Since some of the other RAGs have been mentioned, I figured I'd offer the Hawkeye perspective. First, some general notes:
1. VAW-120 is not easier than VT-86. They are different animals. VT-86 is faster paced and more stressful. VAW-120 is longer and you are expected to remember everything about a wide range of topics (it is the RAG, except you aren't winged for the first half of it) from the time they teach you, until you stop flying Hawkeyes. I don't know the percentages, but people do get attrited from E-2s.
2. Yellow sheets. Passing with a white colored sheet for a test is 90% or above. Yellow sheets or SODs is for 85-90%. Pink is below 85%. I never knew these creatures existed before coming here.
3. Pilots. You will see IPs when you fly. They are also useful to find when you have an obscure systems question. Unfortunately you will have little interaction (other than social) with the RPs. They do their thing, you do yours. You might fly on a cross country with one.
4. Wings. 6-8 months into the program you will finally get winged. The winging will be on a Friday. Monday you have class. Congratulations, you are now an RNFO! (joy, the pink sheet count resets!)
5. Flights. Each phase of training has flights associated with it. Expect to do the flights a few months from the end of the phase it is associated with. After wings, you only have 4 flights left to do and endless sims.
You start off slow, learning about the systems of the aircraft. Engines, props (#1 question asked at an airshow, "Why does it have 8 blades?"), electrical system, comms, software, hardware, and navigation are all various systems you must become intimately familiar with. You can actually fail the first test without any ramifications. This is to get you used to the level of studying you need to do. Some of these topics have sims associated with them which consist of you sitting in the sim with an instructor and them grilling you on that topic or anything you have already learned.
Next you learn about the sensors on the aircraft, namely that big dome on top of the plane. The radar test is arguably the toughest academic test you will take at the RAG. As long as you study consistently everyday, it should not be that difficult.
After sensors is the midterm, which is a cumulative test covering everything you've been taught up to this point. This consists of a test, a sim, and a flight (usually flown right before AIC flights).
Now it starts to get a little interesting. The next phase is about you working your way towards earning your wings and Air Intercept Controller letter. First you start with manual tracking. Man tracking is simply figuring out course, speed, and declaration of a piece of radar video. As long as you can multiply, you'll get the hang of it by the second sim. After man tracking you move on to Nearest Collision Intercepts. You will do a bunch of sims for NCIs, which consist of pointing jets at eachother and making them collide. NCIs get you used to controlling assets and proper comm formats. Finally, are AICs (Air Intercept Control) which are the real deal. Here you get to simulate controlling fighters which shoot down hostile incoming aircraft. Some of the CSIs (retired guys who run the sims) are fighter guys and can get really into it. The last few AIC sims will have you running both NCIs and AICs over the warning are near Norfolk. This is to prepare you for the real thing when you go play with Lear jets. After you are done with AIC sims, you are declared ready to actually control planes while in the air. The flights are actually much easier than the sims, since your instructor helps you out with the administrative parts and also takes care of a lot of the comms. There are actual Lear jets being flown out in the warning area that you are controlling. The flights are also cool, because it is one of the few times you will ever sit in the cockpit. Yes, being able to look out the window is a novel thing for a Hawkeye NFO. While the other student is doing their AICs, you get to sit in front; halfway through you switch and you do your AIC runs. You will have 2 (or 3 if you are unlucky) AIC flights and get soft winged after completing 15 AICs and 5 NCIs.
Friday is the winging ceremony. Horay beer! :icon_zbee
Monday you start learning about all the data links the Hawkeye has and how the computer can do NCIs for you. Nothing too complex here. There is just now more to juggle, because while doing AICs, you have to multi task and send information out over the data link.
After the data links you have a final. This is only a test and has no sims or flights associated with it. As with the midterm, it covers everything you have learned up to this point.
Finally, there is the tactics phase. You learn about enemy capabilities and platforms. You also learn about all the various missions an E-2 can carry out. Tactics phase is very basic, most things you will learn in your fleet squadrons. This phase also has the most difficult sims associated with them, Battle Problems. In BPs you work with another student and an instructor or Cat+ NFO coming through the RAG to carry out missions. Each BP scenario is different and you only do each type a few times. You will never get the hang of any particular mission because everything is new. Here you will begin to develop certain skills like multitasking and crew coordination.
After surviving BPs, you knock out a stan check and off you go to your fleet squadron. Your first cat shot and arrested landing will happen in your fleet squadron. Have fun!
