Was looking through these threads and realized that there is limited info available regarding NFO training, and even less that refers to the new syllabus. Within the last several months, a transition was made from the "legacy" syllabus to the new Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) syllabus. They are still in the transition phase, but every new primary class since July of 2013 is now on the new syllabus. The syllabus split primary into two phases, P1 and P2. Ideally, students who select land-based aviation will split off at the end of P1, and go to the multi-crew simulator before heading to the RAG. Currently, that simulator isn't completed, so all students will graduate P1 and continue to P2 before selecting their first pipeline.
The current selection pipeline is something like below. Remember, selection is based on the needs of the Navy, grades and then finally student's desires at the bottom.
End Of Primary (VT10)
- Carrier Based Aviation (EA18g, F18F, E2's)
- Land-Based (EP3, P3, E6) will go to the multi-crew sim, then off to the RAG for their wings.
End Of Intermediate (VT4)
- Jets (EA18g, F18F) selects continue to VT-86 for Advanced in the T45
- E2 selects will go to Norfolk to the RAG.
End Of Advanced (VT86)
-Students wing in VT86
-EA18G selects will go to NAS Whidbey
-F18F selects will go to NAS Lemoore or NAS Oceana.
Here's a rough timeline and an outline of the syllabus:
1. Check-in: After API, you'll report the next day or so to TRAWING 6 for ADMIN (sf86 security forms, gov. credit card signup etc). Primary classes up every two weeks on Mondays, so if you check in between classes, expect to stand a few wing watches. You'll be able to grab your initial Contact textbooks and start studying. I recommend you start studying EP's, limits, and the "big five" contact maneuvers as soon as possible. EP's and limits you will be responsible for through the rest of your training in the T-6. Once you class up, you'll basically switch from being attached directly to the wing, to joining VT-10. As of now, there is no "pool" or wait to class up for Primary unlike the SNA's.
2. Contacts: Contact stage introduces you to the systems of the T-6, as well as some basic airmanship. You will get 5 flights in contacts where you will be flying from the front seat. This stage is a blast for most.
The first few days in contacts is mostly admin. You will meet the Commodore of TW6, have a morning spinning (yes spinning) class with him and the rest of your class, and get the initial fitting for your flight gear. Contact ground school lasts 3 weeks, consisting of several exams, lectures and a bunch of CAI's (Basically self-study powerpoints). At the end of ground school, you will have several self-study sims to practice running checklists, comms etc, then you'll have 3 graded contact sims. Once completed with the sims, expect to have your "FAM0" session the following day, which is basically a gouge session from a LT, going over the basics of preflight, and how to prepare for your briefs. Expect to fly the next day. You will feel unprepared on your first and probably second flight; it's expected, just relax. These flights you will be in the front seat, and at the controls. You'll go and do bounces at fields from around the area (Bay Minette, Mobile Downtown, NPA), and also go do Aero, Spins etc up in the MOA. Prepare well for the briefs, know your EP's and Limits, and you can't go wrong. You will be flying the maneuvers, but as SNFO's we aren't graded on how well we fly them; just on knowing the procedure themselves. That being said, don't be the guy that MIF's out on landings at "UNABLE" just because you didn't want to control the airplane. Try your best. The SNA's get weeks of simulator events to learn this stuff, we get three sims; the instructors know that.
You'll have 4 flights and a checkride. You also get one night contact flight, which may be during the contact stage or during INAV's. This flight is probably one of the most rewarding flights you'll fly. Study the brief items, and you'll have a blast in the plane. The instructors don't expect much of you on this flight besides to sit back, relax, and enjoy it. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: C2001, C2002, C2003
B) Preflight: C1001 (FAM0)
C) Flights: C4001, C4002, C4003, C4004, C4290 (Checkride), C4101 (Night Flight)
3. INAV (Instrument Nav): Like all other ground schools, IGS start every two weeks. There are 4 weeks of ground school (2 weeks of instrument procedures, 2 weeks of flight planning). There are a total of 4 exams. INAV's really require you to stay late, or to come home after ground school everyday and review what you went over in class. This 4 weeks is very packed and people easily get behind. Work with your class and study TOGETHER. The easiest way to piss off a sim instructor is to tell them when they ask that you studied alone. Throughout the 4 weeks, you'll practice flying approaches, arcing, holding etc in a computer INAV trainer. These aren't graded, and provide you a great opportunity to practice the same instrument procedures you'll use in the sims and later in the plane. This sim is rudimentary, but it definitely made it easier to understand the concepts. At the end of ground school for instruments, you'll go through a practice sim in the actual simulators for 9 graded sim events, then 5 flights plus a check ride. From here on you'll be flying from the back seat. These flights allow you to go fly out and in's to other airports around the area. They are a blast. Cross-countries which were previously non-existent have also started back up, and students have been able to fly to Chicago, Key West etc. Make sure to throw your name on the X request list when you get the opportunity. Remember to study EP's and limits, you'll be asked every brief, and usually every flight.
