Navy vs Air Force

[a_question]

What are the typical career progression differences between naval aviators and USAF pilots? I've heard that it's pretty likely you won't fly again after reaching O-4 in the USAF, but I've also heard that you may not even fly for more than 6 years total as a naval aviator (due to the disassociated sea tour eating up a chunk of your initial service commitment and possibly not getting any more flying assignments after your initial commitment). In the most general of terms, are there better chances of staying in the cockpit longer in one particular branch?

USAF pilots keep flying well into their career. Squadrons are commanded by O-5s, Groups by O-6s, and Wings by O-6s or O-7s. O-9s with numbered AF (regional-ish) commands keep current in their main airframe. I know guys who got combat missions with a star on their shoulder.

 

[mb1k]

mb1685,

I've experienced both cultures and you can safely say that generally you're going to get to fly heavily early on, and then it's a dice toss past the 10 year mark depending on your goals.

If you're set for rank and command, plan on flying less unless your career success happens to track you in the flying world. Meaning AF you stay in your weapon system through squadron, OSS, Wing job, then back as DO and then CC. Those slots are relatively small. Usually guys will do a operational squadron tour in their weapon system and then filter out to ATC, staff, and then if they're lucky back to their weapon system. Some fighter guys will only see two tours through operational fighters and then they're done. I'll get some pushback from this answer but I work with 60% fighter guys right now and that's pretty much their sob story. Heavies and "others" will vary.

If the Navy when I was a helo guy, you could figure on sea tour in your 60 squadron, IP tour in the HTs or VTs or detailer job if you're a Skipper's boy, then back to department head tour if you screen and get promoted to 0-4. Afterwards look for "broadening" for 2-3 years before coming up for command screen and the 0-5 board. If you're lucky, you get to go back to flying in your fleet aircraft, or you can compete for the special mission flying command jobs.

I could have flow my entire career if I had wanted to for the record. I only took a three year break to get HQ stink on me for the 0-5 board. If I had chosen to stay on the flight line I would have had 20 years of continuous flying duty (in a flying status). Everyone is different.

 

[mb1685]

Thanks, mb1k and a_question!

Would you mind explaining what sea tours (I'm guessing these encompass deployments?), shore tours, and disassociated sea tours are and how they relate to naval aviators?

 

[scoolbubba]

Thanks, mb1k and a_question!

Would you mind explaining what sea tours (I'm guessing these encompass deployments?), shore tours, and disassociated sea tours are and how they relate to naval aviators?

The Navy has two overarching types of duty: sea duty and shore duty. Sea duty: you are in a sea-going (ie deployable) squadron that does regularly scheduled work ups, deployments, and an interdeployment cycle on a sort of regularly irregular schedule. Shore duty: non-deploying (outside the random augmentee), good deal at home doing something other than the primary mission.

Disassociated sea tour: the tweener tour aviators do after they do their first shore tour and before going back to their second operational (sea) tour. Generally helo and big wing bubbas do these, mostly because they have the time in their career to get it done and fighter guys don't as a result of getting through flight school later. It's meant to "broaden your horizons," or cause the appropriate amount of pain for uncle sam to get his pound of flesh back before you pull chocks on your way out the door.