Oh, and for the newbies, because I'm not scheduled today and the sims don't open up till 1700 . . .
XO of the ship, as opposed to the XO of your squadron.
2. When is a Commander not a Commander and a Captain not a Captain?
When the XO of a ship is traditionally referred to as "Commander" regardless of rank and the CO as "Captain," again, regardless of rank.
3. What is the difference between and AOM and an APM?
AOM=All Officer Meeting. APM=All Personnel meeting??
4. If someone with gold wings is talking about "Trick or Treat" and it ain't late October, what are they talking about?
Due to fuel state, you either trap this pass, or tank/divert.
OPNAVINST 3710.7T . . . the Bible for Navy/Marine aircraft operation. The regulations which exist between the FARs which govern all aircraft in the US and the NATOPS manual which governs your particular aircraft.
6. When/how does one become a "nugget"
By graduating the RAG, checking into your first fleet squadron, and not having gone on cruise.
A "below average but safe" pass.
One who has not yet crossed the equator and become a shellback.
10. What is the difference between a section and a division?
Section=2 planes. Division=4. Light division=3. A division is 2 sections.
12. What are cut lights? What is a cut pass?
Cut lights=green lights on the IFLOLS/FLOLS which signal "roger ball" when first flashed. After that, they signal a power call from Paddles. I believe the official Paddles definition of a cut pass is "gross deviations inside the waveoff window." A pass so heinous and unsafe that it probably puts your wings in jeopardy.
14. Fill in the blanks: "________, __________, man your brooms!"
"Sweepers, Sweepers"
The catapult crew has pressed the button, but the cat did not go bang. Keep your power up until told to throttle back; you many suddenly find yourself in the air anyway when it spontaneously goes off . . .
20. Who is the evil lord on a CV that uses a Ouija board to control his minions?
The Handler, who uses the Ouija Board to spot aircraft.
21. On the radio around the ship, who is "Tower" and who is "Bridge"?
"Tower"=the Air Boss. "Bridge"=Ship's CO
23. What is boarding rate? What is interval? Why are they important?
Boarding Rate=Percentage of passes in which you trap versus bolter or get waved off. Interval=distance between you and the guy in front. If your interval is jacked up, you will be too tight on the guy in front and thus get waved off foul deck when he is still in the gear. Thus, your boarding rate will suck. Conversely, if you are long, you will still be in the gear, and thus screw the guy behind you, causing HIS boarding rate to suck.
24. Who gets to break the deck? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
The first guy down after the deck is set for landing. A good thing, provided you are in the right place at the right time and don't pork it away.
25. Why are Navy Pilots so damned cool?
Because if we weren't, we wouldn't be Navy Pilots!