Navy VS Air Force Helicopter Pilot

[Max the Mad Russian]

He’d done a cutter tour prior to going to flight school and lead a LEO det then.

A flying cutterman... Rare bird. Maybe you remember whether he wore a cutterman badge beneath the Wings?

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

one was A and the other was B, when that's not exactly the case

My logical mistake, I confess this. But in UK the CG had never been military. Look, when aboard USCGC Gallatin in 1993 during her port call in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I met the US Navy SWO Lt who, as I've been told, was in charge of cutter's 76-mm gun since CG personnell is not authorized to use such a gun, but maybe it was a case of "lost in translation". In all the other aspects those Coasties had looked and acted as pure military ship's company.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Generally, international PEP is something very useful for mutual defence, and I can praise the cases when for example Swiss or Finnish or Canadian or Spain Air Forces send their exchange pilots to VFAs since those pilots are familiar with F/A-18 family aircraft. But when German Luftwaffe or Italian Aeronautica Militare send to VFA or VMFA an exchange pilots who never touched Hornets before, I suggest it takes time and money comparable to standard USN NA pipeline to "wing" them. Is it wise?

 

[Gatordev]

Typically, unless you're flying the exact type/model/series of aircraft from the same country, EVERYONE goes through some sort of retraining when flying a different or nearly different aircraft. Plus the USCG is very particular about how they do SAR, so even a Navy guy would have to go through ATC and re-learn things.

While the USCG may not have had -53s, they did have Pelicans.

A flying cutterman... Rare bird. Maybe you remember whether he wore a cutterman badge beneath the Wings?

It's pretty normal for "pure blood" USCG officers to come from cutters before going to a different community (TACLET, PR, Aviation, etc). Yes, they have water wings.

...I met the US Navy SWO Lt who, as I've been told, was in charge of cutter's 76-mm gun since CG personnell is not authorized to use such a gun, but maybe it was a case of "lost in translation". In all the other aspects those Coasties had looked and acted as pure military ship's company.

Admittedly it was a different time, but I think something was lost in the translation.

 

[Flash]

It's pretty normal for "pure blood" USCG officers to come from cutters before going to a different community (TACLET, PR, Aviation, etc). Yes, they have water wings.

They have a time requirement to be able to wear them permanently though unlike SWO's, 5 years cumulative.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Thanks. AFAIK, USCG never used 53, so this guy had to pass a full training I suppose

These were personnel exchange tours. And actually the legacy goes back to Vietnam War era. Look it up - quite a few USCG aviators distinguished themselves in combat while serving with AF units.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I met the US Navy SWO Lt who, as I've been told, was in charge of cutter's 76-mm gun since CG personnell is not authorized to use such a gun, but maybe it was a case of "lost in translation".

Either lost in translation or pure bullshit.

 

[Griz882]

Either lost in translation or pure bullshit.

I say pure lost in translation...or a shoe pulling some comrades leg.

 

[Gatordev]

They have a time requirement to be able to wear them permanently though unlike SWO's, 5 years cumulative.

Did not know that.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Typically, unless you're flying the exact type/model/series of aircraft from the same country, EVERYONE goes through some sort of retraining when flying a different or nearly different aircraft.

Understood. Yes even this Finn flown F/A-18C from his childhood had to pass full VMFAT-101 route before his first trap.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

It's pretty normal for "pure blood" USCG officers to come from cutters before going to a different community (TACLET, PR, Aviation, etc).

Just like TBS for Marines, right? Those two "Semper" services are similar to a degree... Just like both Marines' and Coasties' Hercs flown with enlisted navigators...

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

They have a time requirement to be able to wear them permanently though unlike SWO's, 5 years cumulative.

Did not know, either. Thanks. It explains the rare case of cutterman badge beneath the single anchored wings.

 

[Flash]

Did not know that.

I worked with a couple of patrol boat skippers, JG's and LT's, who were annoyed that they weren't going to be able to keep their pins even after doing full cutter tour.

 

[BarryD]

Just like TBS for Marines, right? Those two "Semper" services are similar to a degree... Just like both Marines' and Coasties' Hercs flown with enlisted navigators...

I think a better comparison might be when most didn’t directly select Subs/Aviation from NROTC/USNA and wound up going to a ship and would lat transfer over.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

I think a better comparison might be when most didn’t directly select Subs/Aviation from NROTC/USNA and wound up going to a ship and would lat transfer over.

Yeah as this had been before WWII: fresh Ens should have a first tour as DivO shoe. AFAIK, Royal Navy still sticks with such rule.