The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3001, I3002, I3003, I3004, I3005, I3006, I3007, I3008, I3009
B) Flights: I4001, I4002, I4003, I4004, I4005, I4190 (Checkride)
4. VNAV (Visual Nav): I haven't actually completed this stage yet, but basically VNAV builds upon INAV, but uses navigating off of TPC's and visual means instead of radios. These flights are low and fast. VNAV ground school starts every two weeks as well, and is only one week long. There are only 2 sims, and then 3 flights with a Checkride. There is only one test, but there is a lot of new material, and the week is PACKED.
The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: N3001, N3002
B) Flights: N4001, N4002, N4003, N4190 (Checkride)
At this point P1 is complete, and the P2 syllabus starts. Again, when the UMFO syllabus is fully integrated and the multi-crew sim is operational, students will select tailhook or land-based at the end of P1, and continue onto P2 or head to the RAG accordingly. As of now, everyone goes P2.
P2 is much shorter than P1, including only a few instrument sims, flights and then FORMS. You'll go back to the simulators the day after P1 grad and fly two instrument hops. These are much more complex than INAV flights, but thankfully use the same concepts. After this, you'll go do 4 more instrument hops which will be either out and ins or cross countries. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3101, I3102
B) Flights: I4201, I4202, I4203, I4204.
After those hops, you'll go into FORM (Sections) ground school. Not sure how long this ground school is, but there is only one sim, and two flights. There are more FORM flights in intermediate, but I don't know any details regarding that syllabus yet. After this, SNFO primary is complete, and students will select either Carrier aviation or land-based. The form syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: F3001
B) Flights: F4001, F4002
Lastly, as I was told by an IP, a Pilot's job is to: Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. NFO's mostly Navigate and Communicate. Since AVIATE takes the largest amount of brain stem power of the three (you'll find this out in contacts), as SNFO's we better be shit hot when it comes to Navigation and Comms. Accordingly, VT-10 hits instruments and Comms pretty hard; keep that in mind. EP's and limits are always game, and are one of the major reasons students get Ready Room Unsats. I'll add to this post as I gather more information. Below I've posted a picture of the syllabus guide for UMFO primary.
The current selection pipeline is something like below. Remember, selection is based on the needs of the Navy, grades and then finally student's desires at the bottom.
End Of Primary (VT10)
- Carrier Based Aviation (EA18g, F18F, E2's)
- Land-Based (EP3, P3, E6) will go to the multi-crew sim, then off to the RAG for their wings.
End Of Intermediate (VT4)
- Jets (EA18g, F18F) selects continue to VT-86 for Advanced in the T45
- E2 selects will go to Norfolk to the RAG.
End Of Advanced (VT86)
-Students wing in VT86
-EA18G selects will go to NAS Whidbey
-F18F selects will go to NAS Lemoore or NAS Oceana.
Here's a rough timeline and an outline of the syllabus:
1. Check-in: After API, you'll report the next day or so to TRAWING 6 for ADMIN (sf86 security forms, gov. credit card signup etc). Primary classes up every two weeks on Mondays, so if you check in between classes, expect to stand a few wing watches. You'll be able to grab your initial Contact textbooks and start studying. I recommend you start studying EP's, limits, and the "big five" contact maneuvers as soon as possible. EP's and limits you will be responsible for through the rest of your training in the T-6. Once you class up, you'll basically switch from being attached directly to the wing, to joining VT-10. As of now, there is no "pool" or wait to class up for Primary unlike the SNA's.
2. Contacts: Contact stage introduces you to the systems of the T-6, as well as some basic airmanship. You will get 5 flights in contacts where you will be flying from the front seat. This stage is a blast for most.
