Aircrews

[bobcat2006]

Is an aircrew a constant thing, like how slider always flies with iceman? Do you become part of a specific team or get paired or grouped together with random NFO's and pilots depending on the day? In the E-2 for instance do you get to work with the same group of NFOs on a daily basis?

Is there ever a situation where nobody wants to get stuck as Lt. Joe Blo's rio because he/she always catches the 1 wire on carrier traps or has vomit-inducing approaches or something like that?

 

[HooverPilot]

I can only speak for carrier Navy... There are too many variables to have specific crewing. People have duty, go med down, get special projects, etc. A squadron can and does pair types, i.e. nugget pilots w/senior NFO's and vice versa.

 

[zab1001]

P-3s do keep aircrews together as much as possible. We assign crew positions based on a number of factors (seniorirty, experience, personalities) and try to stick to them. We then send those crews on deployment. Train like you fight and all. However, mitigating circumstances (medical, promotions, tactical upgrades for individual members...) will invariably lead to at least one person being changed.

A lot of mission specific qualifications require a certain crew members (PPC, TACCO, NAVCOMM, Radar, Primary Acoustic Operator) to have been trained together prior to being able to be deployed on reqal world missions.

 

[skidkid]

reqal world missions.

Is that like we f@cked it up the first time and now we have to requal?

 

[zab1001]

i believe the phrase is "ironical"

 

[Goober]

In E-2 land, there aren't set crews. Some guys might get extra attention if they're junior and still coming along, but by and large as long as you have a qualified CAPC (AC commander up front) and a qualified CICO (mission commander in back), the remaining pilot and 2 NFOs can be anyone in the squadron.

 

[HH-60H]

Same in HS. Although the Skipper might fly with an AW he likes or something. Some of the more technical/intense/"advanced" missions might have crews, but it's because not everyone in the squadron is qualed to the same level so there are real limitations on who can fly with who. But at the end of the day, if someone is med down or whatever, they swap people around.

 

[Brett327]

Is an aircrew a constant thing, like how slider always flies with iceman? Do you become part of a specific team or get paired or grouped together with random NFO's and pilots depending on the day? In the E-2 for instance do you get to work with the same group of NFOs on a daily basis?

Is there ever a situation where nobody wants to get stuck as Lt. Joe Blo's rio because he/she always catches the 1 wire on carrier traps or has vomit-inducing approaches or something like that?

In Prowlers, you'll generally have a set crew while deployed with the aforementioned deviations for real world events. Back home, there are too many moving parts to keep a crew together and the Ops training matrix really drives the show. You'll develop favorite and non-favorite guys to fly with and if your Ops guys are cool, they will hook you up for certain things, i.e. friday afternoon all JO crew for a b!tchin' low level terminating with a break over the O club while everyone at happy hour looks on - good times!

Brett

 

[HeyJoe]

Fighter aircew assignments

In Prowlers, you'll generally have a set crew while deployed with the aforementioned deviations for real world events. Back home, there are too many moving parts to keep a crew together and the Ops training matrix really drives the show. You'll develop favorite and non-favorite guys to fly with and if your Ops guys are cool, they will hook you up for certain things, i.e. friday afternoon all JO crew for a b!tchin' low level terminating with a break over the O club while everyone at happy hour looks on - good times!

Brett

During a tour in a squadron, you'll probably have several switches in assignments before you're done and lots of chances to fly with about everyone. The squadron will promulagate a tactical organization that schedules writer tries to adhere to, but with aforementioned conflicts (standing the duty, leave, schools, et., etc.), the writer will have Ops approved pairings and mandates to adher to (need for mission commander or strike lead for certain sorties), but generally need folks fly with old hands and after a deployment, seasoned first tour folks will be crewed together. Always fun to see what shows up on the flight schedule.

 

[skidkid]

When HMLA squadrons deploy they generally set combat crews based on experience and personalities, they change sometimes and when not in "the shit" they arent held to it all depends on IP qualls and waht X a guy needs and availability.
I like combat crews, I think you need to fly together to set your personal SOPs and develop a familiarity-I think it is a combat multiplieryhowever, you as a trained aviator should be able to jump in a bird with any qualed guy and go accomplish a mission


Disregard I jsut noticed this is the NFO thread.

 

[goplay234]

Yeah, in E-2 land it's all up to skeds. Junior/Senior pairings are the norm though...