Advanced training is conducted for P3 (Maritime) selects, at either VT31 or VT35 in Corpus Christi. T44/C12 (Beech King Air, and Super King Air) respectively. Training lasts roughly 5-6 months, depending on your pool wait, and of course the wait at the end for your "winging". You then transfer to VP30 at NAS Jax to learn to fly the P3 in the FRS. If you go VQ training lasts roughly 3.5 months, if you go VP, training lasts roughly 6 months. Either after advanced, or after the FRS you will attend SERE, that will last two weeks.
At the completion of your FRS training you will report to your Fleet squadron, you will arrive as a designated 3P or third pilot. You will do a series of introductory flights depending on your command in addition to your syllabus flights. At the completion of those first two flights (command dependent) you will be authorized to be in the seat with passengers or full tactical crew embarked. The upgrading syllabus is comprised of roughly 15 FAM flights, 5 SIM events, and a series of TAC/WST, NAV and station flights. It is essentially a repeat of what you just did at the FRS and you end up doing PQS (getting signatures) for all your briefed events before hand. Your goal is to make 2P in 9-12 months. After your FLY8, you are board eligible. Your 2P board is an oral board where you get asked any and all systems questions, and can last from 3-4.5 hours, depending on how well you do. You will be required to extensively describe the electrical, prop, fuel, and engine systems in depth. And will be expected to restate verbatim any and all emergency or "lights" thrown at you. This will also include OPNAV 3710 and other pubs, so don't forget your filing criteria, etc!
After that, you get a month long breather, if you are lucky! Then you start the whole process over to upgrade to Patrol Plane Commander (PPC). This is where you study all the tactics of the platform you are flying. Your milestone is to complete the flights and be ready for your board (3-4 hour sweatex on tactics) in 18-20 months. There are 3 SIM events, and 6 FAM flights, and numerous TAC events. Your last flight of which is with your CO, and a one on one personal evaluation of your plane handling skills and whether or not he trusts you to fly his aircraft, ie run the show both tactically and manage the flight station.
After all that upgrading, you thought you were done, right? You can work on three other quals, at the discrection of the CO, Functional Check Pilot (FCF), Mission Commander (MC), and finally Instructor Pilot (IP). IP in and of itself has a whole series of flights and sims associated with it.
Whew, hope that explains the path, at least for a VP pilot for you. I am personally about to have my PPC board, and my last flights, but still have MUCH more studying to do...
