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Navy flying Warrant O program
- Thread starter BigIron
- Start date
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Cyclic
Behold the Big Iron
Are you talking about the brief at NHA? Cause they said that it looked like it was coming, thirty something pilot slots for them, supposedly it gives us better chance for promotion, DH and command. I think he mentioned something about other communities too...not VFA though, which sucks because 50% of them will not screen for DH!!!
SILVER EAGLES are coming back ???
So ..... could this be something of a return to the NAP "program" of days gone by ... ???
The first Enlisted Pilots to be designated Naval Aviation Pilots (NAPs) and wear Naval Aviator Wings graduated in 1920. The criteria and qualifications required for selection to Aviation Pilot Training were extremely high. The need for Enlisted Pilots during the 1920s more than doubled. A law enacted in 1926 by Congress required that 30% of the total number of Navy Pilots on active duty be Enlisted Pilots.
By the end of 1927 a total of 580 pilots were wearing Naval Aviator Wings; 108 of them were Enlisted Pilots. The ratio of 30% was never achieved and the law was amended to 20% in 1932. By December 1947 some 5,000 enlisted men of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard had been designated NAPs. At this time the 81st Congress repealed the 20% requirement and the era of NAPs began to fade into Naval Aviation History.
There was a Chief in Meridian when I went through Basic Jet @ 1970 who was a NAP. He worked at base ops and was one of several "Flying Chiefs" left on active duty at the time. The last NAP on active duty retired from the service in 1981 .....
So ..... could this be something of a return to the NAP "program" of days gone by ... ???
By the end of 1927 a total of 580 pilots were wearing Naval Aviator Wings; 108 of them were Enlisted Pilots. The ratio of 30% was never achieved and the law was amended to 20% in 1932. By December 1947 some 5,000 enlisted men of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard had been designated NAPs. At this time the 81st Congress repealed the 20% requirement and the era of NAPs began to fade into Naval Aviation History.
There was a Chief in Meridian when I went through Basic Jet @ 1970 who was a NAP. He worked at base ops and was one of several "Flying Chiefs" left on active duty at the time. The last NAP on active duty retired from the service in 1981 .....
BigIron said:
Questions--Why, if they do this, should they only fly helos?
Second, why are we s**tcanning ensigns and LTJGs at the cyclic rate, only to bring in warrants as pilots?
Third, doesn't anyone listen to how much Army pilots hate their rank system?
Broadsword2004
Registered User
Just wondering, but why is the Navy doing this (if it is); isn't the Navy reducing its size?
phrogdriver said:
Broadsword2004 said:
ANSWER: maybe to save $$$$$$$$$$$$$ !?!?! why pay for or educate (4+ years?) an officer when an enlisted rate or Warrant can do a job just as well? Accomplishing the J-O-B or doing the mission is what we are talking about here .... not providing a college/academy education for people. It certainly worked in the past with the aforementioned NAP program.
In the past --- NAP's tended to remain in for a career. Officer's tended to get out when the grass was greener in the airlines, as the airlines have required a college degree for decades.
Not sure, but I suspect it is something along these lines ...... to save UNCLE $$$$$$, that is.
I've read before that 1981 was the year the last NAP retired but when I was deployed to Misawa in 1985, there was a Chief there wearing pilot wings. He was a station C-1 pilot and the last active duty NAP. He said over beers that he had turned down multiple offers of a commission (the last as a LCDR) so that the last NAP would retire as an enlisted man and end the era "properly".A4sForever said:
In my first squadron (1985-89) we had an AW LDO LT and an AW CWO4 who were both TACCOs and NFOs. They were the only ones I ever met and were part of an experiment. Both were kind of pissed off because they were denied follow-on squadron flight crew orders and instead pushed off into the tradional AW LDO/CWO career path. In fact, there was talk of taking the NFO wings back gaving them Observer wings since they did not complete the normal training pipeline but were awarded NFO after TACCO qualifying. They got to keep the NFO wings but both retired without ever flying TACCO again after leaving the squadron.Brett327 said:
HAL Pilot said:
Hmmmm .... I dunno, HAL .... I wonder. Was his name "Jones" ??
If your guy is, in fact, the last of the breed, then some of the research on a book I'm doing is going to have to take a detour. I have been interviewing a retired CAPT, former NAP -- the only one to become an ACE -- and he confirmed my information as well.
ACCM(NAP) Robert K "NAP" Jones was the last enlisted sea service pilot on active duty when he retired from the Navy in 1981 after 37 years of service. Jones now resides in Pensacola, Fla. The Navy’s Air Traffic Control School at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTCenter) building is named for him, "Jones Hall", building 3450. When the building was named for an enlisted sailor --- not an everyday occurence --- a rather large contingent of former enlisted pilots (the Silver Eagles) was understandably on hand to witness the dedication.
Master Chief Jones enlisted in the Navy in March 1943 and at the time of his retirement in 1981, ACCM Jones was assigned to the NAS Pensacola Air Operations Department as a C-131 pilot and had logged more than11,600 flight hours. As an aside, the last Marine Corps NAP, CWO Henry Wildfang, left active service in 1978 followed by the last Coast Guard NAP, ADCM John P. Greathouse, in 1979.
Soooooo ..... maybe your Misawa guy had a few too many beers when describing his exploits ???
(got to put those smiles in lest some take offense ...
)
I don't know. We saw him walking accross the ramp in gunfighters and were shocked to see a Chief with pilot wings. Since it was 16beer30 we dragged him to the BOQ bar and asked him about it. Could be that he was a great BSer but he seem to have all the right answers. Only met him that one time and I don't remeber his name. He was a Master Chief though.A4sForever said:
I also once met a Chief with pilot wings that was a former officer. He got RIFed after Viet Nam as a LT USNR with 12 years of service but no college degree. He went back in as an enlisted sailor to finish his 20. He was an aviation maintenance type and never claimed to be flying or a NAP. Maybe the first guy was the same but a great story teller?
My TACCO was a prior SS3 with 20 plus years in, and is now a LT at VP30 teaching those future nav/comms how to do it right (all the while, being a crusty old SOB). As an aside, a great guy, and it was always funny, whenever he labelled someone "xxxx, is a good dude" (have to say that with a scratchy southern accent, their standing went up in the squadron wardroom.Brett327 said:
Also, my next door neighbor in housing was an O4 LDO TACCO on his DH tour... so they are alive and well, and an asset to a squadron.
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