rangerfreak
Member
I know that Whidby SAR is wayy off the path, but if flying Whidby SAR for a shore tour was the literal career dream, is there a "traditional" path to these SAR squadrons for pilots?
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Path to Whidby SAR
- Thread starter rangerfreak
- Start date
Oh this is easy.
1. Apply to join the Navy and hope you get an aviation contract
2. Finish Primary
3. Put helos #1 and hope you get it
4. Finish your fleet tour as a high rank EP since everyone and their mom is gonna be putting SAR Whidbey high on their list
5. Hope SAR Whidbey is even on your preference sheet when it’s your time to choose (it’s not always there)
6. Hope no one else who ranked higher than you also ranked SAR Whidbey as their #1 choice (both in the Romeo and Sierra community)
7. Hope the Navy doesn’t need to fill all the production billets first before filling the secondary flying jobs
8. Hope no one uses COLO to get a Washington billet (take the initiative and marry a P-8 or Growler pilot as soon as possible)
9. Get selected for SAR Whidbey
1. Apply to join the Navy and hope you get an aviation contract
2. Finish Primary
3. Put helos #1 and hope you get it
4. Finish your fleet tour as a high rank EP since everyone and their mom is gonna be putting SAR Whidbey high on their list
5. Hope SAR Whidbey is even on your preference sheet when it’s your time to choose (it’s not always there)
6. Hope no one else who ranked higher than you also ranked SAR Whidbey as their #1 choice (both in the Romeo and Sierra community)
7. Hope the Navy doesn’t need to fill all the production billets first before filling the secondary flying jobs
8. Hope no one uses COLO to get a Washington billet (take the initiative and marry a P-8 or Growler pilot as soon as possible)
9. Get selected for SAR Whidbey
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
Dude… ask your recruiter.
Jk jk
For the OP - What about Fallon or Key West? I think Lemoore might have one.
If there’s not an answer here, you probably will know once you get to flight school or start your helicopter flying career - if that’s what you select.
My question for the 13XXs… how does a SAR tour compare in terms of promotion/ growth? Is it somewhere between FRS/VT/HT instructor and being a NROTC/OCS instructor?
This is a narrow needle to thread. It’s considered OP-T (I think) command now so you have another shot at it if you don’t get it on shore duty.
It’s not considered a “good” production tour but all you need for DH these days is to still be in the room.
It’s not considered a “good” production tour but all you need for DH these days is to still be in the room.
AIRMMCPORET
Plan “A” Retired
Why KNUW SAR?
Probably because it's in a beautiful location and a cool/rewarding/impactful mission. Also, may have something to do with the really slick social media presence they have.
1000% this. I too thought it was cool as fuck when I was an SNA. Once you realize the actual path to get there, it's less interesting.
There's a good way for OP to fly with Whidbey SAR
None of this is accurate. Please avoid posting this far out of your lane.
If you have to ask...
Yeah if I had been a rotary wing person, this definitely would have been on my short list for the JO shore slate. Fallon would have been cool too, but I might not have known that if I had come from that background
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
Posting what? That Fallon / Lemoore / Key West has a SAR, that SAR pilots come from rotary wing, or *asking* if being a SAR pilot for shore duty is between FRS/HT/VT and NROTC/ OCS instructor in terms of career progression and shore duty?
You must have started Mai Thai hour early calling out everything I just said.
I'm enjoying dry January. Don't double down, just be quiet.