So what career milestones need to be met in order to go on an exchange tour with the French, because that Rafale is a sexy airplane?
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Flying an exchange tour with Foreign Air Force/Navy
- Thread starter AllAmerican75
- Start date
So what career milestones need to be met in order to go on an exchange tour with the French, because that Rafale is a sexy airplane?
I think the only exchange billets available to USN guys (or foreigners in general) are Super E's, and I'm not even sure if we get that anymore. There were a couple of Frency Rafale guys flying as IP's in Meridian though, as well as the French studs that go through there
Bummer. An exchange tour would definitely make for some great sea stories.
There still are exchange tours, I just don't believe that the Rafale is one of them. I've known guys who did RAF Tornados, as well as various flavors of NATO Hornets. The program is called "PEP"
Here's the link I've run into A-6 drivers who flew Tornadoes with German Navy, Hornet drivers who flew Spanish Hornets, French E-2 exchange pilots, E-2 pilots who flew NATO AWACS, Hornet drivers who flew Brit Typhoon, Helo drivers who flew Aussie helos (amazingly great deal) so check into PEP to see what's still out there...whole idea is a one for one "prisoner" exchange so if you run into a foreigner flying something here in states, there is a US aviator "taking" their place overseas. Only downside is your "ticket" FITREP-wise doesn't count for much, but plenty of folks did it at Super JO point in their career and still had time to get the tickets they needed to progress.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
We have a E-2 NFO heading to NATO AWACS. It's not super hard to do, but timing, like always is key.
Really...that's like my dream exchange...I didn't know it actually existed though. Though I think Tornadoes are badass too.
One of the Mods was going for it a couple of years ago, but ended up at VFA-106 as an instructor. Might want to send EODDave a PM if you're really interested.
Try it from .mil account. That is likely the sanitized public site you're looking at sans all the good stuff.
NATO AWACS isn't a PEP billet. It's a regular overseas tour, like going to a NATO staff, just a flying job instead of a PowerPoint slave. It's not an unusual job in the E-2 community; I know 4-5 guys off the top of my head who've done it.
Wow! Did not know that...must be the..uh..beer, right?
Never had a port call there, but those who did spoke wondrous things about liberty there...