Your Decision?

[Old R.O.]

Was originally signed up to the program as a 1395 (SNA)
They didn't do the full refraction on the eyes (doc wasn't in that drill weekend...) until after I was sworn in to the AVROC program (anyone remember that program??? Kinda like PLC for the Navy, but different...).
When they did the full-up refraction, it was "go directly to 1375... do not pass go..... Actually, a good move, as it turned out. 1,800 jet hours later, I really enjoyed the ride and have no regrets. Met some people that are now legends (some were then, too, but only in their own minds...), and it's turned into a civilian career. Kinda like a hobby that someone is crazy enough to pay me for.
One of the other AVROCs reported in with me when we returned to Pensacola to finish AOCS and start flight training. His eyes had gone south during the year between the first summer and when he graduated from college and came back... He turned down NFO and DOR'd from the program. His loss.

 

[Old R.O.]

Coming back for the "second session" of AVROC was interesting, to say the least. The first summer, we were assigned to a class and spent the whole 8 weeks together. We were in the first year of the "new" AVROC program with one 8-week session and then a follow-up after graduation. The ones before had spent two 6-week sessions between Soph/Junion and Junior/Senior years of college and were commissioned upon graduation. (My first summer was in 1970.)
After we graduated from our respective colleges, we trickled back a few at a time to finish up the final 8 weeks. There were seven of us who reported back in the mid-September 1971 timeframe... all from different classes from the summer before (except for the guy who DOR'd was from my class the previous summer). We were berthed with a class in their final weeks before the candidate officer week. We just slept there at night... during the day we were intergrated into an EI (environmental indoc) class of Academy, NROTC and Marine Corps ensigns/2nd Lts.
The first week, not knowing exactly what our status was, we formed up for the Thursday inspection between the battalions. There were several classes of 40-plus candidates formed up... and our "class" of seven guys. Out of the corner of our eyes we could see the DI's asking each other "Who are those guys???" Finally one of them came over and asked the question. When told that we were AVROCS... he shook his head in disgust and said to get the hell out of there... and don't come back to Thursday muster again. It got so that whenever we screwed up, either in a group or individually, we could just say "But sir, I'm an AVROC." and they would shrug their shoulders and shake their head in disgust and that would be that.
While the EI class went to Eglin AFB for survival, we had our candidate officer week (called candio long after I left there...)
It wasn't totally easy, but generally we got the best of all worlds ... plus we were "over-2 for pay purposes" when we were commissioned.

 

[A4sForever]

... plus we were "over-2 for pay purposes" when we were commissioned.

AVROC had to be the best deal goin' ... too bad I found out about it too late.

 

[Old R.O.]

AVROC had to be the best deal goin' ... too bad I found out about it too late.

*********
Yes it was... one of the few things I did right in my 5.5 years of active duty

 

[Njc242]

Another question.
I just got done reading the book Speed is Life, More is Better and I was wondering, does everyone hate the WSO? Or just men who were transitioned to a two seat after having a successful one seat career?

And to make myself clear =)

This does not affect me in anyway, I am still going to shoot for SNFO

 

[Old R.O.]

Another question.
I just got done reading the book Speed is Life, More is Better and I was wondering, does everyone hate the WSO? Or just men who were transitioned to a two seat after having a successful one seat career?

The definitive answer is.... it depends.

Some folks who came out of single seat cockpits (F-8s in my era) made the seamless transition to F-4s and went on with it. Some didn't do so well (insert ego as large as all outdoors here). Stories about VF-51 are legend, as they transitioned to F-4s and put the RIOs in the back of the ready room like second-class citizens... until a couple were saved by timely SAM calls. It wasn't easy, and it took time.

Some guys who were Tomcat babies should have been in single seaters from the git-go. I knew one guy like this who was a VF-124 instructor pilot!

More of a personality thing than a community mindset.

This is my opinion... your mileage may vary.

 

[Njc242]

Great response R.O

@ Harrier

Beats me.

 

[HalfBreed]

Got T-Rex or just that short HB?

I am just that short. I can stand straight up in an E-2. There are still doubts as to whether or not I am too short to be a tube rat.

 

[couell3584]

I'm retaking my astb in April and putting NFO as my first choice. Im a bit small at five feet even and want to put pilot as my first choice. Does anyone know the anthro requirements for Navy pilot?

 

[milky-f18]

I'm a midshipman that's going to be a SNFO when I get commissioned in May. I have terrible eyesight so pilot was out of the question, but even if I had good eyes the NFO job sounded cooler to me. The NFO is the reason the plane is in the air- you're doing the mission! That just sounded really awesome to me and I think fit the way I think better than being a pilot.

I am glad you will have fun at your new job... I heard the CNO read this post this morning and grounded all the F-18C/E in the fleet. Turns out they had nobody in them to do the mission. Now I have to find a new job. Thanks a lot.

 

[HAL Pilot]

... I heard the CNO read this post this morning and grounded all the F-18C/E in the fleet. Turns out they had nobody in them to do the mission...

Yup, worthless pieces of shit without a NFO to fight the aircraft. Glad you finally understand this.

 

[FLYTPAY]

I heard the CNO read this post this morning and grounded all the F-18C/E in the fleet. Turns out they had nobody in them to do the mission.

That is why they have the NFO to Pilot program.......geez and I thought it was to just give us hope.

 

[Notso07]

Back to the original post, I was qualified for SNA but put down SNFO first, I liked the job descriptions of ECMOs and WSOs, and while I wanted to fly for sure, I didn't really care whether it was in the front or back. No real idea on if I chose right yet, finally heading down to pcola after 10 months stashed at the academy as a sailing coach, so hopefully I'll find out soon. To be honest, both sounded awesome, and it came close to a coin toss for me. Turns out on a post commissioning flight physical that second semester 1/C year my vision went south of 20/20, so good thing I picked NFO, otherwise I would have had to deal with NAMI even more than I have in the last 10 months.

 

[Njc242]

Thanks for the response.

Probably a stupid question so I might catch some shit but I am going to ask it anyway.

I was at an event my high school hosted which involved a few dozen Naval Academy students and a few recruiters. I went to the NROTC table and talked a while, told the one gentlemen that I would like to be a NFO and he asked why. I simply replied I like what the NFO has to offer. I would enjoy it more than being a pilot. He gave me a weird look and said with a disappointing tone "Well the only reason I went NFO was because of my eyesight" and than he lacked interest in me and did not have as much of a spunk as he did when I first met him.

I do not know about you but does this seem as though he thinks I am trying to half ass it? Would recruiters look down on this?
Personally I think it is stupid but I would like to get other people's input.

 

[HH-60H]

Ahhhhhhhh.....an honest FO! I knew there was one out there!

Now, if you can just find a helo pilot that didn't have jet grades............

I didn't have jet grades.