F-14 to F-15

[exNavyOffRec]

I was asked a question by a co worker who was looking at the background of a person and this raised a red flag, this person said they were an F-14 RIO for 5 years then in the mid 1990's transitioned to the F-15 as a WSO, would this have been possible?

 

[nittany03]

I know of one AF Major I've encountered who did the Tomcat to F-15E transition; he was an instructor at VT-86 and wore both shoulder patches and his double-anchor wings on his flight suit. ea6bflyr knew him, too. So I guess it's not impossible, just highly rare.

 

[xj220]

The only way I could see it happening is if they were active duty F-14s and then left and joined a gaurd unit that had F-15s.

 

[jmcquate]

The only way I could see it happening is if they were active duty F-14s and then left and joined a gaurd unit that had F-15s.

It would almost have to be an exchange program. The guard doesn't fly Stike Eagles (unless something has changed). There's a USMC pilot who got a MiG kill flying an Eagle.

 

[Gatordev]

Couldn't he have just Lat. transfered? There's plenty of guys on the helo side who wear both wings and now reside on the AF side. A buddy of mine has done the trifecta...Navy to AF to AF Reserve. I think he was even looking at going AF TAR. I still make fun of his sleeves though.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

It looks like he is legit, the discussion he did with my co worker is that he did a lat transfer, I believe the squadron he was with was decommisioning, maybe that made it easier on the USN side.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Did you get a callsign? The guy Nittany and I know recently retired -- IIRC, he's now in Roanoke, VA doing the school teacher thing. His callsign is Wolfie.

Like Nittany said, he did the F-14 thing and when it came time to go back to sea, he jumped ship and was accepted to the AF and flew the F-15 as a WSO.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Did you get a callsign? The guy Nittany and I know recently retired -- IIRC, he's now in Roanoke, VA doing the school teacher thing. His callsign is Wolfie.

Like Nittany said, he did the F-14 thing and when it came time to go back to sea, he jumped ship and was accepted to the AF and flew the F-15 as a WSO.

This guy has went USN to USAF then to ANG but appears in non flying capacity. I will PM you the name.

 

[MIDNJAC]

In the RAG, we had one IWSO who had started out in the AF as a -15E WSO, and eventually transitioned to the USMC, and was an active duty Maj serving as an F/A-18D WSO when I knew him. IIRC he wore lead wings too, so it must have been somewhat of a direct swap. I don't know if I ever heard the story of how it came about, but that seems like a similar story to the one in the OP, albeit the other way around.

 

[HeyJoe]

Huggy was recruiting all over Navy and Marine Corps to get pilots for U-2 slots. Plenty of folks go to Guard from either service. Recently bumped into an Air Force Colonel who flew Harriers as a Marine and transferred over to USAF. Can't see why it isn't possible although as a NFO, you can go further than an Air Force navigator. They are not given equal status in Air Force with equal opportunity for command as pilots. Only Navs I've known to achieve command were in training units (Navigator training) and a Global Hawk Squadron.

 

[magnetfreezer]

Huggy was recruiting all over Navy and Marine Corps to get pilots for U-2 slots. Plenty of folks go to Guard from either service. Recently bumped into an Air Force Colonel who flew Harriers as a Marine and transferred over to USAF. Can't see why it isn't possible although as a NFO, you can go further than an Air Force navigator. They are not given equal status in Air Force with equal opportunity for command as pilots. Only Navs I've known to achieve command were in training units (Navigator training) and a Global Hawk Squadron.

Depends on the airframe - WSO platforms (B-1/F-15E) regularly have WSOs as wing commanders (commodores) with the occasional general.

 

[ryan1234]

Depends on the airframe - WSO platforms (B-1/F-15E) regularly have WSOs as wing commanders (commodores) with the occasional general.

Exactly, my Squadron Commander now is a WSO... the Vice CCs of the 366th and 48th Fighter Wings are both WSOs.

 

[Flash]

I ran into a guy at Fallon who had been an A-6 B/N then transferred to the USAF to fly F-15E's when the A-6's went away only to come back to the Navy to fly F-14's as a RIO.

 

[Renegade One]

I ran into a guy at Fallon who had been an A-6 B/N then transferred to the USAF to fly F-15E's when the A-6's went away only to come back to the Navy to fly F-14's as a RIO.

Wow…memorable career(s). Don't recall that the Tomcat lasted more than 10 years or so after the first Intruder transitions, but I expect all of that could happen. Interesting log book in three great aircraft for BNs, WSOs and RIOs.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

By the way, gents, just a little question about F-14.
Why this airplane was dropping down a little, as if "squatting" for a moment by the nose gear, just at the start of the cat's track when launched?