Shameful

[akoni78]

Originally posted by Ray
And to answer the question; from what I have gathered from all the students in front of me they take the guy with the best boat scores and give them prowlers. Waveoff is the term for going around without hitting the deck. And top hook is the guy with the best landings. So if you want hornets, don't be the best at the boat.

VT-22 T-45A TS
Currently: Phase 1/Mod 1

Thanks Ray,

So how many shots do you get land on the boat? Can you waveoff everytime, or do you get disqualified after too many waveoffs? I am just trying to get a feel for the fine lines between mediocrity and getting completely DQ'd (if possible). Is there a cumulative score to landing on the boat, or is it just one day "checkride" sort of deal?

How many people (currently in flight school) are aware of the "Strive for Mediocrity" thing? (I imagine that eventually the top guys would start to get suspicious when all of the flight school studs start waving off on the boat all of the time)

Finally, I read ( http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/AVN/ ) that there are only 20 active Prowlers in the entire Corps. It seems like it would be downright hard to get em (considering that there are hundreds of Hornets and Harriers).

Thanks for your time.

 

[ProwlerPilot]

Ok, here's the story. You can do well at the boat and still get what you want. Just because you do well there does not mean that you are locked in for Prowlers. However, it does put you in a better spot to get them. There is an actual cutoff for boat grades to go prowlers. Just like any NSS can go helos out of primary, any qualified boat score can go Hornets. The top hook hornets thing is also a bit more on the Navy side than the corps.
Also, don't think that people are actually going to the boat and getting waveoffs for this reason. Because of most pilots' personalities, and the fact that you do not "really" want to DQ, everyone tries their best at the boat. I knew the consequences, but I wasn't about to throw a pass and let this guy I hated do better than me. That is just the way it goes. So I joke about striving for mediocrity at the boat, and everyone knows that fact, but no one that I know of actually throws passes to do worse.

 

[Ray]

Ya. No one is going to blow the boat on purpose. I'll be happy with just qualifying. I don't know for sure how many times you can waveoff and still qualify. There is also the other side of that too. I don't know how many times you can bolter and get DQ'd. There are 14 CQ rides in all and only the last one is at the boat. You get a bunch of passes too. But there is a minimum requirement for qualifying. And it all depends on needs of the navy. I've also seen the top boat guy get hornets and not prowlers too. There really isn't anything bad anywhere in the jet pipeline. Unless you are one of those 'shoot myself if I don't get super hornet' people.

Here is a little disclaimer about everything I say: Listen to me last. I may be here, but I know jack. Take these other guys advice over mine. They've been there already.

Jarhead, do you know Kevin Chlan?

VT-22 T-45A TS
Currently: Phase 1/Mod 1

 

[akoni78]

Hey thanks for the info.

I haven't a clue about the process, so sorry if the questions are too low-level. I figure you guys/gals are the best to ask.

What constitutes qualifying? How do you get top hook (i.e. - by getting 3/3 boat landings with no waveoffs)? Also, what are the odds of getting Harriers from the boat (or is this wash done before the boat landing process)? (I don't hear from too many Harrier pilots in this forum.)

AND the big one, What happens if you don't qualify (do you not get to fly jets)?

Finally, doesn't the fact that there are only 20 active Prowlers in all of the USMC make it almost "hard" to get them?

Thanks again.

 

[Ray]

Kevin was at Kingsville about the time you got done. I figured you might know him. He's navy super hornets though.

VT-22 T-45A TS
Currently: Phase 1/Mod 1