Naval Aviator Career

[PU Grad]

I know this has been discussed before, but after a quick search I have been unable to find the old threads.

I was wondering how often during a career you got moved as a naval aviator. I know you get moved for flight training, and then to the RAG. But after that how often do the average person get moved?

Also what is the basic number of years between these moves?

Thanks for the help. I will continue to try and search for the old posts, but I will gladly accept any easier method of obtaining the info.

Kobyra

 

[Brett327]

I know this has been discussed before, but after a quick search I have been unable to find the old threads.

I was wondering how often during a career you got moved as a naval aviator. I know you get moved for flight training, and then to the RAG. But after that how often do the average person get moved?

Also what is the basic number of years between these moves?

Thanks for the help. I will continue to try and search for the old posts, but I will gladly accept any easier method of obtaining the info.

Kobyra

Flight school varies with designator and type of aircraft. In the fleet, you'll get new orders on average every three years, but that doesn't necessarily mean you change geographic location.

Brett

 

[xmid]

I grew up the son of a naval aviator and I moved on average every 3 years. However, some of my dads tours where as short as a little over a year and the longest was 5 years when he got follow on orders in the same location. The officers on here can give you their experience, but over my fathers 23 year career this was my experience.

 

[HooverPilot]

I've been in just over 8 years. I have been stationed in 6 different locations. Of those, 4 were in the first 3 years. Then I was in one place for 3 1/2 years and now I'm in Norfolk where I expect to be here 3 1/2-4 years.

 

[Fred]

We've moved 11 times in 16 years. We have been in our current location for almost 5 years.

 

[ChunksJR]

I've been in just over 8 years. I have been stationed in 6 different locations. Of those, 4 were in the first 3 years. Then I was in one place for 3 1/2 years and now I'm in Norfolk where I expect to be here 3 1/2-4 years.

Concur with this one. I've only been in 4.5 years. You can *possibly* have an input on some of the steps.

I was in PCola for a year and a month for API/Primary/Advanced.
San Dog for 6 months for FRS/RAG.
Norfolk for last 3.
Back to PCola area to instruct for next 2.6 years.

 

[Helo Guy]

14 years 8 duty stations every one awesome... except Corpus Crapy. What a **** hole. :icon_tong

 

[SteveG75]

Pensacola, FL 1990-1992: AOCS, VT-10, VT-86
Whidbey Island, WA 1992-2001: VA-128 stud, VA-95, VAQ-129 stud, VAQ-138, VAQ-129 instructor
Newport, RI 2001-2002: Naval War College
Whidbey Island, WA 2002-2004: VAQ-129 refresher training, VAQ-138 DH
Newport, RI 2004-2006: Navy Warfare Development Command

Of course, I am heading to sunny Iraq for the next year, then we'll see where my last tour will be.

 

[A6-EA6]

It used to be that you had to move every 3 or so yrs for career progression, with some areas like Norfolk or San Diego there are enough Sea and Shore tours that you can get all of the right tours and still stay in one place. The Navy used to penalize guys at selection boards for staying in one place for too long, they've backed off a bit since it costs a lot of money to move you.

So you could stay in one of the big fleet concentration areas for a while (Norfolk, SD) but eventually you will need to go somewhere else (like DC) to get some of the more "career enhancing" jobs. I know of guys who have stayed in one place their entire career, but they ended up not screening for command because they never left and didn't get the right "tickets."

 

[PU Grad]

Thanks guys.

That's what I was looking for. Moving doesn't bother me, was just wondering how often it would be.

Kobyra

 

[bunk22]

13 years with 8 different stations, including flight school.