Flying the F-35

[croakerfish]

It's pretty funny how many of us came to Whiting Field wanting to fly something pointy and ended up drooling over helos by the time selection hit. I've still got a way to go—and my latest selection mood swing is a deathmatch between Maritime and Helos—but I've been watching more and more of the people I came here with select helos after putting it first. I can only recall three or four people who wanted helos when we mused about it during hallway cleaning at OCS

It must be the parking situation. Maybe it's like radioactivity. Parking too close to wopwopwopwop starts to do something to your brain. I wonder if the NAS Corpus Christi people are converting too...

Most of the mopey ex-jet wannabes you'll meet in HT ground school came from Corpus for some reason. Once you start flying everyone loves it, at least until they go HSM...

 

[danpass]

Hah, funny you mentioned that... I've been around so long I actually had a NAVCAD Preflight classmate Roland H., who requested, and got Airships, was winged as a "Poopy Bag" Pilot in 1958. I met him again at NAS Moffett in '59, where he was stationed in ZP-?, which was the last ZP Squadron left at that time. Spent an interesting evening learning about BlimpOps!

Seems like they ran their lengthy patrols on the flight deck much like the bridge of a ship at sea. Pilots stood rotating "watches" like an OOD, with a helmsman for heading, engine order telegraph for speed, and an elevator helmsman for altitude. Interesting operation, but not for me (I was an ENS flying the beautiful FJ-4 Fury at the time). Unfortunately for Rollie, his squadron stood down the next year, the end of the Navy LTA era!
View attachment 13801
Edit: Guessin' if they were still around today, we'd call them "Winged SWOs"?
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BzB

USS Macon?















_

 

[mad dog]

...I can only recall three or four people who wanted helos when we mused about it during hallway cleaning at OCS.

HA!

Hallway (passageway?) cleaning!

At AOCS in 1986!

Where I was "The Almighty Buffer King" due to the fact that I was "The Almighty Demerit King"!

Being "The Almighty Buffer King" was probably the hint at the time to go helos...you know, handling all that torque and junk like that.

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

It's pretty funny how many of us came to Whiting Field wanting to fly something pointy and ended up drooling over helos by the time selection hit. I've still got a way to go—and my latest selection mood swing is a deathmatch between Maritime and Helos—but I've been watching more and more of the people I came here with select helos after putting it first. I can only recall three or four people who wanted helos when we mused about it during hallway cleaning at OCS

It must be the parking situation. Maybe it's like radioactivity. Parking too close to wopwopwopwop starts to do something to your brain. I wonder if the NAS Corpus Christi people are converting too...

People in Corpus are converting to whatever pipeline gets them out of Corpus. Summer is friggin' brutal here.
In all seriousness, I do want maritime, but I wanted it before I came out here. They did have a few static displays set up at one point, first an E-6, then a P-8 a few weeks later. Probably some moto for the guys in VT-31 and -35.

On a side note, if you know anyone coming out here for multi who needs a roommate, I've got a room available. I saw a mutual friend of ours got multi, but I assume he's coming out here with his wife.

 

[Renegade One]

Greetings,

I'm a current college student looking to commission as a pilot in the Marines/Navy in a strike platform. I understand that that at least 60% of the Marines fly helos. With the new F-35 program in the works, what are the chances of getting a slot to fly this platform if I commission in 2015-2016? Also, how competitive is it to get into a fix-wing pipeline during primary flight training? Do most students want to fly helos (I guess that depends), but generally speaking, what else can be done to insure fix wing during training?

Also, what IF someone where to end of with helos... How difficult would it be to take a tour as a t-34 IP? Is a transfer into a fix wing airframe common? (as you can see I don't want to fly helos.) Please pardon my ignorance.

izZz

Um…a lot of questions there, none of which I am really qualified to answer. That said...from what I've been told…if you qualify and become an F/A-18 or an AV-8B "Harrier" pilot, your chances of eventually migrating to the F-35 is pretty good. I think it's meant to replace them all…in which order, and by what timeframe I'm less certain. Guess the transition has already begun with at least one squadron in Yuma, although I think it traded in F/A-18Ds for the JSF.

 

[Gatordev]

Once you start flying everyone loves it, at least until they go HSM...

Sick burn!

 

[Hotdogs]

Don't forget that there's also tilt rotor in the Marines. This will give you a good idea of what the Marine Corps flys by squadron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_Marine_Corps_aircraft_squadrons. There's a similar link for Navy. Percentage wise there's probably more jets in the Navy right now than the Marine Corps if you want to play the odds.

I'd say the chances of getting helos dropped a good amount with the MV-22B coming fully online in recent years. Based on the wonton amount of primary classes all selecting Ospreys. Jets are a crap shoot and USMC manpower seems to chronically not have their shit together when it comes to that community...or that's the rumor on the street...and broken jets, no pilots, which results in a shortage of FW strikers for FAC(A) and SCAR/AR fleet support.

