A few questions about naval aircrew

[diligo4565]

Hello everyone, I've been lurking around here for awhile now trying to find all the information I can about aircrew. This forum has been a great help in answering almost all of my questions, from naccs all the way to the fleet. There are a few that have not been answered however, and I was hoping some of you may have time to answer them for me. I'm sorry, but there's a fair number of them so this may be a long post.

-What fixed wing planes land on carriers on a regular basis and require aircrew?
-Has the recent rating merger had an effect on volunteering in basic? (I've got a half decent ship date already as an AM and don't want to have to give it up.)
-How do you get into CSAR?
-What is a flight in a helo like?
-Navy challenge program has rescue swimmer as an option, is this the same one as the "part-time job" rescue swimmer I keep hearing of, or is this a rating dedicated to rescue?
-Will basic training physically prepare me for NACCS or will I have to workout during off time?
-Is aircrew a hard working job? or slightly lazy out in the fleet?
-What kind of in-flight Maintenance does aircrew do?
-What are the jobs for aircrew onboard the aircraft? (I know loadmaster, and flight engineer only)
-Can I still be a maintainer when I am not in the air?

Anyone who has made it this far, thank you very much for your time. Again, I apologize for the length of this post.

 

[twobecrazy]

-What fixed wing planes land on carriers on a regular basis and require aircrew?
The only fixed wing aircraft that can land on a carrier with enlisted aircrew is the C-2 and E-2 but I don't know if they do.

-Has the recent rating merger had an effect on volunteering in basic? (I've got a half decent ship date already as an AM and don't want to have to give it up.)
If you are interested in it then I would try and get it in my contract now as you may also receive a sign up bonus. I don't know if I would try risking the chance of getting it down the road if I really wanted it.

-How do you get into CSAR?
To get into CSAR you have to go RSS. Then from there you may end up going CSAR or not after further RSS training.

-What is a flight in a helo like?
Don't know but I'm pretty sure it would be fun!
You could ask a helo pilot on here what its like to fly a helo. I'm sure they would probably say it is pretty fun so I'm assuming it would be fun to go along for the ride!

-Navy challenge program has rescue swimmer as an option, is this the same one as the "part-time job" rescue swimmer I keep hearing of, or is this a rating dedicated to rescue?
Rescue swimmer is a part-time job. You have other jobs to do while flying. You are only a rescue swimmer when you are scheduled for that mission otherwise you are an aircrewman with a job flying and maintainer if you are maintance when not flying.

-Will basic training physically prepare me for NACCS or will I have to workout during off time?
A little but Air Crew Candidate School will take care of the rest. I would recommend working out during your off time though.

-Is aircrew a hard working job? or slightly lazy out in the fleet?
You are a hard working individuals in the fleet don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You will do your fair share of watches. You will have up and down days like everyone else but you live by the flight schedule and when not flying you are doing a ground job like everyone else. However, because you fly you may get behind in your other job and thus have to work to stay on top of things. Its not bad though and has many perks that come with all the work.

-What kind of in-flight Maintenance does aircrew do?
Typically we are troubleshooters if your a maintance type aircrewman. You try to figure out the problem and fix it if possible while flying. If you can't fix it but have a good idea you tell your fellow shop what the problem is and how to fix it.

-What are the jobs for aircrew onboard the aircraft? (I know loadmaster, and flight engineer only)
Sensor operators, In-Flight Technicians (which I was on a P-3).

-Can I still be a maintainer when I am not in the air?
YUP! TRUST ME YOU WILL BE!

NOTE: I am a bit out of the loop now as I have been out for 5 years so hopefully this info is still current!

P.S. sorry I couldn't answer all your questions with 100% accuracy because since I have been out many things have changed.

 

[jl08]

I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure the only way to be aircrew (enlisted) these days is to be an AW.

 

[ea6bflyr]

-What fixed wing planes land on carriers on a regular basis and require aircrew?

The only carrier based fixed wing aircraft that have aircrew are C-2 COD. They have 2 Aircrewmen; a Loadmaster and an In-Flight Plane Captain.

-Has the recent rating merger had an effect on volunteering in basic? (I've got a half decent ship date already as an AM and don't want to have to give it up.)

I'm not sure there is a known impact yet.

-How do you get into CSAR?

You have to be an AWH (Helo Aircrewman). Most Helo Crewmen are also rescue swimmers.

-What is a flight in a helo like?

Having flown as a crewman in both helos and fixed wing, they are very different.

-Navy challenge program has rescue swimmer as an option, is this the same one as the "part-time job" rescue swimmer I keep hearing of, or is this a rating dedicated to rescue?

Again, to be a rescue swimmer, you have to be an Helo AW.

-Will basic training physically prepare me for NACCS or will I have to workout during off time?

Basic training will only give you what you need to fit into the Navy...the BASICS. You will not have extra time to get additional workouts. To prepare yourself for NACCS and Rescue Swimmer training, you should do a bunch of running and a bunch of swimming. The school house will give you the specific training you need.

