NFOs life on a Super Hornet

[Grinch2020]

First of all I apologize if im posting in the wrong forum, Im new here and I wasnt real sure in where to put it so here it is. Feel free to move it.

Anyway Im going to be graduating NFO intermediate in about two weeks. I am hoping to get E-2s (with Prowlers being a close second), and its looking like I may get neither. It used to be if you wanted Hawkeyes you got them, because no one wanted them. Now that Im coming up on selection, they have one slot and everyone wants them. I was looking for a FO-centric platform and from what Ive been hearing F-18s are not that.

Unfortunately we dont have any Navy F-18 FOs in our squadron so Im having a tough time trying to figure out what role a FO plays in this platform. I want a challenging platform where Im doing more then cheerleading in the back which is what Ive heard its like. Someone tell me that these people are full of it. I also want an aircraft thats good for a FOs career.

Thanks in advance for anyone that can give me an idea of what its like or point me in the direction of where I can look.

 

[Fly Navy]

TurnandBurn55 is a Super Hornet NFO in the RAG right now.

 

[bunk22]

If I were you, I wouldn't be so bummed about not getting E-2's. It's a tough program but beyond that, the FRS treats students (both NFO's and winged pilots) horrible. I was in IP at VAW-120 and it simply boggled my mind on the mindset the E-2 types have towards their own. You can hold people accountable without being a tyrant. Anyway, good luck with your selection.

 

[eddie]

If I were you, I wouldn't be so bummed about not getting E-2's. It's a tough program but beyond that, the FRS treats students (both NFO's and winged pilots) horrible. I was in IP at VAW-120 and it simply boggled my mind on the mindset the E-2 types have towards their own. You can hold people accountable without being a tyrant. Anyway, good luck with your selection.

I hope for some elaboration on E-2s, NFOs and Pilots, if that isn't too much for this thread (hell, I'd like to see people rate "double-anchor-love" for every community: how? and why?).

 

[Brett327]

I hope for some elaboration on E-2s, NFOs and Pilots, if that isn't too much for this thread (hell, I'd like to see people rate "double-anchor-love" for every community: how? and why?).

I would have to say that the Prowler world is, no doubt, the most NFO friendly community to be in. It's three to one in the air and in the readyroom and unfortunately, some pilots don't get as "into" the EW side of things as they should. I've heard stories of F-14 RIOs getting treated like second class citizens. It's not like that with the Prowler pilots, but it is, afterall, an ECMO-Centric community.

Brett

 

[Grinch2020]

Thanks for the replies. Im not losing all hope just yet as Im sure there are good and bad points about all communities. I was suprised to hear what you had to say about the E2 community though as you are the very first out of many that Ive talked to that didnt say that if they didnt love it, they at least enjoyed the community.

As for Prowler, they are a real close second, and if it wasnt first because there seems to be very few slots available for them, and second the whole eventual transfer to EA-18G's possibly affecting NFOs in the community, they would probably move to the top of the list.

In any case Id still love to hear what any 18 FOs have to say about it.

 

[eddie]

I would have to say that the Prowler world is, no doubt, the most NFO friendly community to be in. It's three to one in the air and in the readyroom and unfortunately, some pilots don't get as "into" the EW side of things as they should. I've heard stories of F-14 RIOs getting treated like second class citizens. It's not like that with the Prowler pilots, but it is, afterall, an ECMO-Centric community.

Yeah... I'd kind of figured that one out, just from getting a glimpse of you!

 

[Brett327]

Yeah... I'd kind of figured that one out, just from getting a glimpse of you!

Have you been stalking me again? Watching me while I sleep?

Brett

 

[Schnugg]

Unfortunately we dont have any Navy F-18 FOs in our squadron so Im having a tough time trying to figure out what role a FO plays in this platform.

I want a challenging platform where Im doing more then cheerleading in the back which is what Ive heard its like.

Someone tell me that these people are full of it. I also want an aircraft thats good for a FOs career.

