Last Tango in AW Land (Lifestyle questions from prospective SNFO)

[tangoman]

Hello,

I gather that when NFO's or NFA's are deployed they are living, breathing, aviation 24/7 but how about when you're stationed back at base? Do you get weekends off and how easy is it to go out to town and date women and have fun? What do you do if you're single and stationed at some place like Cherry Point, NC, or Yuma, AZ which both don't look like they've got much of a night life going on? Is this something most NFO and Naval Aviator's care about?

 

[Treetop Flyer]

What's an NFA? And where is Cherry Hill?

 

[tangoman]

My bad. Change NFA to NA (Navial Aviator), Cherry Hill/Cherry Point, NC .

 

[60flyer]

Hello,
how easy is it to go out to town and date women and have fun? What do you do if you're single and stationed at some place like Cherry Point, NC, or Yuma, AZ which both don't look like they've got much of a night life going on? Is this something most NFO and Naval Aviator's care about?

Impossible. You've never seen a pilot with a chick, have you? Well there you go....your life ends when you get your wings. 24/7 for the rest of your life....

 

[phrogpilot73]

It's impossible to meet women in Cherry Point, that's where all the gay dudes (jet guys) hang out. Everyone knows the women flock to Jacksonville, NC - 'cause that's where the studs (helo dudes) hang out.

 

[Brett327]

Seems like we get one of these posts once every 6 months or so - Kooky.

@ OP: Dude, as far as having a social life, the military is, for all intents and purposes, just like any other job. Got it?

Brett

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I gather that when NFO's or NFA's are deployed they are living, breathing, aviation 24/7

More like 4, MAYBE 5 hours of living and breathing aviation and two of those is playing Microsoft Flight Simulator with real head sets and a yoke, 12 hours of sleeping, 5 hours of video games/watching movies, and 4 hours of sitting on their ass in the wardroom talking about how SWO's suck because they can't find the wind.

 

[HeyJoe]

.....talking about how SWO's suck because they can't find the wind.

They can find the wind all right, but we'd prefer Case I (and not heading into the nearest thunder bumper) and sticking to a BRC we can live with when we're Case III instead of going serpentine.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

They can find the wind all right, but we'd prefer Case I (and not heading into the nearest thunder bumper) and sticking to a BRC we can live with when we're Case III instead of going serpentine.

Minor point of contention (i.e. thread jack): I was actually referring to the CRUDES world and the pinnacle of Naval Aviation, the helo community. A real SWO wouldn't be caught dead driving a carrier. That's not ship driving; that's wind driving.

 

[eddie]

What do you do if you're single and stationed at some place like Cherry Point, NC, or Yuma, AZ which both don't look like they've got much of a night life going on?

I am not in the service. However, I do know, if you aren't getting laid, it's YOUR fault.

Or it's just time to throw away your standards.

 

[KnightNArmor]

Just be careful. If the chick knows more about your job in life than you do....

RUN!!

 

[tangoman]

You guys are all very funny; I'm civilian who has lived in both rural areas as well as DC area currently and I can tell you there is a big difference in the number of available women. It sounds like you guys in the military find a way to make it work somehow; that's comforting to know. I'm considering Marine NFO and this point I bring up is an important one to me.

 

[Uncle Fester]

It sounds like you may be under the impression that life as a Marine officer is some sort of Spartan-monk chained-to-barracks existence. Much as some senior officers would like it to be, this is not the case, and you've been watching too many movies.

Though you have many more demands on your time and fewer personal freedoms (in the sense that you can't grow a bitchin' goatee or publicly belittle the President), by and large your life as a Navy or Marine aviator is not that different than that of your civilian counterpart. When the work is done, you get in your car and go home. Most likely, a decent car and a white-collar home in the 'burbs. If you want to meet a nice young lady, you do it the way everybody else does: church, match.com, bars, or street corners, as you prefer.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

If you want to meet a nice young lady, you do it the way everybody else does: church, match.com, bars, or street corners, as you prefer.

...or in some cases, even here on AW. :icon_wink

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Uhhhh....wtf....

I was told that (and I quote): "The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore."

Or maybe it was: "The fattest girl in the bar wants to earn you cool cash from the friends you went out hogging with. That bar is in [Yuma/Jacksonville/Cherry Point]"