Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)

[BleedGreen]

Your question has been asked here before and the first thing that came to my mind was the following letter that was posted in an older thread.



LETTER ON WHETHER TO BECOME AN AIR FORCE PILOT...... OR A NAVAL
AVIATOR......

The piece is written by Bob Norris, a former Naval aviator who also did a
3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished
author of entertaining books about U.S. Naval Aviation including "Check
Six" and "Fly-Off". In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following:


22 December 2005

Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force
Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine
way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some
insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a
distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more
likely to thrive in?"

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their
training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high
standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch
and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their
enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is
homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black Shoes
(surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is
split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy
is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great,
average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before
you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on
cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability
of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if
you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled
kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to
lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your
hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will
be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will
be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad
weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly
with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a
lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and
you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest
girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado.


Banzai


P.S.: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.


Here is the original thread.
http://www.airwarriors.com/communit...force-who-is-truely-better.18360/#post-267529

 

[wlawr005]

Here's a stupid question that's probably been asked a million times: should I go Air Force or Navy if I want to be a fighter pilot?
A very broad question, I know. However, I can't tell which one will do me more good. I'm signed up for Air Force ROTC right now, but something almost keeps telling me to go over to the Navy for some reason. Same intuition that made me switch from Mechanical Engineering to Physics as a college major. Anyways, can you guys offer any opinions/facts for either side?

Both services have a 42% selection rate to fighter pilot. The world is your oyster...

 

[Aware]

Both services have a 42% selection rate to fighter pilot. The world is your oyster...

42% Say whaaa?

And thank you for the read, BleedGreen. All I can really gather up is that the Air Force expects 100% excellence and professionalism. While the Navy seems to make you work hard and gives you tasks that you might not know how to do, but if you can get them done - you're good to go.

Are there threads that people have gone a little more in depth on the subject? I don't want to derail this thread.

 

[Recovering LSO]

the Air Force expects 100% excellence and professionalism

I don't want to derail this thread.

Too late.

 

[Aware]

Too late.

Lol. Sorry. Was just regurgitating what has been drilled into my brain lately by my AFROTC Captain.

 

[ea6bflyr]

42% Say whaaa?

And thank you for the read, BleedGreen. All I can really gather up is that the Air Force expects 100% excellence and professionalism. While the Navy seems to make you work hard and gives you tasks that you might not know how to do, but if you can get them done - you're good to go.

Are there threads that people have gone a little more in depth on the subject? I don't want to derail this thread.

Just because you go with one service over the other doesn't mean you'll get the coveted fighter pilot slot. You may get a flight spot, but then you'll be exposed to the needs of the service. You may end up flying Helos with the Navy, or Tankers with the Air Force. The odds are always against you.

BTW, nice job AMTRAK:

 

[MikeMillerUK]

42% Say whaaa?

And thank you for the read, BleedGreen. All I can really gather up is that the Air Force expects 100% excellence and professionalism. While the Navy seems to make you work hard and gives you tasks that you might not know how to do, but if you can get them done - you're good to go.

Are there threads that people have gone a little more in depth on the subject? I don't want to derail this thread.

"42%" is a joke. The whole "what percent get jets?" is a long-running airwarriors joke; don't take it seriously. There's no way to know... Needs of the service trump all else.

As far as the letter written to the unnamed young man.. Give it a couple more read throughs and pay attention to the closing statements.

Also, yes, there are plenty of threads on the subject with more detail. Use the search bar, it's your friend.

To answer your original question, if you want to fly (even if it isn't fighters), Navy seems to be the better choice right now. Read around for all kinds of reasons.

 

[ryan1234]

Here's a stupid question that's probably been asked a million times: should I go Air Force or Navy if I want to be a fighter pilot?
A very broad question, I know. However, I can't tell which one will do me more good. I'm signed up for Air Force ROTC right now, but something almost keeps telling me to go over to the Navy for some reason. Same intuition that made me switch from Mechanical Engineering to Physics as a college major. Anyways, can you guys offer any opinions/facts for either side?

You can get fighters in either service. The chances could be higher if you pick up an ENJJPT slot with the AF, since you track T-38s... but there's no guarantees and quite a few dudes from Sheppard have ended up with C-130s or something. If by chance you go the WSO route, about 3-4 people out of a class of 20-25 people end up with fighters (the average for the past two years).

But who knows if flying fighters is right for you. Lots of people don't like pulling Gs, thinking tactically, or spending 12-14 hours a day studying/briefing in the vault.

 

[Sundevil106150]

"42%" is a joke. The whole "what percent get jets?" is a long-running airwarriors joke; don't take it seriously. There's no way to know... Needs of the service trump all else.

As far as the letter written to the unnamed young man.. Give it a couple more read throughs and pay attention to the closing statements.

Also, yes, there are plenty of threads on the subject with more detail. Use the search bar, it's your friend.

To answer your original question, if you want to fly (even if it isn't fighters), Navy seems to be the better choice right now. Read around for all kinds of reasons.

I swear Miller sarcasm is becoming a lost art with people

 

[Ralph]

Go Guard/Reserve, you'll know where your going to end up.

 

[81montedriver]

Go Guard/Reserve, you'll know where your going to end up.

This is true. However the path to the Guard is a completely different thread so search for it, the topic has been covered. The shitty part about getting T-38's is that you are no longer guaranteed to go fighers/bombers. When I was at Vance, in addition to going fighers/bombers, guys ended up selecting C-17's, Herks, KC-135's, FAIP, and the last guy in the class typically went UAS's.

Bottom line, do your best and don't leave your future up to somebody else's hands.

 

[insanebikerboy]

the last guy in the class typically went UAS's.

Which might be the guy most likely to shoot a missile. Ironic.

 

[Swanee]

Go Guard/Reserve, you'll know where your going to end up.

Right, and get locked into a unit when they either transition to something else or lose their airplanes completely.

 

[Flash]

Right, and get locked into a unit when they either transition to something else or lose their airplanes completely.

Exactly. If you look at the bios of some senior Guard guys and gals you will see they often flew two or three primary aircraft over their career but would often switch from fighters or something of the like to cargo or tanker aircraft. When the F-4's and RF-4's retired a lot of units switched to C-130's or KC-135's, the same is happening today with A-10, F-16 and F-15 units switching to MQ-9's. While a lucky few may transition to another state to keep flying in a real cockpit they are apparently the exception to the rule. Or you could be lucky and be in the Virginia or Hawaii Air National Guard and fly F-22's, can't imagine how many applications they get though.

 

[Swanee]

Exactly. If you look at the bios of some senior Guard guys and gals you will see they often flew two or three primary aircraft over their career but would often switch from fighters or something of the like to cargo or tanker aircraft. When the F-4's and RF-4's retired a lot of units switched to C-130's or KC-135's, the same is happening today with A-10, F-16 and F-15 units switching to MQ-9's. While a lucky few may transition to another state to keep flying in a real cockpit they are apparently the exception to the rule. Or you could be lucky and be in the Virginia or Hawaii Air National Guard and fly F-22's, can't imagine how many applications they get though.

Except the Va guard unit doesn't own the airplanes. They just augment the big bad 1st FW with personnel. They don't take guys off the street either- so it's pretty much the Langley flying club.