As far as selecting platform - just select what you want - just be prepared for the stigma and actual realities of going into the community. I pretty much think jet dudes are all selfie-taking and melodramatic movie making toolbags...that being said I have had good working relationships with the ones I've had to plan with on station... and they all think me and my friends are giant dickheads. Whatever. You'll probably be satisfied with what you end up flying.

 

[wlawr005]

I'd say the chances of getting helos dropped a good amount with the MV-22B coming fully online in recent years. Based on the wonton amount of primary classes all selecting Ospreys. Jets are a crap shoot and USMC manpower seems to chronically not have their shit together when it comes to that community...or that's the rumor on the street...and broken jets, no pilots, which results in a shortage of FW strikers for FAC(A) and SCAR/AR fleet support.

As far as selecting platform - just select what you want - just be prepared for the stigma and actual realities of going into the community. I pretty much think jet dudes are all selfie-taking and melodramatic movie making toolbags...that being said I have had good working relationships with the ones I've had to plan with on station... and they all think me and my friends are giant dickheads. Whatever. You'll probably be satisfied with what you end up flying.

Well...that was hard to read and comprehend. Jet guys are cool, but they suck. TACAIR is fucked up, but it isn't.

Bottom line...it's fun to fly in the military. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[Gatordev]

You missed the important part... Go Ospreys and you get free wontons.

 

[AllYourBass]

You missed the important part... Go [marine aircraft] and you get free wontons.

That moment when I realized I picked the wrong service.

 

[xmid]

Class up on 28 August and we were told we should be either the last class in the T-34 or possibly the first T-6 class in VT-28.

We'll see about that... Considering there are 2 VT-28 instructors qualified in the T-6 and a half dozen starting in the FITU (which has been taking 5-6 months)... August seems hugely optimistic unless 28 studs fly with 27 instructors for the most part.

 

[xmid]

To the OP the bottom line is you can have what you think is your preference (I say "what you think" because you may be more cut out for a different community and actually enjoy it more than you would the one you think you want). But come in with an open mind, knowing that if you get to wear wings of gold you will be doing what less than 1% of the population will ever get a get a chance to do. Flying anything grey in the Navy or Marines is way cooler than the alternative. No matter what you fly, it won't be long before you don't really relate to the day to day of your prior college friends because what you do is on a whole different level. Your buddy that just got a window next to his cubicle and a $2,500 dollar raise will get tired of hearing your stories of flying multi-million dollar aircraft in support of billion dollar operations half way around the world. Their stories of the bachelor party they went to in Vegas or (insert cool place to go in your state) will pale in comparison to your stories of partying with your squadron in Thailand, Dubai, or Australia. So come in to Naval Aviation with a desire to learn, a strong will to succeed, and a willingness to do whatever it is the Navy/Marine Corps needs you to do, because it's going to be a hell of a ride no matter what.

-A Helo pilot that wanted jets, but loved every minute of what the Navy chose for me.

 

[nittany03]

I pretty much think jet dudes are all selfie-taking and melodramatic movie making toolbags...that being said I have had good working relationships with the ones I've had to plan with on station... and they all think me and my friends are giant dickheads. Whatever. You'll probably be satisfied with what you end up flying.

Translation: Good dudes and good chicks are good dudes and good chicks. They're everywhere, and comprise every platform, race, gender, and preference in the bedroom. Toolbags are toolbags, and they're everywhere, comprising every platform, race, gender, and preference in the bedroom. Sadly, both sides seem to impress the boss and gain career milestones equally, so your boss or Skipper may be a great dude, great chick, or total toolbag. Never seriously judge someone based on their platform, race, gender, or preference in the bedroom. That said, always bust their balls, whether said balls are literal or metaphorical, without being a bigot or a complete asshole about it. Screw political correctness if you can, but know your audience and don't alienate people by being an asshole, lest they ruin the party with formal complaints. Such is the definition of Naval Air in the 21st century.

 

[wlawr005]

Translation: Good dudes and good chicks are good dudes and good chicks. They're everywhere, and comprise every platform, race, gender, and preference in the bedroom. Toolbags are toolbags, and they're everywhere, comprising every platform, race, gender, and preference in the bedroom. Sadly, both sides seem to impress the boss and gain career milestones equally, so your boss or Skipper may be a great dude, great chick, or total toolbag. Never seriously judge someone based on their platform, race, gender, or preference in the bedroom. That said, always bust their balls, whether said balls are literal or metaphorical, without being a bigot or a complete asshole about it. Screw political correctness if you can, but know your audience and don't alienate people by being an asshole, lest they ruin the party with formal complaints. Such is the definition of Naval Air in the 21st century.

Pretty much applies to...EVERYTHING! Well said.

 

[WEGL12]

We'll see about that... Considering there are 2 VT-28 instructors qualified in the T-6 and a half dozen starting in the FITU (which has been taking 5-6 months)... August seems hugely optimistic unless 28 studs fly with 27 instructors for the most part.

Starting to sound like it will be a while before 28 makes the full switch. I was just going by what we were told during check in but figured the transition would be delayed. Personally I rather get the T-34 because it seems the training moves a little faster.