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Strike Nav Selection. Rah. Now What?

T

the_suck

Registered User
So I got picked up for Strike Nav from Air Force ROTC and I report to P'cola this summer.

Now what?

Should I already start looking for an apt already, turn up my PT schedule, try to complet NIFT while still in schoool, or screw it all and drink heavily while I still can?

I'd appreciate any advice, perferrably from some fellow ROTC nerd's who went through the same deal at one time.

Rah.

- the suck
 
C

crateofthunder

Registered User
Suck,

Don't worry about an apartment right now. When do you graduate, Dec/May? It takes about a month of being on a waiting list to get a "nice apartment" around here. The Navy PFT is max pushups in two minutes, max situps in two minutes, mile and a half run. If you can pass the Air Force PFT, you can pass the navy PFT. Your PFT counts for 7% of API and API counts for 4% of your total NSS (your "grade" that you are ranked by). Soooo, .04*.07=.0028, therefore, your PFT score counts about 1/4 of a percent of your final ranking!! You could start studying for API now, but then what would you do when you actually took the classes? I am a pilot, but I think they are lacking NIFT complete navs so if you have already done it when you get here, you should class up pretty soon!
 
HAL Pilot

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Okay, I'll bite. What is a "Strike Nav"? Is strike added to nav to make you feel like you are a warrior?

I would understand calling yourself a Strike Nav if you were selected as a F-15E WSO, but being in AFROTC that's not the case.
 
T

the_suck

Registered User
Being selected strike nav guarantees you a F-15E or B-1B WSO slot at Pensacola. It's the ENJJPT of the nav community.

All other nav's go to Randolph and train as panel nav's. That's why its called "strike nav" as opposed to "nav", but the warrior idea was a nice suggestion.

- the suck
 
HAL Pilot

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
the_suck said:
Being selected strike nav guarantees you a F-15E or B-1B WSO slot at Pensacola. It's the ENJJPT of the nav community.

All other nav's go to Randolph and train as panel nav's. That's why its called "strike nav" as opposed to "nav", but the warrior idea was a nice suggestion.

- the suck
Click to expand...
Excuse me for a minute.....

footfrommouth6hi.png
Aw, that's better. Congrats! :D
 
T

the_suck

Registered User
Thanks, although it's really nothing more but an opportunity right now.

Two years down the road, if I have my wings, then I can be thankful of something.
 
I

ip568

Registered User
None
Panel Nav?

That's a strange name for it. I call it "real nav." Tacair nav involves keeping your position and that of your target while you look out the window. Real Nav (a la P-3s) involves keeping your position, your targets' positions (we had 73 on one flight), home plate position, ADIZ and altrev and live fire positions, weapons drop positions, HOWGOZIT position, celestial plots, both recon and tactical nav plots, and beling able to jump into the TACCOs seat of need be. Plus running back and forth to the cockpit with your gyro stabbed binocs, camera, and World's Merchant Marine Fleet Recon Manual.

But if you want to call that "panel nav," I can't stop you.

P-3_rig.jpg


www.navlog.org
 
T

the_suck

Registered User
Given I don't know a whole lot about the nav community, I would still venture to guess that nav's in the 15E and B1B perform a lot of the same activities as you listed off above. The mission is the mission regardless of the MWS. You do what you gotta do to meet it.

I also wouldn't take "panel nav" as a degenerate term. It's just the name for nav's in a generic group of aircraft (non-strike). Call it what you like.
 
Flash

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
the_suck said:
Given I don't know a whole lot about the nav community, I would still venture to guess that nav's in the 15E and B1B perform a lot of the same activities as you listed off above. The mission is the mission regardless of the MWS. You do what you gotta do to meet it.

I also wouldn't take "panel nav" as a degenerate term. It's just the name for nav's in a generic group of aircraft (non-strike). Call it what you like.
Click to expand...

Fortunately or unfortunately the USAF refers to their Navigators for KC/RC-135/MC/AC/HC/EC-130/E-3/E-8's as panel nav's. It is not a derogative term, just a way to differentiate two types of Nav's in the AF (their EWO's wear the same Nav wings but go through entirely different training).

Having had the benefit of going through Nav school twice, including the 'panel nav' school at Randolph, I have had the fortune of seeing the AF change its mind several times on its Nav training (they used to send all of of their Nav's through Pensacola). One thing that is different than any other aviation training track that I know of in the US military they actually choose a particular training path, 'panel nav' or 'strike nav', before they even start flight school. Why? My guess is to save money on PCS's (moving from P'cola to Randolph).

Oh yeah, unless they have recently changed the choices recently, you can get this beautiful aircraft http://www.pinetreeline.org/planes/B-52-10.jpg :D or this one http://www.aeronautics.ru/img003/ea-6b-prowler-01.jpg (yes, some AF guys actually started selecting for it straight out of flight school :eek:, with a written 'guarantee' that they would eventually get F-15's:icon_tong )
 
TurnandBurn55

TurnandBurn55

Drinking, flying, or looking busy!!
None
Flash said:
Oh yeah, unless they have recently changed the choices recently, you can get this beautiful aircraft http://www.pinetreeline.org/planes/B-52-10.jpg :D or this one http://www.aeronautics.ru/img003/ea-6b-prowler-01.jpg (yes, some AF guys actually started selecting for it straight out of flight school :eek:, with a written 'guarantee' that they would eventually get F-15's:icon_tong )
Click to expand...

B-52s is not an option for the Chair Force coming out of VT-86 anymore... they've gone back and forth on that point for awhile, but B-52s went back to 'panel nav' types out of Randolph AFB about 3-4 years ago.

You are correct that EA-6Bs are an AF option as well. The USAF doesn't like to advertise it, but once in a blue moon you'll see a zoomie select Prowlers. Unlike Navy Prowler selectees, they go through the Strike/Fighter syllabus at VT-86, like you said, with the intent that they become Strike Eagle bubbas after their first tour...
 
THRILLER

THRILLER

Registered User
the_suck said:
Being selected strike nav guarantees you a F-15E or B-1B WSO slot at Pensacola. It's the ENJJPT of the nav community.

All other nav's go to Randolph and train as panel nav's. That's why its called "strike nav" as opposed to "nav", but the warrior idea was a nice suggestion.

- the suck
Click to expand...

Suck,

Congrats on the Strike Nav buddy! Those slots are hard to come by. I'm in AFROTC and will commission in May. I got picked up for Pilot and will hopefully be down at Whiting around June sometime. Luckily I won't have to do IFT.

As for Strike Nav, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the BUFF still an airframe for you Strike guys? I could have sworn it was.

Anyway…congrats again!

Peace,

THRILLER
 
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