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E vs F
- Thread starter Chubby
- Start date
Right now, there is a big rift between VFA-122 and VFA-106 as far as selection for E/F goes. VFA-106 has gone back to the original system of picking E/F at check-in. VFA-122 selects E/F before CQ or Strike-Fighter. The criteria as I understand it has to do with abilities as a pilot, abilities to work as a crew, whether a WSO will enhance them as a pilot or have negative or zero effect. There is more to it I'm sure. As for more sought out? Seems about equal. A lot of pilots come in wanting nothing but E, but after a few crew flights where the IWSO acts as a Fleet WSO, opinions start to change.
wilsonator
Registered User
I went through VFA-122. Fly is right, I agree with all of those things I will add that once you submit your request (simply shoot an e-mail to your class advisor), it is a board of 3 or 4 instructors that hashes it out. They are given guidance from bupers as far as what bupers is anticipating they need for the fleet so it is still very much driven by needs of the Navy.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
Once you get your choice (or have it given to you), are you stuck for life? In the USMC guys go between C/D between tours sometimes. There is only 1 MOS (7523, F/A-18 pilot). It's not specific to C/D. Is the navy the same for E/F?
I'm in the first class in 106 that started picking E's or F's before classing up. Can't say yet if it was/wasn't the best of ideas, because I'm still in Fams. Also, our curriculum is being wrote as we go through the flights, so on some flights you have no idea if you're going to fly as an E guy or F guy that day until brief. I'm sure it'll work itself out in the end, and hopefully the F guys will be more experienced with working as a crew vice how they were previously doing it.
From my class, 7 out of 8 initially wanted F's (no reason, we never flew in a Hornet, nor with a WIZZO, so who knows what we would like). There turned out to be 4 E's and 4 F's, and the way they split it up was by NSS out of advanced, (Top guy gets his choice, bottom guy got his choice, etc.) just to make it even.
BTW, just did my "crewed" solo....freakin awesome
From my class, 7 out of 8 initially wanted F's (no reason, we never flew in a Hornet, nor with a WIZZO, so who knows what we would like). There turned out to be 4 E's and 4 F's, and the way they split it up was by NSS out of advanced, (Top guy gets his choice, bottom guy got his choice, etc.) just to make it even.
BTW, just did my "crewed" solo....freakin awesome
The new Navy plan is a Hornet is a Hornet is a Hornet. I could do my JO tour as a F guy, my DH tour as an E guy, and a CO tour as a C guy. Not sure how smart it is, but ok.
The original system is what you are doing right now, select at check-in. Then they went to selecting after AWI stage. It then went to CQ/SFT. I think the system now with VFA-122 is the smartest. It's easier to train a guy as an E, and then tell him he's flying F's, than it is to train a guy as an F and realize he needs to go E. They had bad results with that.
E squadron = 17 O's.
F squadron = 34 O's.
E or F squadron = same amount of ground jobs, collateral duties and watches.
Twice the people for the same amount of jobs = 1/2 the work. Quality of life was "THE" issue for me. When I'm on the beach, its nice to spend max time with the family. Not getting worked over at the squadron.
Just my $.02
F squadron = 34 O's.
E or F squadron = same amount of ground jobs, collateral duties and watches.
Twice the people for the same amount of jobs = 1/2 the work. Quality of life was "THE" issue for me. When I'm on the beach, its nice to spend max time with the family. Not getting worked over at the squadron.
Just my $.02
Funny how things are different between the RAGs. 122 doesn't have much WSO fleet equipment such as FLIRs. We have always been told that it was a money issue. Then a few weeks ago two 106 jets land with FLIRs on them, CO sees that and goes through the roof cause he can't get the same training for his WSOs.
Does that mean that the E-squadrons are going to have a better promotion/advancement rate?
Then ..... does that mean the F squadrons are going to have a better promotion/advancement rate ???
Not if a Hornet (C) is a Hornet (E) is a Hornet (F), as Fly put it.
The answer to that is simialr to the "What percent get jets?"
On the outside a c=e=f. But the abcd is a bit different than an efg on the inside. The Navy and Boeing did a geat job in making the planes look similar and fly similar. A natops qualified ef guy can get an abcd qual (and vice versa) in apporx 10 hours at the rag. However the systems inside as well as the mission can be different. The F and D are FAC/A platforms whereas the A,C,E are not.
Also with all of the new toys in the Rhino like the APG 73/79, LINK 16, etc... I think it will be extremly difficult for a single seat guy to get the most out of all of the systems / sensors. With two in a Rhino it is a handful some times, so I dont know how a single guy can run it all. Can it be done by one guy? Sure. But it is an awful lot of work.
Plus a LOT less SDO time. You could realistically get caught in a single-seat squadron with 15 people. CO, XO, 4 DHs, a couple more hinges, SWO... congrats, 8 JOs, at least two of whom will happily volunteer for weekend duty... do the math how often you'll sit behind the desk 0730-2330.