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E-2 "Tube" Shots

DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
Howdy,

I was curious if anyone had pictures of the crew side of the E-2 (All the "ATC" equipment, etc.)

If I end up going NFO over pilot, I'd think back seat work in an E-2 is my preferred option, and I'd like to see where I'd work! I've tried googling pics, but I only seem to get external or flight deck shots. Heck, if there's any E-2 NFOs out there too to talk with, that would be awesome. I've never really explored NFO land, let alone E-2 work. Any insight would be great!

~Nate
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
Looks awesome! Thanks for the pic!

I'm curious how E-2 vectoring / tracking work differs from civilian ATC work? I trust there's a lot more to look at, including ground targets. Anyone got the good gouge? :-D
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
Brett327 said:
That's funny. You E-2 guys gonna take that sh!t? ;)

Brett
Click to expand...

Just to be sure, I'm not trying to pull anyone's chain here. I don't know much at all about what really goes on in the back seats of the E-2. I trust its complex and more than "ATC." :D
 
SteveG75

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
None
DairyCreamer said:
Looks awesome! Thanks for the pic!

I'm curious how E-2 vectoring / tracking work differs from civilian ATC work? I trust there's a lot more to look at, including ground targets. Anyone got the good gouge? :-D
Click to expand...

At lot of that stuff, just like jamming, is classified.

E-2 bubbas may be able to talk in generalities but I doubt you will get too many specifics.
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
SteveG75 said:
At lot of that stuff, just like jamming, is classified.

E-2 bubbas may be able to talk in generalities but I doubt you will get too many specifics.
Click to expand...

I figured the "good stuff" was classified, sure. I'm just interested in seeing if I go the NFO route, whether E-2 work would be a goal.

In all seriousness, I pursued studies in civilian air traffic control for a long while, and I figured that would equate to a fair ability to visualize the battle on a flat scope, and abilities in communicating situations to pilot, ground personell, etc. over the radio.

Obviously it's a ways off, but something I'd like to learn about no less, as I've never explored it before.
 
wink

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
DairyCreamer said:
I am currious how E-2 vectoring / tracking work differs from civilian ATC work?
Click to expand...

For starters, ATC aims to miss. They seperate traffic. Hummer moles, on the other hand, bring planes togather. Aside from that, the E-2 guys run most of the show, ensuring air defense of the CSG and offensively when going downtown, as well as routine night operations around the boat. I found the VAW crews to be the most professional, knowledgable, realiable aviators on the ship. Literally, nothing would happen without them.
 
Goober

Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
Similar, but we aim to make two pieces of metal meet in the same piece of sky. ATC tends to frown on that method, but then hey - they're like that. Go figure.

Troll around on the 'Net for pics, but we're unlikely to post many ourselves (just the way it is). We've all got our own trophy pics, but we don't generally share w/ the rest of the class. I'll tack a couple PR pics that got shot by Ted Carlson (awesome aviation photographer) below.

A few generalities for ya...

Lots o' targets. The PPI display (Plan Position Indicator) does give an ATC-type presentation, but our system processes air and surface tracks simultaneously. Various functions are built into the system to better optimize it for one or the other, but that's fine-tuning and a technicality.

Bottom line - we're generally busy the whole hop. Even when we're not controlling fighters, we're still talking w/ the air defense shooters, the sea combat module guys, and unscrewing the data link (granted, some Shoes are better than others, Steve :D ). Lots of missions these days: AAW, ASUW, EW (really more about ELINT cueing/track correlation than anything else), CSAR, and now the latest to pile on: ABCC (airborne battlefield command and control - basically CAS control and hand-off to FACs and FAC(A)s).

E-2's - everybody wants some. Damn, I'm tired...
 

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Goober

Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
Brett327 said:
That's funny. You E-2 guys gonna take that sh!t? ;)

Brett
Click to expand...

Where the hell's my HCA card when I need it? Oh yeah...

Paddles: "Bolter, bolter"

"402, climb straight ahead to angels 1.2, when comfortable left to the downwind 125."

"501, left to the final bearing 305."

"104, 8 miles, on course, traffic is a Prowler on a 4 mile hook, dirty up."

Case III HCA...anybody can do that. Sheesh... :D

Works until we get fed up anyway, then the inner voices start making suggestions: "Alfa Whiskey, Tango. 701 keeps fvcking up the pattern. Recommend take 701 with Delta birds..."
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
Goober said:
Where the hell's my HCA card when I need it? Oh yeah...

Paddles: "Bolter, bolter"

"402, climb straight ahead to angels 1.2, when comfortable left to the downwind 125."

"501, left to the final bearing 305."

"104, 8 miles, on course, traffic is a Prowler on a 4 mile hook, dirty up."

Case III HCA...anybody can do that. Sheesh... :D

Works until we get fed up anyway, then the inner voices start making suggestions: "Alfa Whiskey, Tango. 701 keeps fvcking up the pattern. Recommend take 701 with Delta birds..."
Click to expand...

That sounds more like the CATCC talking?
 
SteveG75

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
None
Lots of missions these days: AAW, ASUW, EW (really more about ELINT cueing/track correlation than anything else), CSAR, and now the latest to pile on: ABCC (airborne battlefield command and control - basically CAS control and hand-off to FACs and FAC(A)s).
Click to expand...

USAF AWACS
awacs-00000007.jpg

Flight crew of four plus mission crew of 13-19 specialists

USAF ABCC
ec-130e-allied2.jpg

Flight crew of four plus mission crew of 12 specialists


USN
e-2c-tr-hawkeye.jpg

Crew of five—two pilots and three operators.

And the E-2 does everything the EC-130E and E-3 does, at the same time, and better! At least in my humble opinion. :D
 
Goober

Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
DairyCreamer said:
That sounds more like the CATCC talking?
Click to expand...

"Thank you, thank you very much..."

Our goal in the event of a CATCC casualty is to keep it as transparent as possible. We become Strike, Marshall, and Approach A and B. It's more like an ASR approach, and it's strictly for emergency use.

E-2 NFO = One-armed paper hanger
 
Goober

Goober

Professional Javelin Catcher
None
SteveG75 said:
And the E-2 does everything the EC-130E and E-3 does, at the same time, and better! At least in my humble opinion. :D
Click to expand...

Ahhh...a scholar and a gentleman. Mercy buckets, mercy buckets... :)
 
DairyCreamer

DairyCreamer

Registered User
So, I suppose the next question becomes this: Going NFO, what are the chances of selecting E-2's compared to strike / E-6 / etc.?

As it stands now, I think I'd rather be in an E-2 than anything else as an NFO. Are platform selections at all like SNA in terms of competetiveness? Everyone want to go strike?
 
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