-Is aircrew a hard working job? or slightly lazy out in the fleet?

Train like you fight. You will train hard, and work hard.

-What kind of in-flight Maintenance does aircrew do?

Basic in-flight troubleshooting. No real maintenance per se.

-What are the jobs for aircrew onboard the aircraft? (I know loadmaster, and flight engineer only)

Lookup the following rates: AWF/AWV/AWR/AWS/AWO to see what their duties entail.

-Can I still be a maintainer when I am not in the air?

No. You may do some minor stuff, but not like a rated mechanic.

-ea6bflyr

 

[diligo4565]

Even 5yrs out it is good to hear some answers, thank you for your input twobecrazy. The reason I can't give up my shipdate is because I have a wife and young daughter to care for. It would be fun to go aircrew but I have to worry about them first. Although, I had heard that the recent merge has left the lower ranks undermanned.

 

[jl08]

It's not necessarily the easiest thing to do but you can always apply for aircrew school after you are finished with 'A' school and get to your first command. This route isn't as direct but it is definitely possible. I have a friend who cross-rated from AM to AW a few years back.

Your chances of cross-rating depend on the manning of your current and prospective rate and like twobecrazyhttp://www.airwarriors.com/member.php/26800-twobecrazy I haven't been around for a few years but its something to look into.

 

[diligo4565]

So the merger has changed the Maintenance aspect of the job? Thats a bit disappointing. I have considered the cross rate option, but that seems like leaving things too much to chance, even more so than the volunteering in basic option.

 

[jl08]

So the merger has changed the Maintenance aspect of the job? Thats a bit disappointing. I have considered the cross rate option, but that seems like leaving things too much to chance...

It's definitely not as good as getting it contracted initially but if you can't afford to wait then it is pretty much your only option.

...even more so than the volunteering in basic option.

I would be very surprised if you can make any changes to your contract in Great Lakes. I'm sure there are people who have made it happen but I wouldn't count on it. If you are contracted to be an AM then I would plan on being an AM at least until you get to your first command and get an eval.

 

[SynixMan]

As has been said many times: Pick your rate, pick your fate.

Don't plan on a transfer. It might not be in the cards. Work hard and things may work out for you. Best of luck out there.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

-What fixed wing planes land on carriers on a regular basis and require aircrew?

Diligo,
I was a C-2 Aircrew Loadmaster 2001-2006. I was an AD (Mech) so when I wasn't flying, I was working on the engines. Now, as others have said, all aircrew rates have been merged into AW, so you will no longer fly and perform maintenance on the aircraft. I enjoyed my time as an aircrewman in the COD community. You need to figure out what you want to do more though, fly, or maintenance! Good luck with your decision.

-Ken

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

The only carrier based fixed wing aircraft that have aircrew are C-2 COD. They have 2 Aircrewmen; a Loadmaster and an In-Flight Plane Captain.

Both Aircrewman are Loadmasters. There are two designations, T2C (Transport Second Crewman) and Crew Chief. First you'll be a T2C, then Crew Chief. Both crewman do the same job, just the Crew Chief is the senior guy and in charge. All qualified C-2 aircrew are plane captains.

 

[diligo4565]

Thank you all for your help, I'm going to talk to my recruiter today and see what I can do. I think I'll be happy with either rating, but aircrew seems to have an extra bit of adventure to it. I hope that everyone here realizes the importance of what this forum does. You all have helped me and many others determine the direction that our careers will take, so again, thank you very much.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Both Aircrewman are Loadmasters. There are two designations, T2C (Transport Second Crewman) and Crew Chief. First you'll be a T2C, then Crew Chief. Both crewman do the same job, just the Crew Chief is the senior guy and in charge. All qualified C-2 aircrew are plane captains.

Ken,
I was going from my COD days (1989-1993). I knew they are now fully qualified in both positions, but didn't know they changed the names. Thanks.
-ea6bflyr

 

[wlawr005]

If you want to fly, work on picking up a slot to Aircrew school before you get to RTC. That being said, I personally believe that being a Naval Aircrewman is one of the most satisfying and rewarding jobs there is in the enlisted community.

I don't know a lot about fixed wing, but if you go helos, you will get your fair share of both SAR and CSAR training as well as many other aspects of the helo community. Basically, if a helo can do it, there is a mission skill set that needs to be trained for. Some of these include VERTREP, PAXFER, VIPFER, HRST, PARADROPS, CAL, NVG, Door Gunnery/Small Arms, HELOCAST, GRE and a myriad of other things that go along with flying. Needless to say, you will be busy enough that maintenance is another career altogether.

PT is good for you no matter what your reasons for doing it. The more you do, the better you are, no matter what your rate.

 

[diligo4565]

PT is a bit difficult for me with my location and the sheer number of other things I need to get done with what time I have. It does sound like helo's would be the more interesting to go for, if I have the balls for rescue swimmer school anyways. I had gotten all excited about aircrew because the description they gave me of the AM job stated that I would be able to volunteer for aircrew training. If that has changed I will have to look more closely at my decision.