OCS How to Pick Between Pilot or NFO?

[ActionJ117]

I originally was going to apply for pilot but decided to apply for NFO instead (not as uncommon as people tell you). Best decision of my life. Based on my experience in flight school I do believe I have the monkey skills and competency to become a decent pilot, but I realized quickly it’s not for me and I was glad I didn’t apply for it. I am happy being a nerd on a computer in the back of the plane and I respect my pilot friends for what they put themselves through to become good at what they do.

If the idea of being a mission commander and essentially playing a complicated high stakes RTS game for a living sounds appealing to you, then become a NFO. If you want a pretty view and don’t want to have to explain what an NFO does to everyone you meet, become a pilot.

Thanks for the response. You certainly make the job appealing with the RTS game comparison, and I'm glad many others find the role interesting as well and are happy with it when they're actually in the Navy. On another note, I think it's cool that pilots and NFOs are often interchangeably called "aviators." That reflects that both are critical.

 

[787CAret]

I’ve literally never met a pilot who wanted to be an NFO. I know plenty of NFOs who wanted to be pilots after they fixed their eyes.

I’m not saying you can’t have a meaningful and rewarding career in the Navy as an NFO, but outside of the military the job really doesn’t exist. Meanwhile there are plenty of pilot jobs of all types after the Navy. Choose wisely.

I always thought pilot (bco airlines)---and chose that path. But as a teen/20s I always thought NFOs had a FAR more interesting life technically.'Was especially enthalled with TACCOs & ECMOs. Once in a blue moon I'd have one of those across the Pacific----"who is this weirdo wanting to chat me up on ALQ-100 lobes & electromagnetic esoterics...'frigging spy or what?" I would agree that many crossed the line to fly, having never truly appreciated what an interesting line of work they were in.....playing chess with physical reality. Pearls before swine! I wouldn't call 40 yrs of airline flying boring----but call a spade a spade. A to B. The only thing interesting after the 1st decade of 4 was the people aspect Pax/FCrew/FAcrew. Sorry, but at level off Captaining my 787 across the Pacific my secret thoughts were "is there any of us 4 that has an even REMOTELY interesting life story that I haven't heard 87 billion times before?". 1 NFO=jackpot....... 3 KC135 sticks? "OH GOD NO!" No one will believe this but ONE special time I had THREE, 2 ex=ECMOs (as FO/FC) and one ex-EA-3B NFO (as FB). Heaven! My OWN $1/4B EA-6B........which is just about what a real one cost after Loral was through with it. Grass always greener? No. More green on the airline side. And no I don't want any laundry list of BOR-EX P-3 "Forty freighters a week".......I know all that. 'Just stating my lived life experience of 40 yrs of 'line flying. One B/N,ECMO,NAV,or TACCO,and it was going to be a great trip-----3 mil trash hauler sticks? Find me a piece of rope and a tree! No diss to pilots. I've been one for 50yrs, recently retired.

 

[Fallonflyr]

Did you show them pictures of your boat?