Navy Flight Officer

[wink]

I know it may be tough, but you can probably trust your recruiter. There is no percentage in your recruiter lying. He can be kicked out of the Navy for it and the pressure to recruit these days just isn't that hard. Why lie to you and risk his job if there are 4 guys just like you waiting in line that don't need lying to? You will not be obligated to anything until you are selected and actually sign the contract that says you are going to OCS, and on commissioning, NFO flight school. As to finishing your grad degree, it could go either way. Personaly, I would consider the fact that that NFO option may not be available when you finish you MS. If there is a quota now then grab it and you can finish your MS on active duty. True, a grad degree is practically required by the Navy now, but only for the most senior officers. You would have years to finish it. All the rest of the advise and info posted above is pretty good gouge. Good Luck

 

[TurnandBurn55]

The rumor they were kicking around NASC a couple of weeks ago was that for NFOs, 40% were getting Panel and 60% were going strike... The other night I met a FO that was complaining about how much he didn't want to go strike and thats what he got selected for.

I'm gonna try to clarify this, because it's going to get misinterpreted.

Those numbers don't sound right. First off, those aren't the only 2 options in the FO pipeline... you have Panel Nav, E-2s, Strike, and Strike Fighter. I would be curious if those NASC numbers were Navy-only or if they included Marine and AF types... remember, jarheads and chair force are guaranteed jets before they show up to API.

On the Navy side, there's a significant number (not a majority by any means, but more than just a few) who have been forced to go E-2s lately. Again, needs of the service, things change.

If your buddy was specifically complaining about 'not wanting to go Strike', then you misunderstood him. He's not a guy who wanted P-3s and was forced to take jets... nobody selects Strike as an option until they're knee deep in advanced jets. He was a guy who wanted F/A-18s and instead had Prowlers/S-3s dropped upon him.

 

[zab1001]

You guys also might want to recognize that P-3 Navigator (aka "panel nav" an Air Force term that no one should have let carry over, like the term 'drops') is a TEMPORARY position. P-3 Navs upgrade to Tactical Coordinator and handle tactical mission direction and weapons control (thats the quick and dirty version).

If ol' Weinershnitzel here wants jets jets jets and only jets jets jets, he'd be best off pursuing a slot with the Air National Guard.

 

[scotty008]

Sounds like you've known what you want to do for a while now, and in the end it all comes down to following your dream. Of course, like most of these guys have mentioned, money shouldn't be an issue if all you've ever wanted to do is fly. Personally, I can't recall a morning when I havent thought about flying, or an instance when I havent looked up at a passing aircraft... For me at least, the decision was that easy (of course there is the issue of getting through OCS/TBS). As for the comment about 'jarheads' being guarunteed jets before AFI-that is false. The Marines adhere to the same selection procedures as the Navy, though available seats are given out based on the needs of the seperate services at the time. No idea about the dreaded 'chair force', though I was impressed by the name. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Geese]

YOU WILL NOT GET RICH as a JO in the navy.

Oh, that depends...as an O-1E with 4 years prior, my "pay" is pretty darn good, add up BAH, food, uniform, and flight pay, and it's around $50K/yr. Base pay is 3K month, add 1K for BAH and food, a little more for flight, and it exceeds 4K a month.

My point? Put in some time and you won't be doing bad, that's after 4 years folks, and that's O-1. O-1E is basically an O-1 that's been in for 4 years, so look at O-1 after 4 years and add up all the other things you'd be earning, like flight pay after 4 years, BAH, etc.

On the other hand, if you are a credit-card hog, biting off more than you can chew, and you need to have a new sports car, then yes, you will live paycheck to paycheck and continue to do so for a long long time.

Think about that 60K job though when you calculate that an O-2 with 5-6 years in will be pulling in that kind of money with base pay, flight pay, bah, etc...

 

[zippy]

I'm gonna try to clarify this, because it's going to get misinterpreted.
Those numbers don't sound right. First off, those aren't the only 2 options in the FO pipeline...

Yeah, thats why i said it was a rumor... the guy talking to us made it sound like you could do one of the other. Thanks for the explination.

As for the complaining SNFO, He was drunk and and what i got out of his talking was that he wanted P-3s but didn't get them and was forced to go jets... where hes going to go from here, i dont think he knows yet. If he does, then i couldn't understand him. Once again, thanks for the explination.

 

[Brett327]

he wanted P-3s but didn't get them and was forced to go jets...

