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Selection

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pknguyen44

New Member
Hi everyone, I was just wondering how one would be selected into "Top Gun?" I posted this on serviceacademyforum but I heard there were a lot of aviators here that could better answer that question. I'll be headed to NAPS this fall, and I realize that its way down the road, but it's a long-long term goal for myself if I get that fighter slot. Thanks!
 
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milky-f18

loud-mouthed, know-it-all
Firstly, Italics are supposed to be used for highlighting or for specific reasons. NOT to post an entire question.

Top Gun selection is done at the end of your JO sea duty tour in your F/A-18 or F-35 squadron. You apply through your weapons school. The selections take place quarterly to happen just prior to the quarterly detailing of JOs to shore duty. When you apply, you express your desire as to whether you want to go to the weapons school or stay on at Fallon as an IP (and I think there are a couple of other rare opportunities like Strike, RAG, VX). It is recommended that you 'rush' wherever you want to end up a bit before you put in your package as they will have a lot of say as to whether or not they want you.

What do you have to do to be selected? Meet the minimum requirements (which almost everybody coming out of their fleet tour does) and be wanted in the patch-wearing community. That's about all it comes down to. Helps if you are good in the jet and not a total douche (though some would argue about the douche part.) In my experience, mostly good dudes get selected. It seems like a good way to go if you want to be a Tactics Instructor. It is NOTHING like the movie, and the school is just basically a school to get you a qual to be an instructor in a shore tour. If you don't want to do any of the jobs that patch-guys do, then there is little good to come from going to Top Gun. Until you've been in the fleet about a year or two, you should not even be thinking about whether it is something you want to do because in reality, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!
 
ACowboyinTexas

ACowboyinTexas

Armed and Dangerous
pilot
Contributor
Helps if you are good in the jet and not a total douche (though some would argue about the douche part.)

That's true, they train you to be a douche while you're there ;-)
 
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DSL1990

VMI Cadet 4/c, MIDN 4/c
pknguyen44 said:
Hi everyone, I was just wondering how one would be selected into "Top Gun?" I posted this on serviceacademyforum but I heard there were a lot of aviators here that could better answer that question. I'll be headed to NAPS this fall, and I realize that its way down the road, but it's a long-long term goal for myself if I get that fighter slot. Thanks!
Click to expand...

topgun is definitely my favorite naval aviation movie, but i've done some research, and it seems like the real TOPGUN is different than what you see in the movie. here is a summary i found of the school and the SFTI course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Fighter_Weapons_School

for example, i've never seen anything that says (like in the movie) that only the top 1% of fighter pilots are accepted to TOPGUN. i think that is just made up for the movie to make it seem that maverick and goose had an even greater accomplishment by being sent there.

there is this navy captain who is an USNA grad and former TOPGUN instructor who has a really cool blog. he writes very well. he makes being a TOPGUN instructor sound like it was the coolest thing he's ever done. you can find a bunch of articles about TOPGUN in his archives of older blog entries.
http://www.neptunuslex.com/
 
ea6bflyr

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Every community has a "Top Gun", of sorts, patch wearers.

In the Prowler community they are called PTI's or Prowler Tactics Instructor (Navy) and Weapons Tactics Instructor, or WTI's in the Marine Corps. No matter what community your find yourself, you may have the opportunity to become a patch wearing member.

-ea6bflyr ;)
 
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DSL1990

VMI Cadet 4/c, MIDN 4/c
ea6bflyr said:
Every community has a "Top Gun", of sorts, patch wearers.

In the Prowler community they are called PTI's or Prowler Tactics Instructor (Navy) and Weapons Tactics Instructor, or WTI's in the Marine Corps. No matter what community your find yourself, you may have the opportunity to become a patch wearing member.

-ea6bflyr ;)
Click to expand...

will you be flying a growler soon ea6bflyr? those look just like super hornets so maybe you'll get a chance to wear 2 different patches :)
 
ea6bflyr

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
You never know....my immediate plans are to head to VT-86 and suppress the morale of young Student NFO's. After that, who knows. :D

-ea6bflyr ;)
 
phrogdriver

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
DSL1990 said:
for example, i've never seen anything that says (like in the movie) that only the top 1% of fighter pilots are accepted to TOPGUN. i think that is just made up for the movie to make it seem that maverick and goose had an even greater accomplishment by being sent there.
Click to expand...

If selection for it is anything like Marine WTI, 1-3 guys out of a given peer group of 10 or so will go to the school. Some of the selection is timing, some is aptitude. Some guys are better "sticks" than the guys who get selected, but the (WTI at least) emphasis is on flight leadership and being able to instruct others in what one learned, which is a somewhat different animal. The point of these schools is not to make "superpilots," but guys who can lead missions and teach others in their squadrons the skills they've learned.
 
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milky-f18

loud-mouthed, know-it-all
phrogdriver said:
If selection for it is anything like Marine WTI, 1-3 guys out of a given peer group of 10 or so will go to the school. Some of the selection is timing, some is aptitude. Some guys are better "sticks" than the guys who get selected, but the (WTI at least) emphasis is on flight leadership and being able to instruct others in what one learned, which is a somewhat different animal. The point of these schools is not to make "superpilots," but guys who can lead missions and teach others in their squadrons the skills they've learned.
Click to expand...
Overall, it's not you vs. your peers. You have to apply to even go. It's not like in the movie where the CO is told to send his best and brightest and he has to choose. There are selection boards that people apply for. So, among the applicants, they use their criteria to try to choose whom they think is best.
 
Afterburner76

Afterburner76

Life is Gouda
pilot
If you do go and screw up just this much... do you end up flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong?








...That might not be so bad, I hear cargo pilots are actually paid pretty good.
 
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