Foreign exchange pilots on USN Aircraft Carriers

[granville]

Good morning shipper's,

This is my first post, I am no longer current, however, the interest remains, strong as ever. I find the Forum entertaining, and informative.

It is this article which captured my interest on the subject of the 'most unlikely foreign exchange pilot postings'.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22279837-601,00.html


In the RAF there are the usual complement of Aircrew from other NATO and Commonwealth Countries, however, I can only recall one example
of an RAF Officer piloting from a US carrier (A-7's)

Do any members on the forum have other examples of pilots on exchange from other Countries, flying from US carriers.

Signing off (could somebody please give me a useful heading on how to activate 'custom avatar' in User CP! thank you).

Regards

granville

 

[Tyler]

...(could somebody please give me a useful heading on how to activate 'custom avatar' in User CP!...

Click "User CP" at the top of the page. Click "Edit Avatar" on the left column of options. If the image is hosted somewhere online, enter its url in the space provided, or if its saved to your computer, click "Browse..." and find the file and upload it. Save changes.

 

[fresh]

Do any members on the forum have other examples of pilots on exchange from other Countries, flying from US carriers.

The Indian Navy trains with the US Navy......

 

[Huggy Bear]

There are foreign instructors with the Hornet FRS. They are usually given the opportunity to go to the boat and get their "10 and 6" (ten day traps and 6 night traps). However, I have never heard of a foreigner going to a fleet squadron. We DO send USAF pilots to the boat on exchange tours; that is almost like having a foreigner . We had a viper guy on my second deployment.

 

[OUSOONER]

one of my friends flies hornets and was on that deployment..they got back in dec. of 07

 

[granville]

Many thanks Tyler - in the few hours since I started this post, the 'custom avatar' option has become enabled - which makes me look like a right throbber!

Thank you all for the replies so far - I appreciate how, in the interests of security, current examples cannot be mentioned, however, does anyone know of foreign exchange pilots who flew on US carriers during the period from the 60's through to the 80's.

Regards

granville

[Late edit]
Yes Huggy Bear - there are similar rivalries at this end between the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilots and their counterparts in the Royal Air Force. A situation compounded by the fact that the Navy and Air Force GR.9 Harrier pilots were merged into one unit - for the Royal Navy the concept of RAF aircrew on board the Invincible Class carriers is too much!

 

[Schnugg]

There was a USAF exchange pilot on VA-95 back in '90 timeframe. He CQ'd and flew off CVN-65 on deployment with us.

Also had a Brit SHAR pilot named LCDR Clyve Baylis in VF-124/101 with me as a fellow instructor pilot. Had issues with getting an F-14D hop as some technologies were NOFORN at the time. But I flew with him quite a bit. He was a good stick. He eventually got an F-14D hop or two under his belt before he rolled out to the UK.

He CQ'd at the boat in an F-14A.

 

[Old R.O.]

VF-21 and VF-154 both had USAF exchange pilots for the 1974 Ranger cruise.

I seem to remember that VF-213 had an Royal Navy pilot for a cruise or so in the same timeframe. I think he showed up at the Tailhook Reunion a few years ago.

Also, the West Coast F-4 RAG (VF-121) had a USAF pilot on staff, as well as an RN pilot and and RN RIO. (This was when the Royal Navy was still flying F-4Ks off HMS Ark Royal).

 

[ACowboyinTexas]

I went through VA-42 with a German exchange pilot back in 1992. He joined VA-35 and cruised onboard USS AMERICA in 1993-94. Great guy at Pigs In Space in El Sweato. He called it "Schweine im Veltal". He flies for a German airline out of Munich now.

 

[Flash]

There were RAF and German Navy Navigators on exchange to the Prowler RAG as instructors. Both CQ'd, the German even punched out on the boat while he was an instructor. I have not seen foreigners in US Navy fleet squadrons.

 

[nittany03]

There were RAF and German Navy Navigators on exchange to the Prowler RAG as instructors. Both CQ'd, the German even punched out on the boat while he was an instructor. I have not seen foreigners in US Navy fleet squadrons.

They're still there. Although the German Navy no longer sends an officer, the Luftwaffe is well represented. Sighs of relief were heard amongst the studentry when a certain RAF Squadron Leader turned over as FAM/NAV phase head. :icon_tong

 

[Flash]

They're still there. Although the German Navy no longer sends an officer, the Luftwaffe is well represented. Sighs of relief were heard amongst the studentry when a certain RAF Squadron Leader turned over as FAM/NAV phase head. :icon_tong

Because they no longer have any tactical jets, they got rid of their last Tornados about 5 years ago.

 

[nittany03]

Because they no longer have any tactical jets, they got rid of their last Tornados about 5 years ago.

True. The Korvettenkapitän at 129 was actually the last tactical jet aircrewman in the German Navy when he retired. I was there at the O-club when he did.

 

[highside7r]

Back in the mid 90's, one of the VFA squadrons in my air wing had a French guy, not sure what his French Navy background was (F-8's or Super E's). Pretty easy to tell when he was flying, just listening to the radios. French word for "Hornet"?

 

[VetteMuscle427]

Rafales were on the Enterprise recently

(not exactly what you were asking about, I know.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is the Eisenhower, CVN-69