Isn't that one of the signs of the apocalypse?

Brett

 

[bch]

Oh, that depends...as an O-1E with 4 years prior, my "pay" is pretty darn good, add up BAH, food, uniform, and flight pay, and it's around $50K/yr. Base pay is 3K month, add 1K for BAH and food, a little more for flight, and it exceeds 4K a month.

My point? Put in some time and you won't be doing bad, that's after 4 years folks, and that's O-1. O-1E is basically an O-1 that's been in for 4 years, so look at O-1 after 4 years and add up all the other things you'd be earning, like flight pay after 4 years, BAH, etc.

On the other hand, if you are a credit-card hog, biting off more than you can chew, and you need to have a new sports car, then yes, you will live paycheck to paycheck and continue to do so for a long long time.

Think about that 60K job though when you calculate that an O-2 with 5-6 years in will be pulling in that kind of money with base pay, flight pay, bah, etc...

u are very correct... however, he would be a 0 yr dude like I was... IE ~30k a yr for 2 yrs (BAH and all included) and then it begins to improve. But the first 2 yrs are definetly not a life of extravaganst

 

[weinerschizel]

So what is the job like? What is a typical day like in flight school.... and what is a typical day like once you receive your first flight duty as an NFO???

Thanks!

 

[IFT2O]

So what is the job like? What is a typical day like in flight school.... and what is a typical day like once you receive your first flight duty as an NFO???

Thanks!

Typical day in P-cola varies. Quite a bit of time off but you're on the "BIG BOY" program. They teach you a little and you are responsible for knowing the info come test time or flight time. Randolph is different, long days and crappy scheduling. Now they are under the new CSO program(Combat Systems Officer) 6 months vice 10. There are good and bad things with this but mostly bad I think. Our cross country got cut from 3 days to an overnight, you get more comms, which will help in the long run, and less log work on the flights. If that tells you anything.

 

[Brett327]

Our cross country got cut from 3 days to an overnight, you get more comms, which will help in the long run, and less log work on the flights. If that tells you anything.

NEWS FLASH: You will never use a "Jet Log" or any of the skills used in filling one out once you get out of the TRACOM. Just keeping things in perspective for ya'll.

Good times,

Brett

 

[Goober]

NEWS FLASH: You will never use a "Jet Log" or any of the skills used in filling one out once you get out of the TRACOM. Just keeping things in perspective for ya'll.

Good times,

Brett

I still run a jet log driving in to the office everyday. "Time, turn, place, fuel navaid..." Whiz wheel too...

Hell, we (E-2 FO's) look at all the crap at IGS and go, "Did we ever learn this? Charts? Flight plans? Who the hell am I?"

 

[wink]

NEWS FLASH: You will never use a "Jet Log" or any of the skills used in filling one out once you get out of the TRACOM. Just keeping things in perspective for ya'll.

Good times,

Brett

JUst for perspective...Go ahead and tell your instructor that since you will never use a Jet Log in the fleet you think it is a stupid requirement not worth doing. While you are at it, tell him the comms litany you have to say is BS and start using all the cool stuff you hear controllers and airline pilots saying. You should also call all the O-4 instructors and the Department Heads by their call signs because that is what we do in the fleet. I promise you that everyone will think you are ready for the accelerated program if you follow the advice above. :icon_smil

 

[Brett327]

JUst for perspective...Go ahead and tell your instructor that since you will never use a Jet Log in the fleet you think it is a stupid requirement not worth doing. While you are at it, tell him the comms litany you have to say is BS and start using all the cool stuff you hear controllers and airline pilots saying. You should also call all the O-4 instructors and the Department Heads by their call signs because that is what we do in the fleet. I promise you that everyone will think you are ready for the accelerated program if you follow the advice above. :icon_smil

Concur. That would be sweet!

Brett

 

[TurnandBurn55]

JUst for perspective...Go ahead and tell your instructor that since you will never use a Jet Log in the fleet you think it is a stupid requirement not worth doing. While you are at it, tell him the comms litany you have to say is BS and start using all the cool stuff you hear controllers and airline pilots saying. You should also call all the O-4 instructors and the Department Heads by their call signs because that is what we do in the fleet. I promise you that everyone will think you are ready for the accelerated program if you follow the advice above. :icon_smil

Can I also wrap my dogtag chain around my nametag and put my foamies in my zipper tag like those cool P-3 IPs?