Those people are full of it. Who exactly gave you this bad gouge? I'm sure they were having a laugh at your expense.

Regardless of A/C, do well and excell and you will have a good career.

 

[HeyJoe]

Those people are full of it. Who exactly gave you this bad gouge? I'm sure they were having a laugh at your expense.

Regardless of A/C, do well and excell and you will have a good career.

Totally agree. There's a reason that the Navy opted to put two seat Super Hornets in the Fleet and it wasn't to give pilots a cheering section or "sugar calls". If you think the backseat is nothing more than a cheerleader's job, you need to get out more. There is a lot expected out of a WSO and you are going to work your butt off. As you get more experience, you will eventually be the senior person with all the responsibility to train the guy in front. If you become a FAC (A), you'll be really in the s---. Your path will lead to be a mission commander and you won't get it if you can't handle what's goin on inside your aircraft and the others assigned to you and communicate with everyone else on the net(s). It gets even more demanding to become a Strike Lead. There are more than a handful of admirals out there who didn't get their flag by being cheerleaders.

 

[bunk22]

Thanks for the replies. Im not losing all hope just yet as Im sure there are good and bad points about all communities. I was suprised to hear what you had to say about the E2 community though as you are the very first out of many that Ive talked to that didnt say that if they didnt love it, they at least enjoyed the community.

Never said I didn't like or even enjoy my community. Of course I'm not an E-2 pilot either. It's the RAG's attitude that I didn't like. If you go, you will see.

 

[hornetframer]

I talked to a few NFOs from VFA-102 Diamondbacks in Japan when I was visiting my old stomping grounds. They said all the air-to-ground weapons are yours. You help the pilot out with air refueling with fuel calls. Also, you are a second set of eyes to keep the pilot out of trouble and prevent him from killing you and him. A lot of the single seat legacy hornet guys might still have a grudge with having NFOs in their community but it sounds like they have been getting burnt out while flying from having workload overload in the single seat supers. Can anyone corfirm this overload?

 

[Brett327]

I talked to a few NFOs from VFA-102 Diamondbacks in Japan when I was visiting my old stomping grounds. They said all the air-to-ground weapons are yours. You help the pilot out with air refueling with fuel calls. Also, you are a second set of eyes to keep the pilot out of trouble and prevent him from killing you and him. A lot of the single seat legacy hornet guys might still have a grudge with having NFOs in their community but it sounds like they have been getting burnt out while flying from having workload overload in the single seat supers. Can anyone corfirm this overload?

Another benefit of having twice the aircrew is having a larger pool of JOs in the readyroom to spread the ground job pain. I understand that the JOs at the legacy Hornet squadrons get hammered in that respect.

Brett

 

[hornetframer]

When I was in VFA-192 and 27, the JOs stood duty about 4-5 times a month but they had about 4 collateral duties each on top of keeping up with tactics and other things that they had to know.

 

[Goober]

Never said I didn't like or even enjoy my community. Of course I'm not an E-2 pilot either. It's the RAG's attitude that I didn't like. If you go, you will see.

I'm sure that varies (like it does at every Rag in every community). Can't speak much to life for the student pilots at -120, but for us NFOs it really wasn't that bad. By and large most of the instructor FOs were okay and willing to cut us some slack even when we did some really dumbsh-t things, but that also depended on who your instructor was. Most were pretty cool and wanted us to learn/succeed. Some sucked a$$, and one in particular got pegged as a really crappy student by one of my prior DHs (who was one of his instructors) with the following quote: "The worst students often become the worst instructors because they're now on the flip-side and in a position of 'power'." Looking back at him now (and some other things that have happened since), it all makes perfect sense.

Don't make your projections based on what previous I-grads have gotten. It's just like the pilot side - whatever is avail that week is what shows up to pick from. Keep your head screwed on straight in the meantime and work for what you want. As a RAG instructor told our class once we got there: "You guys can relax a little now - you got the job. All you have to do is just complete the syllabus." :icon_smil