This is a question that goes out to Valion,Mike26,and others that have served as naval aircrewman. For reasons that I'll explain later, I have decided to enlist into this program. As for my current status, I am not doing anything, except being a bum in New Mexico. I would like to know what kind of training and life does it comprise of? What are the best jobs to do in this position (loadmaster, AMH, AW, Air Comms)? Thanks for your reply.
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Aircrewman
- Thread starter Buck
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Hey Buck,
I never got winged, just attended and got through the school, got jacked and ended up in Hornets. From talking with all my old aircrew buddies, AW is this shiot (go SAR for sure! You'll end up in 60's, my girl is doing that.) ... AMH is a rate (in the Airframes shop as a Hydrolics tech)if you like working metal and popping a ton of rivets and being the savior of all the shops for drilling screws, then thats your route ... if you want a comm's job. My best guess would be applying to be a Radioman's Mate or whatever they are called, I think they go into the larger bodied joint service platforms, not sure on that one.
Aircrew school is the 3rd hardest in the Navy physically behind BUDS and SAR (atleast when I went through in '97), pretty much straight PT and survival training. I think they still mix up a tiny portion of the training with the API guys. I know they cut out land starvation with those guys and pushed it back to SERE. But your pipeline is something along the lines of Aircrew, SAR (if its in your contract), "A" School (for your rate which you dont get to pick and is picked for you in Aircrew), then your various follow-on training like "C" School, SERE and the Fleet Replacement Squadrons then off to your actual deployable command. (I dunno, my girl is graduating Aircrew this week, so I can keep you updated as to the current pipeline if you want.)
Anyway, hope that helps. Aircrew is awesome, some hardcore guys and the badest band of hooligans on NAS and NATTC. Best of luck to you!
Valion310 out-
I never got winged, just attended and got through the school, got jacked and ended up in Hornets. From talking with all my old aircrew buddies, AW is this shiot (go SAR for sure! You'll end up in 60's, my girl is doing that.) ... AMH is a rate (in the Airframes shop as a Hydrolics tech)if you like working metal and popping a ton of rivets and being the savior of all the shops for drilling screws, then thats your route ... if you want a comm's job. My best guess would be applying to be a Radioman's Mate or whatever they are called, I think they go into the larger bodied joint service platforms, not sure on that one.
Aircrew school is the 3rd hardest in the Navy physically behind BUDS and SAR (atleast when I went through in '97), pretty much straight PT and survival training. I think they still mix up a tiny portion of the training with the API guys. I know they cut out land starvation with those guys and pushed it back to SERE. But your pipeline is something along the lines of Aircrew, SAR (if its in your contract), "A" School (for your rate which you dont get to pick and is picked for you in Aircrew), then your various follow-on training like "C" School, SERE and the Fleet Replacement Squadrons then off to your actual deployable command. (I dunno, my girl is graduating Aircrew this week, so I can keep you updated as to the current pipeline if you want.)
Anyway, hope that helps. Aircrew is awesome, some hardcore guys and the badest band of hooligans on NAS and NATTC. Best of luck to you!
Valion310 out-
Hey guys. Valion, thanks for the info, man. It really helped. Mike, that's okay if it's AF, in fact, I was looking for that perspective.(is that allowed to be said?) I have not yet talk to a recruiter, but I don't trust them worth anything. I rather have all branches perspectives, AF, Navy, MC, even Army if can find it, before I decide and go in next year. Again, thanks.
If you are going enlisted, I would defiantly say, go Air Force. The accommodations are much better than in the other services and you are treated better, and if you are aircrew it gets even better (sorry if I offended anyone). There are not a whole lot of jobs where you are in operations, meaning doing something other than support, aircrew is one of those operation jobs. There are a few to choose from, the one I do is Boom Operator. I fly in a KC135 and refuel other airplanes in the air, to include Air Force, Navy, Marine and NATO aircraft. It is a good job if you want to become a pilot later you, will have a good air sense. You are part of a three person crew that consists of you, a copilot and aircraft commander. You also back up the pilots on navigation, approaches, radios, ect. I personally think it is the best aircrew job in the AF. You get to go on great trips all over the world. Most of these trips are short trips that last a week or two. Sometimes you will have to deploy for up to 3 months max. Training consists of survival and resistance training in Washington and Florida for water survival. You will also spend about 6 months in addition to that, learning how to do your job. Another benefit is that you are paid more. While traveling on the road you are treated as equals with the rest of the crew and you are not discriminated because you are the only enlisted guy.The AF recruiter may be lazy or seem uninterested but it is worth the hassle, for the most part they will give it to you straight with out too much BS. I thoroughly enjoyed the job but now hope to fly airplanes in the Navy. If you want to be an officer, I would say go with any of the services. Well that's my two cents, I hope this helps.
A little side note and addition to Mike's gouge. Most aircrews in both services treat the enlisted counterparts much better than the ground pounders (non-aircrew). They have the bond of flying together, etc.
I always thought being a door-gunner would be an AWESOME job, life expectancy is low, but hey, what a way to go out with a flash eh?!!
https://www.cnet.navy.mil/nascweb/ <-- go there, click on the AEATS icon. That will give you the skinny on the Navy Aircrew program as of present date.
If you can find out which base the AF Aircrew training is at, I would imagine they have a similar type site.
I always thought being a door-gunner would be an AWESOME job, life expectancy is low, but hey, what a way to go out with a flash eh?!!
https://www.cnet.navy.mil/nascweb/ <-- go there, click on the AEATS icon. That will give you the skinny on the Navy Aircrew program as of present date.
If you can find out which base the AF Aircrew training is at, I would imagine they have a similar type site.
There really is not a specific physical requirement for aircrew, you do need to pass a flight physical, I don't know the specifics for the eye sight requirements but it would only be applicable to a few jobs. ie gunner, boom operator. With most other aircrew jobs, you would be able to get a waiver for eye sight. So really, as long as you are healthy and can pass a depth percepiton test you are physicaly qualified, hence the term "Chair Force." I have a few good web sites that I will post when I go back to work Monday. There really is,t a specific location like the Navy where you train to become an aircrew member, it depends on your job and the type of aircraft you fly on.
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