourselves without help.

Gene C.

IFS = Introductory Flight Syllabus

IFS provides Student Naval Pilots (SNP) with 25 hours of civilian aviation flight training and associated ground training prior to beginning the Naval Aviation training pipeline (Preflight Indoctrination). Students enrolled in IFS must meet the following program requirements: solo within 30 days; solo within 15 flight hours; complete at least three solo flights; complete one solo cross country flight; fly a minimum of 2.0 solo flight hours; fly a minimum of 24.0 total flight hours; complete the program within 60 days (commissioned officers) or 90 days (midshipmen).