How Often do Naval Aviators Fly?

[ssnspoon]

Extremely variable based on tour. I started flying as a student in Aug 2003 and have been in flying tours ever since. I have about 2300 hours now. My highest 12 month period was over 700 hours. If you do the math, that averages to about 230 hours a year with a few STRONG years instructing at HT's. You can see some years are quite lean.

 

[gotta_fly]

TACAMO perspective: we get a lot of hours. I will leave this JO tour with around 1400 TT and 1200 E-6. This is the benefit of our mission and is pretty average for us.

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[jollygreen07]

Lucky bastard. 965 E-6 time... Just shy of 1200TT. I had too many trips with broken jets.

 

[CharlieMike]

Thanks guys, this is really informative. I appreciate it.

 

[MIDNJAC]

I've been averaging about 20-25hrs per month ashore.

Roughly same. Granted I'm in the middle of level III right now, but I'd say that is about average since I've been in the fleet. I fly just about every day of each work week. Pretty much a requirement to make the schedule happen in a single seat chuck squadron (with a couple less jos than E's and significantly less pilot jos than an F squadron)

 

[scoober78]

I came out with just shy of 1300TT off my fleet tour...

Pu$$y.

Average in VQ-1/2 when I was there was about 1400 TT (1250 P-3)...I rolled as an IP with almost 1600...I saw three guys break 2k.

 

[jollygreen07]

Holy fuck...

 

[Flash]

Pu$$y.

Average in VQ-1/2 when I was there was about 1400 TT (1250 P-3)...I rolled as an IP with almost 1600...I saw three guys break 2k.

It was uncommon for a pilot to leave VQ with less than 1800 P-3 time up until a few years ago, most left with about 2k.

 

[scoolbubba]

Pu$$y.

Average in VQ-1/2 when I was there was about 1400 TT (1250 P-3)...I rolled as an IP with almost 1600...I saw three guys break 2k.

Looking at your old community's missions...pass.

 

[scoober78]

Looking at your old community's missions...pass.

I'd be the first to admit that 1500 or so of those hours were boring as hell. I'd also say that the day to day quality of flying was part of the reason I transitioned.

That said, in that 100 hours or so that are left, I promise you, we had more than our fair share of impact and I have no regrets. I'm proud of my green ink and plenty of the other hours flying SRO. You'll have to take my word for it I guess...

As to total flight hours, I didn't bring them up to impress anyone, the OP asked. Nobody else from VQ responded, so...

 

[scoolbubba]

I'm just jacking with you; I've probably got the same, or close-ish ratio of "holy fuck my eyeballs are bleeding this is boring" to actual, worthwhile flying, be it being the first ISR bird over Haiti in 2010, to playing with subs, to watching those who needed watching.

 

[CommodoreMid]

I'm just jacking with you; I've probably got the same, or close-ish ratio of "holy fuck my eyeballs are bleeding this is boring" to actual, worthwhile flying, be it being the first ISR bird over Haiti in 2010, to playing with subs, to watching those who needed watching.

Though I must add that it is during those boring hours of tasking that you have the most ridiculously hilarious conversations with your AWs. Those guys always manage to brighten my day from the soul crushing ground job thing.


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[HooverPilot]

I finished my first JO tour with ~1,500 hours. I finished my DH tour with a bit over 3,100. I did 2 full S-3 deployments and 4 COD deployments (5 months, 3 months, 2 months, & 6 months).

Probably not the norm, but I like to fly & was able to stay in the cockpit for 13 years before having to do a non-flying tour. YMMV.


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[squeeze]

I left my first tour with about 530 Harrier hours after being there for a shade over 3 years with 2 deployments and that was considered pretty good. I'm wrapping up my second fleet tour that will be right at 2 years long with 1 deployment and should have around 1030-1040 hours in type. I think my TT is about +230 from that. Not sure. I don't know any jet guys who really talk or compare TT.

All of that comes during periods of feast or famine. I've had 50+ hour months and sub-10 hour months, some of it 5+ hours at a time, most of it 1.0-1.3 at a time. It all depends on where you are on the priority/qual/deployment roster. The more quals you have, the more you'll fly (as an IP). With OIF done and OEF drying up, the days of 1000 hour Captains are likely drying up too.

 

[Ralph]

I finished my first JO tour with ~1,500 hours. I finished my DH tour with a bit over 3,100. I did 2 full S-3 deployments and 4 COD deployments (5 months, 3 months, 2 months, & 6 months).

Probably not the norm, but I like to fly & was able to stay in the cockpit for 13 years before having to do a non-flying tour. YMMV.


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Wasn't possible to keep flying?