1. VAW-120 is not easier than VT-86. They are different animals. VT-86 is faster paced and more stressful. VAW-120 is longer and you are expected to remember everything about a wide range of topics (it is the RAG, except you aren't winged for the first half of it) from the time they teach you, until you stop flying Hawkeyes. I don't know the percentages, but people do get attrited from E-2s.
2. Yellow sheets. Passing with a white colored sheet for a test is 90% or above. Yellow sheets or SODs is for 85-90%. Pink is below 85%. I never knew these creatures existed before coming here.
3. Pilots. You will see IPs when you fly. They are also useful to find when you have an obscure systems question. Unfortunately you will have little interaction (other than social) with the RPs. They do their thing, you do yours. You might fly on a cross country with one.
4. Wings. 6-8 months into the program you will finally get winged. The winging will be on a Friday. Monday you have class. Congratulations, you are now an RNFO! (joy, the pink sheet count resets!)
5. Flights. Each phase of training has flights associated with it. Expect to do the flights a few months from the end of the phase it is associated with. After wings, you only have 4 flights left to do and endless sims.
You start off slow, learning about the systems of the aircraft. Engines, props (#1 question asked at an airshow, "Why does it have 8 blades?"), electrical system, comms, software, hardware, and navigation are all various systems you must become intimately familiar with. You can actually fail the first test without any ramifications. This is to get you used to the level of studying you need to do. Some of these topics have sims associated with them which consist of you sitting in the sim with an instructor and them grilling you on that topic or anything you have already learned.
Next you learn about the sensors on the aircraft, namely that big dome on top of the plane. The radar test is arguably the toughest academic test you will take at the RAG. As long as you study consistently everyday, it should not be that difficult.
After sensors is the midterm, which is a cumulative test covering everything you've been taught up to this point. This consists of a test, a sim, and a flight (usually flown right before AIC flights).
Now it starts to get a little interesting. The next phase is about you working your way towards earning your wings and Air Intercept Controller letter. First you start with manual tracking. Man tracking is simply figuring out course, speed, and declaration of a piece of radar video. As long as you can multiply, you'll get the hang of it by the second sim. After man tracking you move on to Nearest Collision Intercepts. You will do a bunch of sims for NCIs, which consist of pointing jets at eachother and making them collide. NCIs get you used to controlling assets and proper comm formats. Finally, are AICs (Air Intercept Control) which are the real deal. Here you get to simulate controlling fighters which shoot down hostile incoming aircraft. Some of the CSIs (retired guys who run the sims) are fighter guys and can get really into it. The last few AIC sims will have you running both NCIs and AICs over the warning are near Norfolk. This is to prepare you for the real thing when you go play with Lear jets. After you are done with AIC sims, you are declared ready to actually control planes while in the air. The flights are actually much easier than the sims, since your instructor helps you out with the administrative parts and also takes care of a lot of the comms. There are actual Lear jets being flown out in the warning area that you are controlling. The flights are also cool, because it is one of the few times you will ever sit in the cockpit. Yes, being able to look out the window is a novel thing for a Hawkeye NFO. While the other student is doing their AICs, you get to sit in front; halfway through you switch and you do your AIC runs. You will have 2 (or 3 if you are unlucky) AIC flights and get soft winged after completing 15 AICs and 5 NCIs.
Friday is the winging ceremony. Horay beer! :icon_zbee
Monday you start learning about all the data links the Hawkeye has and how the computer can do NCIs for you. Nothing too complex here. There is just now more to juggle, because while doing AICs, you have to multi task and send information out over the data link.
After the data links you have a final. This is only a test and has no sims or flights associated with it. As with the midterm, it covers everything you have learned up to this point.
Finally, there is the tactics phase. You learn about enemy capabilities and platforms. You also learn about all the various missions an E-2 can carry out. Tactics phase is very basic, most things you will learn in your fleet squadrons. This phase also has the most difficult sims associated with them, Battle Problems. In BPs you work with another student and an instructor or Cat+ NFO coming through the RAG to carry out missions. Each BP scenario is different and you only do each type a few times. You will never get the hang of any particular mission because everything is new. Here you will begin to develop certain skills like multitasking and crew coordination.
After surviving BPs, you knock out a stan check and off you go to your fleet squadron. Your first cat shot and arrested landing will happen in your fleet squadron. Have fun!
