Naval aviator (United States)
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A naval aviator is a
Naming conventions
In the U.S. Navy, most
A small number of URL officers trained as naval aviators and naval flight officers who hold technical degrees at the undergraduate and/or postgraduate level may also opt to laterally transfer to the restricted-line (RL) as aerospace engineering duty officers (AEDOs).[2] AEDOs are frequently test pilot school graduates and retain their flying status, with most of their billets being in the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM).
An even smaller number of naval aviators are in the
All U.S. Marine Corps officers are line officers, either unrestricted line, limited duty, or warrant officers, eligible to command
The U.S. Coast Guard categorizes all of its officers generally, with its Coast Guard aviators also being considered "operational" officers in the same manner as its cutterman officers in the Coast Guard's surface cutter fleet.
Until 1981, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps also had a small number of senior enlisted personnel trained as pilots. The last U.S. Coast Guard aviation pilot retired in 1979. Such individuals were referred to as "naval aviation pilots", colloquially "NAPs" or "APs".[3] The since retired NAPs also continue to have a professional organization known as the "Silver Eagles",[4] which remains informally aligned with other naval aviation professional organizations such as the Association of Naval Aviation, the Tailhook Association, the Maritime Patrol Association, and the Naval Helicopter Association. The naval aviation pilot wings worn by NAPs were identical in design to the naval aviator insignia worn by commissioned officers. The silver eagle title was a reflection that the rating badge on their uniform had a silver eagle.
The U.S. Navy still has an unknown number of senior officers on active duty in the regular navy or serving in the navy reserve who were originally accessed as naval aviation cadets (NAVCADs). These individuals entered service via the NAVCAD program during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s when the program was reinstated following a hiatus of over 20 years. NAVCADs were non-commissioned cadets who were required to have a minimum of 60 college credit hours to enter flight training (rather than the bachelor's degree normally required for entry into the flight training program) and were accessed only through the now-defunct Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) program. Upon completion of AOCS, NAVCADS would enter into flight training and upon successful completion of training and designation as a naval aviator would be commissioned as officers with a reserve commission in an active-duty status. After completion of their initial operational flying tours, they would receive an assignment to complete their bachelor's degree. NAVCADs who failed to successfully complete flight training were contractually obligated to enter fleet service as undesignated enlisted personnel.
The last civilian applicants were accepted into the NAVCAD program in 1992, and the program was finally cancelled on October 1, 1993.
Prerequisites
Except for an extremely small number of enlisted personnel selected to attend flight school subsequent to completing the STA-21, OCS, USMMA, USNA, or USCGA programs, all student naval aviators (SNAs) must first obtain an officer commission. To become a naval aviator, non-prior service personnel must be between the ages of 19 and 32 when entering flight training. Adjustments (waivers) can be made up to 24 months for those with prior service, and up to 48 months for those already in the military at the time of application or for Marine Corps platoon leader's course applicants with prior enlisted service.[5]
Navy and Marine Corps officers are currently commissioned through five sources - the
Coast Guard officers receive their commissions either from the United States Coast Guard Academy or Coast Guard Officer Candidate School, both located in New London, Connecticut; or via the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY.
Graduates of these programs are commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard, or as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. All individuals must pass an aeronautical screening, to include successful completion of the USN/USMC/USCG Aviation Selection Test Battery and be selected for pilot training prior to being designated as student naval aviators.
Student naval aviators progress through a significant training syllabus—typically 18 to 24 months for initial winging (designation) as naval aviators via either the advanced strike pipeline for those destined for fixed-wing aircraft such as fighter/bomber jets; the maritime pipeline for those en route to multi-engine, land and sea-based aircraft (with a slightly modified pipeline for prospective
Following designation as a naval aviator, all newly designated aviators report to a designated Navy or Marine Corps
Introductory flight screening (IFS)
IFS is the first step to becoming a naval aviator. After passing a medical screening, all new flight school students are enrolled in one of five civilian flight schools near
Aviation preflight indoctrination (API)
- Notable dramatization of API/AOCS, in media: An Officer and a Gentleman
All SNAs start at the "Cradle of Naval Aviation",
Prior to its disestablishment, Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at NAS Pensacola incorporated the entire API syllabus into the nominally 15-week AOCS curriculum. AOCS students were commissioned only after they completed API requirements.
In November 2020, The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) combined IFS and API into a singular program. As of today, NIFE is the new first step to becoming a naval aviator. All prospective SNAs begin the course with the API academic instruction, involving aerodynamics, flight rules and regulations, meteorology, navigation, and aircraft engines and systems. Following successful completion of the academic portion and Flight Suit Friday, SNAs will begin the IFS portion of the course, conducted with civilian flight schools at either
Primary flight training
Following NIFE graduation, SNAs are assigned to
). Primary teaches the basics of flying in approximately six months and is divided into the following stages:- Ground school (aircraft systems, local course rules, emergency procedures)
- Contact (takeoff and landing, limited maneuvers, spins, emergency landing pattern (ELP), emergency procedures)
- Basic instruments (common instrument scans, generic instrument flight procedures)
- Precision aerobatics (aileron roll, loop, Cuban eight, barrel roll, wingover, split S, Immelmann, cloverleaf)
- Formation (basic section flight, cruise formation flight)
- Radio instrument navigation (VOR, holding, ILS/LOC, PAR/ASR, RNAV)
- Night familiarization
- Visual navigation
Advanced flight training
Upon successful completion of primary flight training, SNAs are selected for one of five advanced flight training paths: Strike, E-2/C-2 (Navy only), multi-engine, rotary, or tilt-rotor. Selection is based on the needs of the military service, an SNA's performance, and an SNA's preference. Previously, students were given the option to select tailhook and trained in the T-45C before learning if they would continue in either strike or E-2/C-2.
