Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)

[Judge Q]

There was a G driver on the team awhile back; he was the first demo pilot from Whidbey AFAIK. #8 is a TACAIR NFO billet; there have been Prowler ECMOs in that billet in the past.

That's interesting that they've had a G pilot, I just didn't know if they took them. It just stood out to me in the bios that both NFO slots (XO/#8) were out of VAQ but I didn't see any pilots in the current roster so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

 

[Swanee]

noticed the 1-7 pilots obviously all have V(M)FA

It's VMFA or VMFA(AW) for Marine squadrons. The (AW- for All Weather) means it is a D (two seat) squadron, no (AW) means either an A+/A++ or a C (single seat) squadron. V(M)FA isn't a thing.

 

[Jim123]

^^^ What Swanee said.

VFA and VMFA are things. Saying V(M)FA as an abbreviation for both is sorta like saying that A/NL baseball players play in the all star game.

No worries. Now you know.

 

[Judge Q]

It's VMFA or VMFA(AW) for Marine squadrons. The (AW- for All Weather) means it is a D (two seat) squadron, no (AW) means either an A+/A++ or a C (single seat) squadron. V(M)FA isn't a thing.

My bad, I meant they were all out of Navy VFA or Marine VMFA not that I was saying V(M)FA was itself a thing, that's what I get for trying to mix acronyms.

 

[Judge Q]

^^^ What Swanee said.

VFA and VMFA are things. Saying V(M)FA as an abbreviation for both is sorta like saying that A/NL baseball players play in the all star game.

No worries. Now you know.

Knowledges acquired. I guess I should have written that as VFA/VMFA.

 

[Flash]

There was a G driver on the team awhile back; he was the first demo pilot from Whidbey AFAIK. #8 is a TACAIR NFO billet; there have been Prowler ECMOs in that billet in the past.

Not anymore apparently, I've heard from a few folks that pilots can now apply for it.

 

[Judge Q]

The Army used to have a helicopter demo team back in the 1970’s, the Silver Eagles. They were pretty cool and did some impressive things with helicopters. They flew the OH-6 and wore fancy flight suits just like the USAF and USN guys. I saw them back when the Blue Angles flew F-4’s...now that was a show.

I've heard about the Silver Eagles before, I'm given to understand there's no plan to bring them back in my lifetime.

 

[cfam]

There was a G driver on the team awhile back; he was the first demo pilot from Whidbey AFAIK.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2014/9/1/cameo-nate-barton

Nate "Vili" Barton. He just picked up VAQ command actually.

 

[Judge Q]

http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2014/9/1/cameo-nate-barton

Nate "Vili" Barton. He just picked up VAQ command actually.

Thanks for that, definitely an informative interview.

I think Baltimore Magazine may need to scrounge up a few bucks a month for a copy editor though. Yikes.

 

[Brett327]

That's interesting that they've had a G pilot,

Why wouldn't they? Rhetorical question, obviously, but the G is a Rhino. Flies more or less the same.

 

[wlawr005]

sTuPid qUeStiOns About the Blue Angels:

I've been looking at the Blue Angel bios ahead of an airshow (I'm guessing it will shock no one who has seen my post history that I'm that guy ) and I was just wondering a couple things (purely for curiosity's sake, I have no illusions of ever being one ):

-I noticed the 1-7 pilots obviously all have V(M)FA backgrounds of some flavor (which I could have guessed before reading it) but the NFO XO and the #8 "Event Coordinator" were both VAQ EWOs, which was interesting to me reading it, I'm just curious if that's only permitted for those two positions or, especially with VAQ having transitioned to the Growler, G pilots are/will ever be allowed to try for slots 1-7 or that isn't allowed because the airframes still aren't close enough/that just won't happen?

-There are a couple of late stage LTs on the team who seemed about in the point in their career where from what I've gathered here you'd normally be doing a second sea tour, which I understand is usually not "disassociated" for VFA/VAQ types but you're still out "to sea" while doing it, how does a 2 year stint in the BAs in that time frame work in that master plan scheme or does the Navy just let you off the hook from that (I'm guessing not)?

-On that note, how does being a Blue affect your career trajectory? Is it particularly career enhancing or more of a neutral "thing you did" deal or seen as something that takes you out of the game of the "real Navy"? The Navy PR machine certainly presents them as approaching the best pilots around but I've seen a couple posts here about qualified people not wanting to do it so I was just wondering what the inside scoop was on how it was seen.

Sorry if that's an overly long post/gracias for any answers.

By the way, when are we getting a helicopter demonstration team?

Those guys are all still on time line career wise. Utah was my rag paddles, Feed Bag was one of my rag instructors, Sundown was the Senior JO when I got to my fleet squadron, and Benson (forgot his call sign) was an instructor in Meridian.

You apply for the Blues during your first shore tour. Some guys do two years there, some do three. It's a somewhat complicated process on how they select people based on what positions are open.

 

[Judge Q]

Why wouldn't they? Rhetorical question, obviously, but the G is a Rhino. Flies more or less the same.

Thanks, that's basically what I was trying to ask in the initial question, I'm not sure I got across right, I wasn't sure if there were any major differences in how the two flew from the G's modifications or not.

 

[FrankTheTank]

Those guys are all still on time line career wise. Utah was my rag paddles, Feed Bag was one of my rag instructors, Sundown was the Senior JO when I got to my fleet squadron, and Benson (forgot his call sign) was an instructor in Meridian.

You apply for the Blues during your first shore tour. Some guys do two years there, some do three. It's a somewhat complicated process on how they select people based on what positions are open.

Utah is a Line Check Airman on the 757.. Haven’t seen him in a while. He lives out here by me but those LCAs fly too much. Frank Weisser, Ben Walborn, and one more (name blanking) were students of mine in VT-9. I cruised with Loni Anderson, just saw him last week, he is a soon to be 75 Capt. Kevin Colling was in my Air Wing too. (RIP). Justin Otto is an Airbus Capt at FedEx. Couple former bosses are here too but I’m blanking on those names.. Ken Asbridge (C-130) was my T-34 form solo partner.

 

[jmcquate]

There's a multi-part doc named "Blue Angels, A Year in the Life", that goes over the application/rush process pretty well.

 

[wlawr005]

Utah is a Line Check Airman on the 757.. Haven’t seen him in a while. He lives out here by me but those LCAs fly too much. Frank Weisser, Ben Walborn, and one more (name blanking) were students of mine in VT-9. I cruised with Loni Anderson, just saw him last week, he is a soon to be 75 Capt. Kevin Colling was in my Air Wing too. (RIP). Justin Otto is an Airbus Capt at FedEx. Couple former bosses are here too but I’m blanking on those names.. Ken Asbridge (C-130) was my T-34 form solo partner.

Ben Walborn is an XO now...we may be talking about a different Utah.