This is an honest question, so bear with me.
Yes, I just started at the VP world, but I am honestly curious because I can't seem to find it on here (at least recently)... What do you have to do to submit a jet transition package? Specifically for VP guys.
I just want an idea. Not saying that I am dead-set on this, but I am just curious. (Mostly because I was talking to VAQ guys I know and they suggested it)
There is an instruction on what exactly you need and when I did it many moons ago there were three things required; 1- Letter of recommendation from your CO, 2- Current flight physical with no limitations to go jets, 3- I think IIRC, a personal statement with your three top choices. The biggest block is obviously the CO recommendation, I knew several guys who waited until their shore tour to apply for a transition because they knew their COs would balk at writing a letter of rec for a variety of reasons.
What isn't said is that you need to have a pretty good record in your old community to go to a new one, that is standard for any competitive program in the Navy but also the new community doesn't want to get a brick. It was explained to me that while there is a 'board' the main work is usually is done between your current community's detailer (VP) and the ones you have applied to go to, obviously first choice is important since the second and third choices would likely look a bit askance at you for putting them there. If your community has enough manning to let you go and the community you applied for has room in you YG that is very important, you have no control over that but that is probably the biggest factor. You could be the most awesomest VP guy since Orville Wright but if your community is short of people and/or the other one is overmanned then you are probably SOL. That is where the 'luck and timing' factor comes in.
Also you may want to be a bit savvy when it comes to communities you apply to transition to. There was a good reason 70% of my DH's in VQ-1 were originally not EP-3 guys, the community being so small and far outside the norm we welcomed transitions to include a whole lot of helo pilots. My XO when I transition was an HC guy and my DH was an A-6 NFO. When I put in for a transition I figured VAQ would be more welcoming to a guy with EW experience and I had heard anecdotally that VAQ was more welcoming to transitions, I found that to be generally true when I got to VAQ. Of course it helped I put in my transition package before 9/11 when VAQ needed folks.
And as MB so wisely points out, keep your thoughts of transition pretty quiet. I waited until I was fully qualified to tell a trusted DH who was a transition himself. He said to do well on my next det as a fully qualified guy and he would talk to the XO. I did well enough and he socialized it with the XO, I then talked to the CO myself and he was very supportive. I did this a little past the 2 year point and I was a known quantity, and I made sure to talk to someone I trusted and knew the XO and CO well to get a read on how realistic it was. A few other DH's found out as I applied but still kept it quiet, I didn't want anyone to write me off including my peers. Some folks, to include COs and detailers, take it as a personal insult that you may want out of the community. I fortunately didn't run into it but our sister squadron had a CO announce that no one was going to get a transition package signed off in his command at an AOM.
Finally, while there are usually just a few transitions a year but keep in mind there are few that actually put in for it. I had a lot of my flight school classmates say they were going to do it and a few VQ guys asked me privately for help after I transitioned but few actually pulled the trigger. It is a bit daunting to have to go back through flight school and start from scratch in a new community. And shockingly enough some guys loved flying helos for some strange reason!
I enjoyed it and have few regrets transitioning. The difference in culture was significant but mostly good, your life in the squadron revolved around flying and it wasn't something you just did sometimes. For example, I had to do a double-take the first time I saw my CO in khakis about 6 months after I got to the command and he flew about 80-90% as much as the JOs. The flying itself, well there is no comparison.
My info is a decade old, there are a few who are more recent to include Scoober, a pretty recent VQ-Jet pilot transition here on the board that would be able to give more recent gouge. Best of luck!