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Platform Selection During Flight School

AT2toNFO

Muskrat
None
Ok, so I've searched the threads for an answer to my question and have not been able to find it (possibly due to my incompetent search technique...) I have read about the training pipeline on the CNATRA website and WHEN selection takes place, but not the HOW or WHY.

I'm trying to figure out what criteria is used to designate my platform. Is there certain characteristics in me or my performance that Big Navy looks at (such as performance as SNFO, test scores, background, age, etc) ? Or is it based more on needs of the Navy? I really want to end up VFA or VAQ. Is it possible to estimate my chances? Thanks in advance for your help!

Quick background info:
OCS report date: 18JAN2015
30 yr old male selected for NFO
Prior AT2 (VFA) - 5 years Active
ET2 (Seabee) - 2 years Reserve
Current civilian
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
They really don't spend too much time agonizing over who to send where. TRACOM is a factory. They do consider what you want, and your grades and performance do factor into it, but overall it's "we need to send X guys here and Y guys there, so let's divvy up this week's class".

- Fill out a dream sheet at each stage (P-grad: Heavies or Tailhook, I-grad: VAW or Strike/Strike-Fighter, Advanced: VAQ or VFA)
- #1 cone in the class gets his/her first choice, barring extraordinary circumstances
- Everyone else, they go down the list and try to match your desire to what they need, but Navy's needs take precedence. So if you really want VP but they don't have any VP billets the week you P-grad, you're out of luck. Or if you want tailhook but you're the last ranked guy in the class and they have to send somebody from your class to VP-30 your week and nobody above you wants it...well, Jax isn't so bad.
- The only way in which I've ever heard grades really factoring into selection (beyond just your NSS rank in the class), was for a while they were drafting the last-place guy in I-grad to go VAW, on the theory that if you were struggling in T-39s, maybe you should go sit in front of a scope with two other dudes to back you up. This lead to an unacceptably high attrition rate at the E-2 RAG, because the reality is, if you're struggling in T-39s, it's probably because you have trouble multitasking, poor scan, etc; i.e., lots of skills you need as an AIC. So they started drafting the #2 guy in each class instead.
- Volunteering is encouraged. They do try to send people where they want to go, if possible. If one guy wants VP and they have one billet, they'll get it (again, barring extraordinary circumstances). I decided I wanted to go VAW halfway through Intermediate. This made me very popular with my intermediate class, because there was one VAW billet and no one else wanted it. I almost got rolled into the next class due to wx delaying my I-grad flights. But I finished up Friday morning, debriefed on the taxi in, went straight from the jet to my I-grad. As soon as I walked in, everyone's head whipped around. "Did you complete?" Yep. "Thank G-d. We were arguing about who had to take the E-2 billet if you didn't."
- Can you estimate your chances? No. Maybe the week you graduate each level of flight training, you can somewhat. There's a lot of factors that are out of your control and totally unpredictable. NSS isn't just your performance, it's your performance relative to the last 100 dudes. Your class rank also depends on who's in your class and how they did, and people roll into and out of classes all the time for a myriad of reasons. You might be #1 but then a guy from the class ahead of you with a better NSS gets wx-delayed and rolls into your class right before I-grad. You might hear all the way through Primary that VFA is behind production and really needs bodies and every class out of -86 is going all VFA. Then the west coast RAG has a mishap and shuts down for three weeks and all of a sudden your class all goes VP. It's a dice roll, really.
- The good news is, it's all good and it's all flying. You may have a particular desire and good reasons to want that thing, but just resign yourself to the idea now that it may not happen and it's largely out of your control, and no matter what you get, odds are you'll end up loving it and talking shit about anyone who does anything else.
 

AT2toNFO

Muskrat
None
Thank you for the thorough answer! Kind of what I expected, I just wanted to hear it from an experienced NFO. As far as what I get, I agree with you; I'm just thankful I got selected and happy I'll be flying. So whatever I get is going to be cool with me! It was a crap shoot when I enlisted between AE and AT and when o got AT, of course I spent 5 years talking shit in AEs.... Haha
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Should add a couple of caveats to my description: first, they do have some flex in billets and they do look ahead a bit. So if they've got one VP billet for Class X and one for Class Y, and no one in Class X wants VP but there's two who do in Class Y, they'll try to flex it with the FRS so both can go. That's assuming they both have done well and the squadron feels they're worth the trouble. Your reputation always precedes you, even as early as the VTs. Build a rep as a hard worker and someone who doesn't always need special treatment, and they never hear your name associated with anything negative, and you've a better chance of getting hooked up when you really need it.
Second, Wing 6 is in the middle of a huge overhaul of the program and I don't know how it'll shake out WRT pipeline selection and flexibility. So as with everything in the Navy, YMMV.
 

