Having a FO in an HSM/HSL/HS bird i think makes sense. The best argument i have heard is we train to be pilots and we train to be NFO's. My FRS is roughly 10 months and that was with 8 studs in the pipeline when i started. There are a few more showing up now so the time to train will probably increase slightly. At the end of the first four months i was NATOPS qualified in the aircraft and the rest was all "ATO" phase of training. SO, if we had an NFO that was an EXPERT at the weapons and sensors would decrease the amount of time the pilot would need to spend in those areas allowing for more time to train to the boat. One of the guys at work put it best. Why train to be the "Jack of all trades, master of none" when we could be the master of one and let them be the master of the other.
As far as vertrep....at least from the Romeo side...we are the fat kids on the playground....fully loaded down moving a 5 gallon pickle barrel could be a challenge. I think a lot of people are approaching this as "a helo is a helo" and i think that mentality should probably change there is a crap load of stuff that the Sierra guys can do that we cant do, and there is a crap load of stuff that we can do that they cant do. I think having an NFO could be beneficial but it would take some integration time. Its not something that i think they could start sending out tomorrow.
Maybe it is something that depending on what mission you have different crew loads. Sierra guys that are doing Vertrep/CSAR probably dont need a FO. Bravo/Romeo/Foxtrot guys that are doing ASUW/ASW having that FO and SO run the picture while the pilot focuses on dip to dip or hitting fly to points for the buoy drops could be beneficial. Everyone is right though its going to come down to $$
Alright, I'll bite... So when fully loaded, you can't VERTREP. Fine, that's why you don't VERTREP fully loaded. Eventually the Bravo is going to go away, so the Romeo is going to be doing all the non-gucci missions that the Bravo does now and the need for VERTREPing is going to be needed.
You mentioned an "expert" NFO. How will that work in a det concept? The jet guys, generally, will have a salty NFO w/ a nugget and vice versa to spread the experience around. If you did this on det, you're locked in to having even numbers for the aircrew. Not the end of the world, but think about the flexibility you just lost if someone goes med down.
As for tactics, it's not like you, as the pilot, aren't going to be learning the same tactics. You will need to know them just like the NFO so you can execute/anticipate what he's trying to do. Same thing happens now. The pilot is looking over the ATO's shoulder on the MPD and can see what the ATO is doing next. A good ATO/Pilot team will anticipate each others moves and the pilot will have the aircraft in the area that the ATO needs next. Yes, the same thing would happen if you had a NFO, but again, that's because the pilot had to learn the tactics. Not really saving time there.
Specific to the HSL/HSM world, I just don't see how a NFO would be better and/or worth the increase in cost it would take to make the pilot capable of signing for the aircraft the day he steps out of the RAG.
Why can't 60's land cross cockpit?
Maybe I missed it, but I haven't read where anyone said you couldn't. Taking off cross-cockpit, per the rules, is frowned upon.
