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Aviation instructor career path

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
I wonder what the overhead is on retraining winged aviators to a different platform.

I just did the 9 months to learn the P-8, I’d think an accelerated syllabus would exist to get someone through VTJ and to the VAQ/VFA RAG, but you’d be about useless once you got to a squadron without a JO tour in the jet under your belt.

Just spitballing to see where the bodies to plug the gap for y’all will come from, I don’t see a good solution right now.
 

Treetop Flyer

Well-Known Member
pilot
I wonder what the overhead is on retraining winged aviators to a different platform.

I just did the 9 months to learn the P-8, I’d think an accelerated syllabus would exist to get someone through VTJ and to the VAQ/VFA RAG, but you’d be about useless once you got to a squadron without a JO tour in the jet under your belt.

Just spitballing to see where the bodies to plug the gap for y’all will come from, I don’t see a good solution right now.
I think the solution is more non-pointy nose types instructing there, and everyone else instructing the phase two stuff. The problem is that a certain number of the pointy nose types that get sent there are utter dipshits.

Btw, maybe “phase two” is gone now since people select E2/C2 out of primary.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Viet Nam had a lot of non-pointy nose guys transitioned and sent to war right after the RAG. I know planes and systems are a lot more advanced now, but there is a precedence.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Didn’t they use to have SERGRADS teaching VTJ’s? Don’t see why a winged aviator can’t learn to do the same and take the RI/Contacts off the plates of you pointy-nose F/AGs so you can teach the ACM/Form/Boat stuff...
SERGRAD program has officially been re-started, FWIW.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
I wonder what the overhead is on retraining winged aviators to a different platform.

I just did the 9 months to learn the P-8, I’d think an accelerated syllabus would exist to get someone through VTJ and to the VAQ/VFA RAG, but you’d be about useless once you got to a squadron without a JO tour in the jet under your belt.

Just spitballing to see where the bodies to plug the gap for y’all will come from, I don’t see a good solution right now.

I heard a nasty rumor that this is in the works. In particular, retraining helo guys in the T-45, FRS, and sending them to VFA as super JOs with zero quals in order to fill holes in the fleet. Anyone else heard this proposal, or is it just the rumor mill?
 

bucka

Member
pilot
There are around 3-4 winged LT's in Kingsville as transitions from other platforms (various). I believe all are set to go to Growler squadrons as DH's following the syllabus here, possibly doing a few months as super JO's prior to O-4.

Also have been a few SERGRAD selections recently, at least on the green side.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Viet Nam had a lot of non-pointy nose guys transitioned and sent to war right after the RAG. I know planes and systems are a lot more advanced now, but there is a precedence.

All Naval Aviators also did CQ before winging back then too, not sure when that ended, and the training requirements to get qual'd in fleet aircraft were often a bit lower too. Unfortunately not practical on anything but a very small scale now.
 

CUBUFFS4134

Tellin’ it like it is.
pilot
Contributor
I understand following the path, and hitting wickets, but that being said, I am quite surprised that PERS has not MORE actively recruited those either on 1st shore or 2nd sea from other communities to transition. @Brett327, @Farva01 in all seriousness you seem to have intelligent responses, why are they not trying to pull bodies from VQ/VP/HSC/etc that are briefed as healthy/overmanned and put them through VFA/VAQ/HM/HSM FRS. Got it, takes a while to get quals, but I would imagine that beats the hell out of not having bodies in the seats.

You'd be surprised what people that are staying in would do for an extra 100,000! Or grab those with somewhat strong records that are being shown the door. Looking forward to hearing responses and perspectives.
 
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