The first few days in contacts is mostly admin. You will meet the Commodore of TW6, have a morning spinning (yes spinning) class with him and the rest of your class, and get the initial fitting for your flight gear. Contact ground school lasts 3 weeks, consisting of several exams, lectures and a bunch of CAI's (Basically self-study powerpoints). At the end of ground school, you will have several self-study sims to practice running checklists, comms etc, then you'll have 3 graded contact sims. Once completed with the sims, expect to have your "FAM0" session the following day, which is basically a gouge session from a LT, going over the basics of preflight, and how to prepare for your briefs. Expect to fly the next day. You will feel unprepared on your first and probably second flight; it's expected, just relax. These flights you will be in the front seat, and at the controls. You'll go and do bounces at fields from around the area (Bay Minette, Mobile Downtown, NPA), and also go do Aero, Spins etc up in the MOA. Prepare well for the briefs, know your EP's and Limits, and you can't go wrong. You will be flying the maneuvers, but as SNFO's we aren't graded on how well we fly them; just on knowing the procedure themselves. That being said, don't be the guy that MIF's out on landings at "UNABLE" just because you didn't want to control the airplane. Try your best. The SNA's get weeks of simulator events to learn this stuff, we get three sims; the instructors know that.
You'll have 4 flights and a checkride. You also get one night contact flight, which may be during the contact stage or during INAV's. This flight is probably one of the most rewarding flights you'll fly. Study the brief items, and you'll have a blast in the plane. The instructors don't expect much of you on this flight besides to sit back, relax, and enjoy it. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: C2001, C2002, C2003
B) Preflight: C1001 (FAM0)
C) Flights: C4001, C4002, C4003, C4004, C4290 (Checkride), C4101 (Night Flight)
3. INAV (Instrument Nav): Like all other ground schools, IGS start every two weeks. There are 4 weeks of ground school (2 weeks of instrument procedures, 2 weeks of flight planning). There are a total of 4 exams. INAV's really require you to stay late, or to come home after ground school everyday and review what you went over in class. This 4 weeks is very packed and people easily get behind. Work with your class and study TOGETHER. The easiest way to piss off a sim instructor is to tell them when they ask that you studied alone. Throughout the 4 weeks, you'll practice flying approaches, arcing, holding etc in a computer INAV trainer. These aren't graded, and provide you a great opportunity to practice the same instrument procedures you'll use in the sims and later in the plane. This sim is rudimentary, but it definitely made it easier to understand the concepts. At the end of ground school for instruments, you'll go through a practice sim in the actual simulators for 9 graded sim events, then 5 flights plus a check ride. From here on you'll be flying from the back seat. These flights allow you to go fly out and in's to other airports around the area. They are a blast. Cross-countries which were previously non-existent have also started back up, and students have been able to fly to Chicago, Key West etc. Make sure to throw your name on the X request list when you get the opportunity. Remember to study EP's and limits, you'll be asked every brief, and usually every flight.
The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3001, I3002, I3003, I3004, I3005, I3006, I3007, I3008, I3009
B) Flights: I4001, I4002, I4003, I4004, I4005, I4190 (Checkride)
4. VNAV (Visual Nav): I haven't actually completed this stage yet, but basically VNAV builds upon INAV, but uses navigating off of TPC's and visual means instead of radios. These flights are low and fast. VNAV ground school starts every two weeks as well, and is only one week long. There are only 2 sims, and then 3 flights with a Checkride. There is only one test, but there is a lot of new material, and the week is PACKED.
The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: N3001, N3002
B) Flights: N4001, N4002, N4003, N4190 (Checkride)
At this point P1 is complete, and the P2 syllabus starts. Again, when the UMFO syllabus is fully integrated and the multi-crew sim is operational, students will select tailhook or land-based at the end of P1, and continue onto P2 or head to the RAG accordingly. As of now, everyone goes P2.
P2 is much shorter than P1, including only a few instrument sims, flights and then FORMS. You'll go back to the simulators the day after P1 grad and fly two instrument hops. These are much more complex than INAV flights, but thankfully use the same concepts. After this, you'll go do 4 more instrument hops which will be either out and ins or cross countries. The syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: I3101, I3102
B) Flights: I4201, I4202, I4203, I4204.
After those hops, you'll go into FORM (Sections) ground school. Not sure how long this ground school is, but there is only one sim, and two flights. There are more FORM flights in intermediate, but I don't know any details regarding that syllabus yet. After this, SNFO primary is complete, and students will select either Carrier aviation or land-based. The form syllabus is as follows:
A) Sims: F3001
B) Flights: F4001, F4002
Lastly, as I was told by an IP, a Pilot's job is to: Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. NFO's mostly Navigate and Communicate. Since AVIATE takes the largest amount of brain stem power of the three (you'll find this out in contacts), as SNFO's we better be shit hot when it comes to Navigation and Comms. Accordingly, VT-10 hits instruments and Comms pretty hard; keep that in mind. EP's and limits are always game, and are one of the major reasons students get Ready Room Unsats. I'll add to this post as I gather more information. Below I've posted a picture of the syllabus guide for UMFO primary.
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