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
I don't know if this is your point, or what you are wondering about, but suffice to say that there is nothing you can do right now to improve your chances of selecting a specific community. That will be entirely based on your performance in primary, the needs of the navy, what you put down on your selection sheet, and to a smaller extent, your performance in API. They aren't going to say "hey this guy should go VFA because he was a prior/was a #1 EP in his last command/was involved in extracurriculars/etc". That stuff surely factored into you getting picked up for commissioning, but when you get to Pensacola, you will be a blank slate just like every other ENS/2nd Lt. Just so you know.
 

AT2toNFO

Muskrat
None
What Jac said.

What I unrealistically hoped for: TRACOM would consider my time as a proficient avionics maintainer on 18's in my selection and/or give priors choice over non-priors...

What I guessed would probably happen: What Jac said.

lol.
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I don't know if this is your point, or what you are wondering about, but suffice to say that there is nothing you can do right now to improve your chances of selecting a specific community. That will be entirely based on your performance in primary, the needs of the navy, what you put down on your selection sheet, and to a smaller extent, your performance in API. They aren't going to say "hey this guy should go VFA because he was a prior/was a #1 EP in his last command/was involved in extracurriculars/etc". That stuff surely factored into you getting picked up for commissioning, but when you get to Pensacola, you will be a blank slate just like every other ENS/2nd Lt. Just so you know.
While what you say is true if you remain below the radar. The person selecting you for your pipeline will only know your grades and whatever reputation you've established in your short showing during flight training.

I worked with quite a few SNFOs when selecting them for their eventual pipeline. Bottom line is that it does not hurt to make sure your choice is known especially by the people selecting you. If you have the grades to support the selection, then things will go your way. Sometimes it will boil down to needs of the Navy, but when it doesn't, wouldn't it be nice to al least think you had a hand in creating your future?
 

Spartan43

STEEEEEEEEEVE
None
What I unrealistically hoped for: TRACOM would consider my time as a proficient avionics maintainer on 18's in my selection and/or give priors choice over non-priors...

What I guessed would probably happen: What Jac said.

lol.
There is a "why should we select you for your top choice?" section of the preference sheet. I'm not too sure how much of it they consider.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
What I unrealistically hoped for: TRACOM would consider my time as a proficient avionics maintainer on 18's in my selection and/or give priors choice over non-priors...

What I guessed would probably happen: What Jac said.

lol.

Your E time really has nothing to do with your performance as an NFO. You could say something like, I worked in VFA as a prior and I'd like to return to the community. But otherwise, reset your salty-meter. They're not selecting you for your ability to write a good avionics gripe, and you get no credit for time served. Be content with your O-1E pay.
 

AT2toNFO

Muskrat
None
Your E time really has nothing to do with your performance as an NFO. You could say something like, I worked in VFA as a prior and I'd like to return to the community. But otherwise, reset your salty-meter. They're not selecting you for your ability to write a good avionics gripe, and you get no credit for time served. Be content with your O-1E pay.

Message received. I was banking on the whole reset/clean slate thing anyway, except that sweet O-1E over 6 pay. I will be more than content with that! I don't make shit as a cop.... Thanks again for your advice!

On a separate note; On the NA/NFO side of things, are ATs not generally associated with fixing avionics gripes?
 

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Message received. I was banking on the whole reset/clean slate thing anyway, except that sweet O-1E over 6 pay. I will be more than content with that! I don't make shit as a cop.... Thanks again for your advice!

On a separate note; On the NA/NFO side of things, are ATs not generally associated with fixing avionics gripes?
They're a damn sight better at it than the AD's, that's for sure. Ever seen a mech hit an EGI with a hammer? It happens...
 

OscarMyers

Well-Known Member
None
Message received. I was banking on the whole reset/clean slate thing anyway, except that sweet O-1E over 6 pay. I will be more than content with that! I don't make shit as a cop.... Thanks again for your advice!

On a separate note; On the NA/NFO side of things, are ATs not generally associated with fixing avionics gripes?

Those are the only dudes I see... Which is a damn shame because we all know AEs are superior troubleshooters. ;)
 
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