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What is it like to be an NFO?
- Thread starter bobcat2006
- Start date
Hey, this monkey knows how to fly to the banana...I just enjoy the perks of big windows, extra legroom, and the comfotable seats...
Plus my own rack...well, later, when I am actually worth something to my crew...
Pickle
nombrescreeno
New Member
I've heard this mentioned before, but is it true that NFO's have increasingly found their roles/jobs I guess one could say... "marginalized" by new technologies and plane design philosophies? And I don't mean that in a negative tone, as technology has made it undoubtedly easier for a single person to process a whole lot of information at once and thus manage their mission.
Don't get me wrong here - I don't mean that in negative terms, and I'm sure that the P-3, E-6, E-2 communities still have NFO's as the critical players. And there's a lot of good-natured rubbing between pilots and nfo's, but, like mentioned above, from the Prowler to the Growler going from 3 to 1 NFOs riding along and the pilot having more of a role over the mission... or such as the Rhino or the fact that future planes/designs have integrated a lot more of the funciton of the NFO into the pilot systems. It just seems that way form the outside, a lot of the philosophy in recent years in the design of recent and future planes has seen a decrease in the need of NFO's
edit: I also realize that a lot of this is what people also hear and deal with regards to UAVs and pilots...
Don't get me wrong here - I don't mean that in negative terms, and I'm sure that the P-3, E-6, E-2 communities still have NFO's as the critical players. And there's a lot of good-natured rubbing between pilots and nfo's, but, like mentioned above, from the Prowler to the Growler going from 3 to 1 NFOs riding along and the pilot having more of a role over the mission... or such as the Rhino or the fact that future planes/designs have integrated a lot more of the funciton of the NFO into the pilot systems. It just seems that way form the outside, a lot of the philosophy in recent years in the design of recent and future planes has seen a decrease in the need of NFO's
edit: I also realize that a lot of this is what people also hear and deal with regards to UAVs and pilots...
Many times, as the complexity and number of "systems" in an aircraft increases, so does the brainpower required to operate if effectively. Now, there's no doubt that technology has enabled aircrews to do more with less, like the Prowler's four aircrew going down to two in the Growler, but there's a limit even to that.
Brett
Why is everyone so afraid of 'hurting' the NFOs feelings to the extent that we super-tip-toe around this issue every 6 months or so with the 'don't get me wrong' comments that go on and on and on and on .... ???
Instead -- let's be honest, just for a change: NFO -- it's a great job.
It's the second best job in Naval Aviation.
Q.E.D.
Period.
Instead -- let's be honest, just for a change: NFO -- it's a great job.
It's the second best job in Naval Aviation.
Q.E.D.
Period.
flyersfan12
New Member
This is a great thread and really makes me appreciate the role of NFO's. I've been doing a ton of research lately and reading through the forums, and I understand the cut-off age for SNA is 26, with up to a 48-month waiver for current/former military. I have found alot less information about NFO's though, and is there a cut-off age for the SNFO program as well?
I'm in the process of doing my packet for BDCP and (assuming I'm selected) I would be finished OCS and commissioned when I'm 28.... in the event that I'm selected for SWO and not SNA or SNFO, what options would I have for changing my designator after commission? In that scenario, would I have to serve the full time of mandatory active duty before being able to request a different community?
Furthermore, if I were SWO and my designator-change request were granted before I'm 30, would I then be qualified for the 48-month age waiver for SNA?
(Like I mentioned, I've come across very little information about age-waivers,
and I have little idea about the types of circumstances they would be applicable for.)
I'm in the process of doing my packet for BDCP and (assuming I'm selected) I would be finished OCS and commissioned when I'm 28.... in the event that I'm selected for SWO and not SNA or SNFO, what options would I have for changing my designator after commission? In that scenario, would I have to serve the full time of mandatory active duty before being able to request a different community?
Furthermore, if I were SWO and my designator-change request were granted before I'm 30, would I then be qualified for the 48-month age waiver for SNA?
(Like I mentioned, I've come across very little information about age-waivers,
and I have little idea about the types of circumstances they would be applicable for.)
If you go SWO, it is possible to redes, but you'll have to go through the entire SWO training, get to your ship, study/board/qualify and get your SWO pin, spend a bit of time establishing a good rep, then put in a package with the endorsement of your skipper. No one, to my knowledge, is going to endorse a package before you do any of that. So add on all of that time to your timeline--I'm guessing a good two years, maybe three, to get your pin and pay dues--you can probably find more accurate numbers in the SWO forum.
Also, to redes from anything else to pilot is probably the hardest (most competitive) way to go. Usually there are not many slots relative to the usual entries into the pipeline. I think when the NFO->Pilot program got reinstated a few years back, only a handful of guys (or maybe it was just one guy?) got picked up on the first pass.
flyersfan12
New Member
Thank you for the insight, I really appreciate it!
What about age cut-offs for the SNFO program? I know there's the age 26 cut-off for SNA, is it the same age for SNFO or is it older?
What about age cut-offs for the SNFO program? I know there's the age 26 cut-off for SNA, is it the same age for SNFO or is it older?
Hmm, dating myself again. Thanks
Ah... it was only in the past couple years that change was made.... t least that's the story that I got.
If your Training Officer is doing his job, you should get a backseat stan-check annually - technique only. It's just that the whole thing has moved from the realm of NATOPS to PWTP/ACTC.
Brett
Ill go ahead and bring this thread back to life instead of starting a new one. Im a STA 21 NFO selectee stationed at pax river. I figured id used this time in limbo while waiting for orders to do a little platform shopping. If there are any NFOs at pax with some free time to sit down and talk with me about what they do, I would be very appreciative.
Surface Survailance and Control. It's a term that fell out of usage a few years ago and was replaced by SUW (Surface Warfare) but has been steadily making it's way back into the vocabulary of aviators.
asa66
New Member
Times have changed.
In my day there weren't enough hours in a day. When I checked into my first squadron, I was given four jobs, which was the average. Primary job was Line Division, which was filled with guys who had failed at something else and thus were dropped into the Line. Second job was to qual-up in the airplane as a P-3 NAV/TACCO. Third job was Coffee Mess Officer and it was serious. If we ran out of anything the other O's let me know about it. Fourth job was Condom Control Officer. Once we hit Iwakuni on our first deployment I had to supply the O's with condoms. I solved that one by buying a gross and then serializing them and requiring that they turn-in the old one if they wanted a fresh one. But a JO in aviation ran his butt off.
In my day there weren't enough hours in a day. When I checked into my first squadron, I was given four jobs, which was the average. Primary job was Line Division, which was filled with guys who had failed at something else and thus were dropped into the Line. Second job was to qual-up in the airplane as a P-3 NAV/TACCO. Third job was Coffee Mess Officer and it was serious. If we ran out of anything the other O's let me know about it. Fourth job was Condom Control Officer. Once we hit Iwakuni on our first deployment I had to supply the O's with condoms. I solved that one by buying a gross and then serializing them and requiring that they turn-in the old one if they wanted a fresh one. But a JO in aviation ran his butt off.