Navy SEAL to aviator

[zippy]

The most recent CO of the BLUE RIDGE, Captain Paradise I believe was a former Enlisted SEAL and current Naval Aviator.

... and an occasional poster on this site...

There are several routes to be both a SEAL and then a pilot, they're all difficult. I only know of one that allows someone to be both at the same time and that's no small feat either.

To the OP- Bottom line is it's possible in theory (I've personally met two who've done it) but there's only a very small number of folks who become SEALs in the first place, so the number for folks who end up doing both is so small to the point where they're almost statistical anomalies.

Pick what you have a passion for and pursue that, but be aware that the road to being a SEAL and the road to being a pilot are paved with crushed hopes and dreams. Either path will be difficult in its own right, traveling both will be exponentially so.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Yeah but he's not a Naval Aviator.


Yes he did, but without wings of gold.

And getting that requires even more hoops to jump through. I know two guys in that same program, retired MCPOs, flying for a major - they did some contract flying for us as well several years ago.

Again, the are SEALs, they are pilots, but they aren't Naval Aviators.

I know a SEAL who is a Naval Aviator. Harrier pilot.

 

[webmaster]

Yeah but he's not a Naval Aviator.


Yes he did, but without wings of gold.

And getting that requires even more hoops to jump through. I know two guys in that same program, retired MCPOs, flying for a major - they did some contract flying for us as well several years ago.

Again, the are SEALs, they are pilots, but they aren't Naval Aviators.

Lol. Glad you felt the need to make the emphasis twice that he wasn't a Naval Aviator and qualify my commentary. But I guess my general anecdote where people can go on to do other things or take advantage of (cough) opportunities went right by you. Thanks shipmate.

Another anecdote .... I went the enlisted route. Enlisted submarine and scuba diver. Any enlisted to officer path can involve many things outside your control. And as the recruiters have said going to college and applying directly for a commission through one of the programs is generally the safer bet. BUT ... if you are a motivated individual it is not very difficult to succeed and outpace contemporaries. All the commissioning program interviews I did you could always break out the rock stars. It just is difficult when you have multiple rock star enlisted at a command applying to a commissioning program. Anyways to the Op, you need to do some soul searching, do what you are interested in right now and set longer term goals on future goals. With the realization as others have mentioned that there is some risk associated with the path you are interested in and there are few(er) people that have managed to pull it off.

Best of luck.

 

[fc2spyguy]

The risk with the enlisted side is that he needs to join/DEP with a regular enlisted job first and then assuming he does well in the physical screening tests can reclassify under a SEAL contract. If he doesn't, he can get out of his enlisted contract even though it's highly discouraged.

Highly discouraged, by who? The Navy? Of course it is, but no one outside of the navy is going to care. If he wants SEAL enlisted offers the better opportunity.

 

[Flash]

I know a SEAL who is a Naval Aviator. Harrier pilot.

Another Marine Aviator who was a SEAL in his previous life, flies the JSF now.

 

[RHINOWSO]

Lol. Glad you felt the need to make the emphasis twice that he wasn't a Naval Aviator and qualify my commentary. But I guess my general anecdote where people can go on to do other things or take advantage of (cough) opportunities went right by you. Thanks shipmate.

I was just clarifying that a retired MCPO SEAL who 'flew' in the Navy on active duty wasn't a trained Navy pilot / Navy flight school graduate. He's a SEAL who got civilian flight training. There is a difference (to me, anyway), I've flown with both. Not a dig on someone being enlisted or officer, just a factual comparison. No reason to get sore over it, shipmate.

Sure, there are SEALs who converted to Navy / USMC pilots, but as mentioned it's not common. The one I know finished BUD/S and had just finished up getting his pin when he got selected for commissioning, then went Navy Air.

 

[BACONATOR]

Another Marine Aviator who was a SEAL in his previous life, flies the JSF now.

Apparently he's a FO newhire at SWA... no surprise there.

 

[brownshoe]

Interesting old thread about enlisted pilots:

https://www.airwarriors.com/community/index.php?threads/old-nap-memories.33157/#post-588234

 

[Recovering LSO]

Yeah but he's not a Naval Aviator.

And since we're being particular (which is fine by me), neither are you. You are/were a Naval Flight Officer. Definitely something to be proud of, but also as a proper noun, very different from a Naval Aviator.

 

[Swanee]

Again, the are SEALs, they are pilots, but they aren't Naval Aviators.

I went to the ASO course with one of these dudes. Great guy. A real war hero. He was a Senior Chief, and definitely not in the same class of aviator as the guys who wear gold wings.

 

[RHINOWSO]

And since we're being particular (which is fine by me), neither are you. You are/were a Naval Flight Officer. Definitely something to be proud of, but also as a proper noun, very different from a Naval Aviator.

Correct - plenty of ways to cut it, just depends how far the onion has to be peeled back.

E2/C2 Pilot or Jets? P3 NFO or E2? CH53 guy or AH1? ECMO or WSO? FAC(A) or Strike Lead? CAG Paddles or just Sqnd? Wing Qual? HAC? Lots of particulars out there.

But considering most NFOs fly with as many Naval Aviators as Naval Aviators do (kind hard to get airborne without at least one), I believe we have a keen eye on what is what. Just like Naval Aviators who fly with NFOs know the same in that direction.

I went to the ASO course with one of these dudes. Great guy. A real war hero. He was a Senior Chief, and definitely not in the same class of aviator as the guys who wear gold wings.

Never intended to disparage the very small pool of those guys - the two I know were the same - retired, great guys, BTDT, and were very glad to have to opportunity to learn to fly and build hours for the airlines (they both were there) - very competent G/A pilots for your run of the mill G/A flying we do on the civie side of things. And the path they took is not one you could ever ask for or set out to do from the beginning - it just kinda happens to the right people, sometimes.

 

[zippy]

I went to the ASO course with one of these dudes. Great guy. A real war hero. He was a Senior Chief, and definitely not in the same class of aviator as the guys who wear gold wings.

Never intended to disparage the very small pool of those guys - the two I know were the same - retired, great guys, BTDT, and were very glad to have to opportunity to learn to fly and build hours for the airlines (they both were there) - very competent G/A pilots for your run of the mill G/A flying we do on the civie side of things. And the path they took is not one you could ever ask for or set out to do from the beginning - it just kinda happens to the right people, sometimes.

I really don't think one can give an apples to apples comparison of the Naval flight training product and the other program because of its very unique mission requirements and personnel. Do they have gold (pilot) wings? No, but that doesn't mean they're less capable of a pilot... My guess is they very well could complete Navy flight training but don't because the system is too slow to produce the end product (2 years away is a small eternity) and it's too much of a public forum for the nature of their business.

 

[Gliderpilot321]

Thank you all for your replies and advice!

 

[RHINOWSO]

In short, if you want to scratch the SEAL itch, you need to try that first. You can try to transfer to aviation later, or find other aviation related activities, or take up flying on the side.

One of our enlisted maintainers who had private ticket and was working his way up on the side, instructing and such to build time. Another guy I know was in the Army - while his bros were drinking beers and pissing away their $$$ on the weekends, he saved up and bought an old C150 and flew the $hit out of it, the start of his flying career.

Good luck!

 

[RHINOWSO]

I really don't think one can give an apples to apples comparison of the Naval flight training product and the other program because of its very unique mission requirements and personnel. Do they have gold (pilot) wings? No, but that doesn't mean they're less capable of a pilot... My guess is they very well could complete Navy flight training but don't because the system is too slow to produce the end product (2 years away is a small eternity) and it's too much of a public forum for the nature of their business.

We'll just have to agree to disagree and leave it at that, in a public forum.