Prior flight time and getting Jets/high NSS

[airwinger]

I wanted to ask all those in fighter squadrons if they've noticed a disproportionate number of their colleagues(heck even the guys you who did well in flight school) had previous flight time.
I ask this because from casual reading, I've noticed that Randy had prior flight time
and said it helped, yet Matt Stevenson didn't and said don't bother.
However, I went to embry-riddle for a while and I remember hearing that next to the USNA, no other school got more jet slots(especially significant if you consider that the school only had a freshman class of 1200 and <b>NO NROTC </b>program.)
Thanks for the well thought out replies Cpl W,

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Oh, now that was very encouraging!
All I care about is making a possible step up to Navy flying as easy for me as possible. (regarding my previous post) Now I'm excited again just by your last pragraph! lol Now I'll stop bugging you about this.
God bless

 

[Frumby]

I'm not a big proponate of a lot of prior flight time. Like Matt said, it does help you in the initial primary stage simply because you are a little more comfortable in the aircraft. It will not help you in the advanced stages. It all depends on your attitude. There are quite a few individuals with advanced civilian tickets who are washed out because they thought they knew how to fly. They do but only civilian, not military. Personally, I never flew an airplane until I joined the Marine Corps and I've been flying jets for over 10 years.
The school thing is a wives tale. No one that I know of has ever tracked what school produces more jet pilots. If they do, they've never released the information to any of us. I can tell that Embry-Riddle grads have stood out but in the negative sense. Mainly for the reasons I gave in the first paragraph. I'm sure they were few and far between. Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[Jason Williams]

Hey airwinger. I have to agree with everyone. I have all those great civ ratings and dont believe there doing me much good right now. I have to 1st forget what I know and 2nd learn a new way. Thats tough in the time your given to do everything. I wouldnt waste my money on civ time except to see if you like it or not. Dont go up in 172 either get a ride in a Pitts or something cool as long as your spending the money.

 

[DeadOn]

Okay, here's an added twist. I got my PPL because 1)I just always wanted to and 2)so if/when I go to flight school I'll have at least a basic understanding. Turns out I learned much more from being enlisted aircrew - go figure. My question is in regard to the instrument ticket. Yeah, I know the military has their own way, but I just can't see how knowing the basics of IFR wouldn't help. You know, already knowing how to enter a hold, getting practice timing, etc. Just my $0.02

Fly. Fight. Win.

 

[kmac]

Introductory Flight Screening:
As of yesterday, the first class of IFS students began. It is comprised of 6 Navy OCS graduates and 3 Marine Corps TBS graduates. The idea is to provide 25 hours of civilian training before preflight indoctrination begins. The Air Force has a similar program call Introductory Flight Training where the pilots get 50 hours and their private pilot certificate. The mission of each program is different however, and the Navy has tailored the program to get students up to a solo cross country. Within a couple years all future Naval Pilots will go through the IFS program.

 

[beau]

Man if I've learned one thing about the military its this: you will heard everything from everybody and its all different information on the same topic. This never ceases to amaze me. I've heard (to add on what has been brought up here)is that if you have your instrument rating before you go in to Navy flight training you SHOULD do okay. This also takes into account that your more than prepared to relearn everything differently and that you dont F@#k up the basics. Of course this comes from an Instructor and all Instructors are different. SO take it as you will.

P.S.-just got my Instrument rating....O yeah!


Finch

GO SOONERS!!!

 

[Jack]

Just because beating a dead horse is more enteraining that what I've been up to while on leave....

I agree fully with the Major and Matt. I had no prior flight time when I started primary. Looking back on the experience I believe that the only thing that prior flight time would have helped me with is in the instrument stage. When I say it would have helped I mean that I would have been familiar with the terminology and concepts. The procedures must be learned and executed IAW the text (FTI) and local/command SOP.

What it all boils down to is your ability to take large amounts of information - learn it and execute it. If you feel that paying large sums of money to learn how to fly a civilian landing pattern is going to help, well, its your money. If I were looking at kick starting a career in Naval Aviation I would read this and see that it is not required and often more harmful than helpful. Save your money - you'll need it to play golf.



jec