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Try VP. You'll get to try hitting a submarine you can't see with a 40-year-old Mk-46 torp while the sub is beating feet to get away.

That's 15 more than I ever did. Congratulations. When I went through 115 sit-ups compensated for 5 pull-ups. I never ran fast, either, but made the time. Keep plugging. You are not going to believe the rushes you get the day the captain pins on your bars and much later, the day the admiral...

Let me add another detail re. command. Making O-5 is tight. There's about a 40% chance for the O-4s coming up for selection. And this itself is skewed towards the communities that are at that moment in the news. For example, there was no DH screening when I came up for LCDR. The top guys in a...

What is the length of the O and C courses these days, and the max times?

That's *spit* Army *spit* Reminds me of my AOCS DI, SSGT William Randolph Shuette (:Rhymes with DO IT!"). When he used the A- word, he'd spit before and after, as in, "You poopies ain't even good enough for the *spit* DOGGIES! *spit*

"OCS: the most fun you'll never want to have again" Actually, that's SERE School. You'll agree at the end of the week when, after seven 120 degree days and 30 degree nights, the "North Korean guard" is beating you senseless while another guy pours water down your throat and nose... OCS is...

This may sound harsh, but the service uses injuries to eliminate some candidates since they have more than they need. Sucks, I know. You should at a minimum see a specialist even if you have to pay. The Navy/Marines value motivation above almost anything else. Good luck.

What the...? What do these shots depict?

The Pensacola "O" and "C" courses await! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Just kidding. Do your best and let it show.

My active duty P-3 squadron PPC did not join the Reserves and missed it. Several years later he tried to join and was turned-down. The Army then offered him a helo slot and sent him through Army helo school. Went O-3 (LT) to W-1 but stayed and really enjoyed it (finally made W-4).

How many classes... ... per year do they do these days at OCS?

Fwiw The top two guys in my AOCS class both dropped-out of flight training because of wife issues. Caveat emptor.

When the NFO designation was created in 1968 from the old Naval Aviation Observer (NAO), most of the older pilots looked down upon NFOs. Those days are gone. In the early 70s I had a PPC who was giving me (TACCO) crap, so I told him to come back to the tube and find the submarine himself. Boy...

No; one may APPLY for a waiver... RTFP. SNA applicants with excessive refractive error and disqualifying uncorrected distant visual acuity (UCDVA), no worse than 20/400, who demonstrate successful fit and habitual wear (at least six months) of approved soft contact lenses and meet all other...

How would such a move benefit the Navy? After graduation, all flying officers would have to be paid to move to Florida.

Not a problem Your kindly GYSGT drill instructor will educate you by shrieking the proper instructions into your left ear while banging your head against the bunk frame with his right hand until your vision blurs. At least, that's how they did it when I went through... 8*) Good luck.

Wow. Sounds like they smartened-up since my day. We did the O and C courses mid-day. Temp averaged 110 in the Sun (summer in PCOLA). We threw-up a lot and sometimes passed out. Not very good for training but it was definitely a motivation check.

Not a problem Your kindly GYSGT drill instructor will educate you by shrieking the proper instructions into your left ear while banging your head against the bunk frame with his right hand until your vision blurs. At least, that's how they did it when I went through... 8*) Good luck.

Simple The Navy never tells one why a selection board made a decision. After the board has ended and results are posted, all notes from the board are destroyed and members are not allowed to discuss what took place in discussion. You can, however, keep beating-down their door with...

WHAT?? No more O Course and C Course in the 115 degree, ankle-deep Florida sand?? It's an outrage! Next thing you know, they'll be letting women into naval aviation...!

"Your right. Thanks for your input. I just know many of you have seen many get accepted and was curious on your input. Was wondering if my other stuff makes up for the 48 OAR." That should be, "You're right." I know it's a nit, but brushing-up on grammar can't hurt. An O spends a lot of time...

Pluses: 1. While you're away, the other spouses will provide you with support unheard of in the civilian world. 2. When home, the squadron "family" is amazing and the envy of the civilian world. 3. The military spouse holds a special place in society. 4. The Navy really does try to look...

>>Dont know if this is the right forum, but oh well. Since I am ineligable to apply for Navy OCS because of some, uh, we'll just call them indescretions on my part during college I am going to be enlisting. I am going to be going in on an aircrew contract since I will be an e-3 immediatly. I...

I got my first floaters a few years ago -- one in each eye. Freaked me out at first. I've been nearsighted all my life but had otherwise perfect vision. I went to the eye doc. It MAY be a sign of a detached retina, but, as in my case, is simply a result of aging. I named the one in my left eye...

Would you like some cheese to go with that whine? How about a motivation check? I was turned-down three times for vision and kept going back. Fourth time I just wore them down. Never, ever, ever, ever, quit. Nineteen years later, when I had been an NFO for 17 of them, the Navy grounded me...

In AOCS it was simple. If we displeased GYSGT Glenn, he'd tear our racks apart and throw all the sheets and bedframe pieces out the second deck window while beating our heads against the wall and shrieking inventive names at us while we stood at frozen attention. But I guess times have changed...

