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Switching aircraft
- Thread starter Chris94
- Start date
No, it’s not. The Navy has pretty fixed career progression tracks and time off that track for retraining is frowned upon. The Navy doesn’t have “B” tours like the AF. Community changes are possible and I know a few guys who went from E-2s to TACAIR and had successful careers, but it’s a big deal and not the norm at all.
The only other times you’ll change aircraft is if your type decommissions, or if you go fly one that’s only flown in the Reserves, like the C-40 or F-5. There are also some communities now that also have UAS and cross-train dudes to fly those; HSC with Fire Scout, VP/VQ with Triton, and eventually VAW and Stingray.
It's expected for surface warfare and submarine officers to serve tours and qualify across different platforms, but the aviation community develops well-rounded senior officers and leaders by sticking to strictly-defined, narrow career paths consisting of four or five tours in only one type/model/series aircraft.
Thanks. Wasn't trying to be pedantic, just wasn't sure what (other than paint job) the difference between two models was. Learning has occurred.
Different series...different plane? I don’t really care either way, 4 or 5, the greater answer is that this guy wil have a hard time switching communities in the Navy
And that his arrival at that conclusion was likely impeded by your first post.
Technically the Alpha has a glass cockpit as well. They're just individual glass gauges instead of a large MFD.
Dude wanted to know if you get to fly different airplanes. The answer is yes. The unasked question that you so succinctly answered was whether they changed communities.
Technically, my answer was more correct than yours, so maybe put a little more effort into helping...sir...
If we really want to be pedantic about this, I’m guessing his follow on question would be “do you get to fly different mission sets” in the Navy, to which I would answer “it depends on your platform.”
Over here in the land of fat kids and coffee we have 3 very distinct mission sets (ASW/ASUW/ISR) that we fly, sometimes on the same mission. Not sure that applies to others.
Pickle
I heard other communities get to do air to air, electronic attack, and tanking- sometimes on the same mission.
Dude wanted to know whether we switch different airplanes throughout our careers, like the USAF does. It is common in the USAF to switch T/M/S during their various operational tours. It is not common in the Navy. You saw that as an opportunity to list your CV. We're all very impressed.
The mazda miata of the skies.
Wait, waaaat?
Serious question- the W&B form at the back of the ADB for most of the Bs comes in right around 5,100lbs empty weight (or maybe that's operating weight with oil and unusable fuel... either way). The NATOPS quotes a lower number but that doesn't include a couple widgets and doodads that weren't on the planes yet when it was written. What's typical for an A?