USN Pros and Cons of Jets/Props/Helos

[rrader41]

Hey everyone,

I'm curious to hear from current and former Naval Aviators as to what are the pros and cons of flying in each "broader" community (jets/props/helos)? I'm interested in hearing about everything from lifestyle to the technicalities of flying each platform.

I just got pro rec Y (pilot) at the February board, but I don't graduate university until December 2016, so I've got a lot of time to do some thinking.

Thanks in advance

 

[jtmedli]

Hey everyone,

I'm curious to hear from current and former Naval Aviators as to what are the pros and cons of flying in each "broader" community (jets/props/helos)? I'm interested in hearing about everything from lifestyle to the technicalities of flying each platform.

I just got pro rec Y (pilot) at the February board, but I don't graduate university until December 2016, so I've got a lot of time to do some thinking.

Thanks in advance

The best thing to do is to ask the guys you fly with in primary. There will be an assortment of guys from all of the communities there and they are a great resource for that kind of thing.

 

[Brett327]

There won't be a lot of jet guys teaching primary.

 

[wlawr005]

You only get one chance in life to fly pointy-nose fighter planes.

That's what sold me.

Everything else is personal opinion/circumstance/experience.

 

[Renegade One]

"A man has only one virginity to lose in fighters, and if it is a lovely plane he loses it to, there his heart will ever be." ~Ernest Hemingway

 

[Randy Daytona]

In the Navy, jets play offense and constitute the striking power of the fleet. Helicopters play defense and protect the fleet from submarines. There are a lot of other missions, but that is how I break it down. The vast majority of admirals come from tailhook and other fixed wing communities so if you aspire to flag, airplanes are the way to go.

Jets will deploy on a floating city, props are shore based but helos could be on the carrier, shore based or on a smaller combatant such as a cruiser, destroyer or even a LCS.

In the Marine Corps, all jets, props, tilt-rotors and helos exist to support the infantry so there is less of a caste system and a much greater parity in generals between fixed wing and rotary.

If you go fixed wing, you will be fixed wing for the remainder of your career. If you go rotary, you can transition to fixed wing in the training command as a T-6 IP and possibly later get a prop / jet slot in the reserves or Air National Guard.

As it translates to outside jobs, it is very easy to go from fixed wing to a lucrative airline gig. Helicopter jobs are very dependent on the price of oil. That said, helicopter search and rescue and/or medevac might be more rewarding and/or fun than an airline job - although a number of helicopter pilots have done the VT IP / regional airline / major airline route - it can be done, just a little extra pain. Also the fleet helicopter, VT IP sets you up as extremely qualified for various government agencies and organizations that want dual qualified pilots.

 

[Python]

You only get one chance in life to fly pointy-nose fighter planes.

That's what sold me.

Everything else is personal opinion/circumstance/experience.

This.

 

[TimeBomb]

Regardless, within the next three or four years you're going to be flying a multi-million dollar gray airplane in some of the most challenging environments possible, with a government gas card in your pocket. What's not to love about any of that?

R/

 

[insanebikerboy]

"If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life.” - Igor Sikorksy

I wanted jets badly in primary, and had the grades, but alas my legs are too long for the ejection seat. Granted, my career for a Navy helicopter pilot has been atypical but I've flown in a lot more countries and done a lot more things than you can ever do while flying solely off of a carrier.

In the end, don't let folks kid you, in the Navy everyone flies circles, it's just at different altitudes.

 

[pilot_man]

 

[Sonog]

I imagine its something like the difference between marrying an 8, 9, or 10. What asshat is going to complain when he gets "stuck" with any of those choices?

 

[zippy]

Short version:

Jets- better flying, weapons/ tactics proficiency, tough workups and deployment life. King of the boats, ready rooms tend to have esprit de corps and are pretty tight knit.

VP- higher QOL compared to the boat squad on deployments and easier workups. Way more anal retentive about trivial bullshit that doesn't matter. Struggles to maintain relevancy of mission sets because they don't want to focus on ISR being their bread and butter. Minimal tactical proficiency. NFO centric community. Worse work schedule on home cycles. Ward rooms tend to be much more cliquish and fractured. Perdiem. Feeder community for the Navy's large fixedwing UAV program.

Helos- Jet style deployments with VP style ready room personas and tactical proficiency. Fly lotsa circles around the boat and logistics.

VQ- fly big jets, det out a lot. VP style home cycles all the time. No tactical employment to speak of. Life in middle America away from everything navy. Fits in well with the Air Force.

E2- jet style deployments. Lotsa circle flying. Very NFO centric community. Larger ready room so more fractured group.

CODs- best deal ever. Perdiem of VP, 5 star hotels, day traps only. Tight pilot groups on deployment. VQ style det mentality. Not on boat very much and day traps only. Old ass equipment being traded in for MV-22s, allegedly.

No idea what to chose? Just do what everyone else does for the most part. Go into primary wanting jets until there's a reason you can't get them anymore, then pick what you think is the next best option.

 

[armada1651]

One pro of the jet community that nobody told me about in flight school was how much more likely you are to stay in the cockpit. In the other communities, there is no guarantee you'll fly on your first shore tour and your chances of flying on a disassociated tour are very low. In the jet world, it's almost unheard of to go to a non-flying tour on your first shore tour - I know of people who requested it and still didn't get it. And there are a number of ways to fly on your disassociated tour, if you even do one. I suppose some people could view that as a con, especially if you don't like the flying duty stations, but regardless, it's something you probably won't hear about from your primary instructors.

 

[Recovering LSO]

The best thing to do is to ask the guys you fly with in primary. There will be A LOT OF HELO AND P-3 guys there and they are a great resource for MAKING YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT WANTING TO FLY JETS

FIFY...


And, now you can pretty much skip Primary... @insanebikerboy just gave you the Mark 1, Mod 0 Primary IP pitch:

"If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life.” - Igor Sikorksy

I wanted jets badly in primary, and had the grades, but alas my legs are too long for the ejection seat. Granted, my career for a Navy helicopter pilot has been atypical but I've flown in a lot more countries and done a lot more things than you can ever do while flying solely off of a carrier.

In the end, don't let folks kid you, in the Navy everyone flies circles, it's just at different altitudes.

Not a helo v jet jab, but let's be honest with ourselves about what kind of gouge most Primary studs can expect to get, and from whom.

 

[Pags]

My primary dream sheet was jets #1 and then helos. There was one jet slot my week and I was #2 in my class. Flying helos was still a good time.

You only get one chance to go fly jets. Might as well try.