- SNAs selected for the strike pipeline complete NAS Meridian, Mississippi. Intermediate and advanced strike training is conducted in the T-45C Goshawk at VT-7 or VT-9 at Training Air Wing One, NAS Meridian, MS, or VT-21 or VT-22 at Training Air Wing TWO, Kingsville, TX. This syllabus is the foundation upon which all future tailhook aviators begin to build their experience. The strike pipeline fills fleet seats for the F/A-18C/D Hornet (USMC) and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USN), EA-18G Growler (USN), F-35B Lightning II (USMC), F-35C Lightning II (USN and USMC) and the AV-8B Harrier(USMC).
- Student naval aviators selected for the E-2/C-2 pipeline (USN only) at the completion of primary flight training report to Training Air Wing FOUR in Corpus Christi, Texas, for multi-engine training in the T-44C. Upon completion, students will report to Trawing One or Trawing Two to complete a syllabus that culminates in T-45C carrier qualification prior to reporting to VAW-120 at NS Norfolk, Virginia.
- SNAs selected for multi-engine training are assigned to T-1 Jayhawk.
- Those selected for TH-73AThrasher.
- SNAs selected to fly the NAS North Island to learn how to fly the Osprey.[6]
Strike syllabus
Student naval aviators selected for strike training are assigned to
Advanced strike students continue with approximately 67 additional graded flights lasting approximately 23 weeks in the T-45 Goshawk. The syllabus covers bombing,
Advanced strike training previously produced pilots for the now-retired
E-2/C-2 pipeline
E-2/C-2 students go to NAS Corpus Christi to complete multi-crew and multi-engine training (approx. 16 weeks) in the
Rotary-wing pipeline
Student pilots selected for helicopter training report to
Once they receive their wings of gold, Navy helicopter pilots report to their respective
Marine Corps helicopter/tiltrotor pilots report to HMHT-302 at MCAS New River for the CH-53E/K Super/King Stallion; HMLAT-303 at MCB Camp Pendleton for the AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y Venom; or VMMT-204 at MCAS New River for the MV-22 Osprey.
Coast Guard helicopter pilots report to the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama for further training, or the "T-Course", on the MH-60T Jayhawk and MH-65D Dolphin.
The Navy also trains pilots from several NATO and other allied nations as military and naval helicopter pilots.[8]
Multi-engine pipeline
Maritime multi-engine students complete their advanced training at
Marine Corps pilots report to the
served as the KC-130 FRS until its deactivation in 2006.Coast Guard pilots destined for the
As of 2012, VT-31 and VT-35 no longer train United States Air Force student pilots bound for C-130 duty. Coast Guard HC-144 pilots report to the Coast Guard aviation training center (ATC) in Mobile, Alabama for a transition course after reporting to their assigned air station.
Similarly, Navy
Training Air Wing FOUR has converted analog T-44As to digital T-44Cs which is the perfect lead-in trainer for the digital / glass cockpit of the P-8A Poseidon, MV-22 Osprey, E6-B Mercury, and C-130J Hercules aircraft. High fidelity T-44C visual simulators will follow the upgrade which will enable the perfect mix of ground and air training.[9]
Insignia and winging
The naval aviator insignia is a warfare qualification of the United States military that is awarded to those aviators of the
Community selection
Upon completion of flight training, a final selection process takes place in which the student naval aviators are assigned a particular fleet aircraft community (e.g., F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-18G, AV-8B or F-35B/C for strike; E-2/C-2 for carrier AEW and COD; SH-60, HH-60, MH-60, MH-65, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, CH-53E/K, MH-53, CMV-22, or MV-22 for rotary-wing, P-8, E-6, EP-3, KC-130, HC-130, HC-144 for maritime, etc.). This selection is also based upon the needs of the service and performance. Newly designated naval aviators (no longer referred to as "students") are then assigned to a USN or USMC
Service commitment
Student naval aviators incur a ten year active duty service commitment that begins after they receive designation as a naval aviator.[12]
Aircraft carrier commanding officer
A provision in Title 10 of the United States Code requires that US aircraft carrier commanding officers and executive officers be Navy unrestricted line officers designated as either naval aviators or naval flight officers.[13]
Naval aviators who fly in space are designated naval astronauts, and are issued the naval aviator version of the
See also
- Aviation Cadet Training Program (USN)
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
- Naval flight officer
- Modern United States Navy carrier air operations
- List of United States naval aircraft
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- NATOPS
- Badges of the United States Navy
- Badges of the United States Marine Corps
- Badges of the United States Coast Guard
- Military badges of the United States
References
- This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ Navy Establishes Trial Warrant Officer-to-Pilot Program
- ^ "Aerospace Engineering". www.public.navy.mil. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
- ^ Delozier, CNAF Force Master Chief James (2010). "May The Force Be With You" (PDF). Centennial of Naval Aviation. 2 (4). Naval Air Forces, United States Navy: 6, 12. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-56311-110-5.
- ^ Age requirements to become a military pilot. Usmilitary.about.com (2014-03-14). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ "VRM-50".
- ^ "Training Air Wing Four".
- ^ Chief of Naval Air Training. Cnatra.navy.mil. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ "CNATRA".
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-09-20. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ APPENDIX 20 Evolution of Naval Wings (Breast Insignia). (PDF) . Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ 10 U.S. Code § 5942 - Aviation commands: eligibility | LII / Legal Information Institute. Law.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ HISTORY UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910–1995, pg662