Navy JTACs?

[croakerfish]

…I wonder if there are opportunities for navy types to fly for them as some kind of a shore tour?

Or maybe he was just a guy wearing his dad’s old flight jacket?

That’s a well-kept secret if he was still AD. Contractor maybe?

 

[Griz882]

That’s a well-kept secret if he was still AD. Contractor maybe?

Very well could be - and probably correct. My thought at the time was maybe a tour with the 160th?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Very well could be - and probably correct. My thought at the time was maybe a tour with the 160th?

Or maybe a former Navy dude who did an IST. I've never met any Navy guys who went that route, but I did meet some CWO pilots once who were both former Marine Harrier O-5s.

 

[Gatordev]

Not JTAC exactly, but I know a couple of 13XX guys who did NSW tours and wound up working with the UAV Platoons.

At least as of 2021, one of them (a 1315) was still working with them, albeit in a leadership position. He was also on the last SELRES FS det (the one after yours, I think).

 

[SynixMan]

Not JTAC exactly, but I know a couple of 13XX guys who did NSW tours and wound up working with the UAV Platoons. Robot stuff isn't a bad thing to add to an aviation resume if you're not going to be racking up time in your T/M/S of origin. Caveat that it was a few years back, I don't know if they're still organized that way or if those tours are still an option.

My understanding from talking to folks is that it is small numbers and heavily timing dependent.

As has been stated in this thread, the only Navy pilot JTACs I know of were WTIs, pointy nose folks attached to the NSW Groups, or some random very off drug deal/by name request.

I say that because I know there's lots of lurkers around here. I used to search this place far as wide as an applicant and SNA trying to figure out what my options were. People just need to know there's hundreds of boat jobs the detailer wants to put you in vs an up hill battle for a handful of one-off gigs that need very special quals, timing, or both.

 

[Flash]

Not sure if it is related, but a few years back I was getting ready to leave an FBO when a nice DH Twin Otter came in. The first thing I noticed was the nearly microscopic “N” number then I saw an old army associate (SFODD type) getting out to stretch. I said hello and he introduced me around and it was clear these guys were heading somewhere to the mountains for some training. But, the pilot of twin was a naval aviator. He was wearing his leather jacket with gold wings patch and some helo squadron patch I couldn’t quite see. Like most team guys his hair was long. I know that USASOC owns a number of civilian aircraft but I wonder if there are opportunities for navy types to fly for them as some kind of a shore tour?

Or maybe he was just a guy wearing his dad’s old flight jacket?

There are a small handful of Navy types who have ended up flying 'special' aircraft, a good buddy of mine somehow scammed his way into what turned out to be an enduring billet for him that lasted until retirement. While he was there he did have a very small but steady stream of fellow Naval Aviators join him for a tour. It was basically a luck, timing and who you know situation for all of them and was kept pretty low key so no one else I know has heard of it.

So yes, there are the rare odd individuals roaming around flying non-standard stuff though contractor or prior are also certainly possibilities in this guy's case.

 

[Ventus]

Not sure if it is related, but a few years back I was getting ready to leave an FBO when a nice DH Twin Otter came in. The first thing I noticed was the nearly microscopic “N” number then I saw an old army associate (SFODD type) getting out to stretch. I said hello and he introduced me around and it was clear these guys were heading somewhere to the mountains for some training. But, the pilot of twin was a naval aviator. He was wearing his leather jacket with gold wings patch and some helo squadron patch I couldn’t quite see. Like most team guys his hair was long. I know that USASOC owns a number of civilian aircraft but I wonder if there are opportunities for navy types to fly for them as some kind of a shore tour?

Or maybe he was just a guy wearing his dad’s old flight jacket?

DH Twin Otter shoutout.
Since the P-3 is no more, VXS-1, the tiny tiny unit that is supporting Naval Research Laboratory, also train their pilots to fly the King Air/RC-12, as well as the Twin Otter. They send you to civilian schools to learn how to fly both.