Hi, my name is Mike, and Im new here. =) Well I was active duty airforce for 4 years as an F-16 Crew Chief, then I switched to the Air Guard as a C-5 Flight Engineer. Currently im going to college to earn a bachelors degree in radiology. Ive become very interested in becoming a wso (sorry if thats not the correct term, thats how us chairforce guys know it by) on a F/A-18F. Ive still got time before I finish college, but I was wondering if theres anything I can do to prepare or increase my chances of my dream job. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Navy WSO info needed
- Thread starter mikey1983
- Start date
Welcome. I don't know a thing about F/A-18Fs but felt bad no one took the time to say hi to you. Hi.
Mike,
Welcome to the boards. The term for the position you're referring to is NFO--Naval Flight Officer. There is a wealth of information scattered throughout the various forums on this site. I recommend that you do a search for some keywords, read up on what others have already said, and then ask specific questions for more information.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to apply for a specific platform, only NFO or Pilot. For example, you may get selected to be an NFO and then be chosen later in your training pipeline to be an NFO on a P-3. This is just the reality of job and you need to be ok with that. Unlike in the Air Force where pilots identify themselves first with the platform they fly (pilot first, officer second), officers in the navy identify themselves as officers first, type of community second (NFO, Pilot, SWO, etc). Different service, different culture.
Again, welcome. Glad to see you here.
Welcome to the boards. The term for the position you're referring to is NFO--Naval Flight Officer. There is a wealth of information scattered throughout the various forums on this site. I recommend that you do a search for some keywords, read up on what others have already said, and then ask specific questions for more information.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to apply for a specific platform, only NFO or Pilot. For example, you may get selected to be an NFO and then be chosen later in your training pipeline to be an NFO on a P-3. This is just the reality of job and you need to be ok with that. Unlike in the Air Force where pilots identify themselves first with the platform they fly (pilot first, officer second), officers in the navy identify themselves as officers first, type of community second (NFO, Pilot, SWO, etc). Different service, different culture.
Again, welcome. Glad to see you here.
Welcome Mikey 1983
Welcome Mikey,
Also a technical skilled boardmember here as well. NFOs are usually Tactically skilled iso Technically skilled. The Tactical community also looks a little awkward towards the Technically community as the majority of the technical co-workers are enlisted. Not just a second class citizen, but there is a difference I also observed during my active flight time on P-3s.
Did a PEP tour for 3 yrs @ NAS JAX with VP-30 where I went through NATTC to get qualified to fly on USN P-3s (by the way allowed to wear the USN Aircrew insignia). As FE you're always the first on board prior to departure and always last from board after you signed the postflight. The Tactical AWs (also the enlisted) were always drinking their beers allready when we came to join them. I am also wearing the dutch NFO wing as I went through BOL (brevet opleiding luchtvarenden) which is equivalent to your USN NATTC/NACCS, due to this a lot of colleagues in the Navy think I belong to the Tactical community. There are allways exceptions; here is my story:
FE as well here, started as crewchief as well (with the RNLAF), after that x-ferred to the Navy as plane captain on P-3s. Became FE on P-3s and got transferred again on the KDC-10 (Dutch variant to the USAF KC-10) when my Government decided to sell all our P-3s to Portugal and Germany.
Got promoted in Jan 2006 as an Officer in the RNLN with active flight status (Flight Test Engineer), as I am still in the RNLN I am one of the few NFOs with Technical skills in the Navy iso my Tactical brethren in the Navy.
Attached pic was taken in Happier times....
Welcome Mikey,
Also a technical skilled boardmember here as well. NFOs are usually Tactically skilled iso Technically skilled. The Tactical community also looks a little awkward towards the Technically community as the majority of the technical co-workers are enlisted. Not just a second class citizen, but there is a difference I also observed during my active flight time on P-3s.
Did a PEP tour for 3 yrs @ NAS JAX with VP-30 where I went through NATTC to get qualified to fly on USN P-3s (by the way allowed to wear the USN Aircrew insignia). As FE you're always the first on board prior to departure and always last from board after you signed the postflight. The Tactical AWs (also the enlisted) were always drinking their beers allready when we came to join them. I am also wearing the dutch NFO wing as I went through BOL (brevet opleiding luchtvarenden) which is equivalent to your USN NATTC/NACCS, due to this a lot of colleagues in the Navy think I belong to the Tactical community. There are allways exceptions; here is my story:
FE as well here, started as crewchief as well (with the RNLAF), after that x-ferred to the Navy as plane captain on P-3s. Became FE on P-3s and got transferred again on the KDC-10 (Dutch variant to the USAF KC-10) when my Government decided to sell all our P-3s to Portugal and Germany.
Got promoted in Jan 2006 as an Officer in the RNLN with active flight status (Flight Test Engineer), as I am still in the RNLN I am one of the few NFOs with Technical skills in the Navy iso my Tactical brethren in the Navy.
Attached pic was taken in Happier times....
Attachments
Horrible place
Yeah, this horrible Naval Air Station closes it's gates at the end of June when the German Navy (Marineflieger) is fully qualified on these (brand new modified) P-3 CUPs.....
Att pic is the first ex-RNLN P-3 in the German Marineflieger scheme, the otherone is 'our' RNLN-308 with external weaponload (MK84s) during a trainingmission for our German colleagues at the Weaponsrange...
(Quite uncommon config as the RNLN never had external weapon loads)
Yeah, this horrible Naval Air Station closes it's gates at the end of June when the German Navy (Marineflieger) is fully qualified on these (brand new modified) P-3 CUPs.....
Att pic is the first ex-RNLN P-3 in the German Marineflieger scheme, the otherone is 'our' RNLN-308 with external weaponload (MK84s) during a trainingmission for our German colleagues at the Weaponsrange...
(Quite uncommon config as the RNLN never had external weapon loads)
Attachments
mikey1983 said:
The tactical community is not too hard to get into as a NFO, getting a WSO (Strike/Fighter) spot is something you have to get when you have been selected for tactical air. Eventually all tactical NFOs are going to be in F/A-18F/Gs. WSO spots are harder to get now also with the anthro restirictions. Unless you are one of those anthroed into strike/fighter. As for preparing to be an NFO I would recommend not worrying about it. They teach you all that you need to know.