"Originally Posted by A4sForever "*SIGH* ... and now we have the disgraceful spectacle of NFO's talking smack to Aviators ... *SIGH* ... I will weep for your NFO soul(s) ... "they can talk all the smack they want - 'cause that's all they've got, just TALK!" Uhu. I had a PPC with this...

Yes! Few things are more powerful than persistence. I had to apply three times to get into AOCS from college. Third time did it. Years later, when I was reviewing my file, I saw this comment: "Anthropology major. Vision 20/100 uncorrected. Third application for program. Private pilot...

Is becoming a Marine Corps aviator worth, instead, possibly crippling yourself? Tough call. I had to apply for AOCS three times before I got a medical waiver because my eye sight was 20/100 and the max allowable at the time was 20/50. But that never involved having to possibly cripple myself.

The Navy tries something new every once and a while, based upon immediate need. Whn I got to my first VP squadron in 1969 there were sixteen crews and 15 NFOs, which was typical of VP then. So, the Navy sent its newest pilots/PP3Ps to Corpus Christi (home of Navy Nav School then) for a cram...

What hours do you guys work? Is it like a 9 to 5 thing or ready at a moments notice kind of deal. >>It's 24/7, actually. You fly when and where you are needed. Between deployments you get a less strenuous 18/6. On deployment (in VP, anyway), you will hit the NATOPS spin cycle: on 18, off 18...

Fair winds and following seas.

Loved it! 21 years active and reserves combined. The best Navy duty for my money (VP). http://www.navlog.org

Per this week's "Navy Times," a bunch of new NAs was just sent directly to the Reserves (2 years active Reserves, 6 years drilling Reserves). There are about 15% more new NAs than seats for them. Not the case for NFOs -- yet -- at any rate. Navy is seriously over its pilot needs at present...

Excellent! VP still kicks ass! Cross-posted.

NFO is better... I'm a retired P-3 NFO who also has an ATP and CFI-ASMEI, 7,600 flight hours total. From that vantage point I can say that having been a fleet NFO was the best deal in the world. The P-3 NFO runs the whole show and has the most fun. There is nothing like commanding a crew when...

>>Good call, zab: While you are at it, ask ip568 why the wheel brakes "SQUEEEEEELED" so loud on those old P-2 birds? When they used to go taxiing by @ NAS Whidbey, we almost ejected from fright .... I have flown with several people on the "line" who used to do the Aleutian drill in the...

yes >>I'm curious how you track a sub with paper grams... i've seen them on the reserve planes we use for bounce birds, but i'm not even sure they work! Did you ever use the diesel sniffer? ============================================= Yes, I'm an old fart. The paper grams showed what...

hi >>We have a (relatively) new member, ip568, who served as an NFO on both P-2s and P-3s. I thought it would be interesting to pick his brain about 'old school' VP and get a little insight into a side of Naval Aviation we don't hear a whole lot about. Rather than hide the thread in Private...

P-3 NFOs >>Does anyone know anything about the type of jobs that P-3C NFOs do once they are out in the fleet? What types of things they are responsible for in the air. I heard from some people that P-3 NFO is a bad job bc it is so hectic. Does anyone know anything about that? I really just want...

Never underestimate the Navy's ability to totally f*** this up. After I had been an NFO for years, one day the Navy grounded me for having allergies. I've always had allergies and the Navy knew that up front. But one day, some doofus MD at NAMI decided that should make me NPQ. I then had to get...

Hardship leave is almost always granted. You have to decide if your grandparent's death warrants such a request. That's the Navy. If you miss too much in the Navy's opinion, you get pushed back.

oh... ... almost forgot. Looks like the MMA will be canceled as well. It's gonna be a MUCH smaller fleet unless terrorists start attacking from the sea.

shortages >>this won't be effecting FOs. Mainly, because we are in such short supply. Everything old is new again. When I got to my first squadron, VP-1, there were 16 crews and 15 NFOs. Each NFO had to fly both TACCO and NAV simultaneously. Now THAT's busy, esp. in the old baseline P-3Bs...

White House Wants to Raid Pentagon Funding Aviation Week & Space Technology 01/03/2005, page 20 David A. Fulghum and Robert Wall Washington Pentagon blindsided by White House demand for billions in defense cuts About Face The White House Office of Management and Budget is...

still the same I can't believe that in all the time since I took the SPAT it hasn't changed. What is the process these days for qualifying for Navy flight training? None of the acronymns I see here are familiar. ip568

Keep applying... I know I'm an old-timer, but I was turned-down for NFO twice before being accepted on the third try. Persistence is highly regarded by the Navy. Good luck. p.s. Same for grad school -- accepted conditionally on my third try. Graduated with a 3.83/4.0. Persistence!

1. NEEDS OF THE NAVY. Say it over and over until, you have memorized it. Very few guys I commissioned with went the full 20 years in the community they chose. 1a. USNR. If you are willing to leave active duty for the reserves to make your 20 or 30, you probably can. The Navy cannot plan...

Kidding, right? I hope you're all kidding. When I went through you had to swim one mile in full flight gear and uninflated LPA. Goggles? Swim shorts? I hope the requirements haven't fallen that far.

Pic Yea. The problem was that sometimes it was ONE turning and THREE burning...