I remember reading an article in Naval Aviation several years ago about the cost of training aviators from commissioning source to fleet squadron. It was broken down by communities and as I remember it the cost was very high (millions). Do any of the TRACOM guys know the actual numbers or where I would locate them, or the article?
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COST OF TRAINING Naval Aviators?
- Thread starter S.O.B.
- Start date
I'm sorry...did you just cite Tom Clancy as a source?
Carrier is one of his non-fiction works. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?isbn=0425166821&z=y
Marine4life
Registered User
I'll let you know when I pay off the loan. 
...I won't mention how many times those push/pull doors trip me up...
Oh, yes, of course, now I remember you!
I asked the Commodore of TW-1 about the cost to train us back in April. He said Advanced cost $750,000. Total cost from the beginning to winging cost $1.45 million. I'm pretty sure he did not include the RAG in that figure, so you can definitely add another couple hundred thousand.
What can I say? We're expensive.
What can I say? We're expensive.
Just to throw some numbers out there, an XO of one of the primary squadrons told me the T-34c cost somewhere in the neighboorhood of $600 an hour. I also read somewhere that the cost of the T45 was around $3000 an hour. I'm pretty sure both of those include fuel and overhead costs. Sim guys get something like $50 an hour, not sure of the cost of the sim itself.
I looked at my logbook after primary and it was close to 100 hours, so 100x600 = 60,000 for the actual flight time.
I think the sylabus in advanced calls for 150 flight hours at 3000k = $450,000 for just the flight time. The original sims cost 18mil a piece, with the new Charlie sims the price is down to 6mil. So the sims are probably quite expensive to operate an hour, but no idea how much they cost.
So yeah, its expensive to train a jet guy, I've heard 2 mil. I'm not sure if thats up to wings, or including the rag. Big money though is being spent! Also, don't forget all of the API, your comission source, etc...
I looked at my logbook after primary and it was close to 100 hours, so 100x600 = 60,000 for the actual flight time.
I think the sylabus in advanced calls for 150 flight hours at 3000k = $450,000 for just the flight time. The original sims cost 18mil a piece, with the new Charlie sims the price is down to 6mil. So the sims are probably quite expensive to operate an hour, but no idea how much they cost.
So yeah, its expensive to train a jet guy, I've heard 2 mil. I'm not sure if thats up to wings, or including the rag. Big money though is being spent! Also, don't forget all of the API, your comission source, etc...
...as well as "normal" expenses, such as your base pay, BAH, BAS, ACIP, health care, TAD, and PCS moves, to name a few.
If you really wanted to get into the weeds you could also factor in the support structure - the cost of manning the training wings/squadrons with instructors (including THEIR various expenses), other personnel (civilian-types, maintainers, etc.), the cost of the training supplies (paper, pubs, FLIPs, charts, computers, etc.), flight equipment, and the enormous costs of maintaing and operating the Naval Air Stations / outlying fields that host the training wings - the majority of which exist for the sole purpose of training those in Naval Aviation.
to put in perspective... my squadron burns ~$200k of gas in the FUEL PITS per month.
once you get into gray (insert platform here), the costs go up considerably. these are old fleet birds and the cost to maintain is astronomical when compared to new t-45's or very simple things like t-34's and th-57's.
once you get into gray (insert platform here), the costs go up considerably. these are old fleet birds and the cost to maintain is astronomical when compared to new t-45's or very simple things like t-34's and th-57's.
Don't forget the support from surface ships like the carrier for carrier quals and of course the cruiser/destroyer/frigate (pick one) in plane guard behind the carrier.
This seems like something of a slippery slope. Pretty soon the cost of training the YN 3 in admin at the squadron becomes part of the cost of training Naval Aviators. We are after all, one big team.
If we are really interested in putting a number on it, probably the best one is to total up the direct training costs...fuel, airplane maintenance, equivalent training fees for instructors etc...and calling it a day. In the end though...who gives a #$%^! It's expensive.
If we are really interested in putting a number on it, probably the best one is to total up the direct training costs...fuel, airplane maintenance, equivalent training fees for instructors etc...and calling it a day. In the end though...who gives a #$%^! It's expensive.
It costs a lot ... in fact, a ton of money, to make and maintain a U.S. Naval Aviator.
As usual .... you get what you pay for ...
As usual .... you get what you pay for ...