SNFO selections

[unfUSN]

I am going to be starting Primary shortly and was wondering what the selection pool was looking like for FO's...

Is it hard to get jets? Where are the majority of FO's going?

Thanks,
LTJG Payne

 

[EA-6B1]

I know in the Marines that NFO's get Jets no matter what. What about NFO's in the Navy? What aircraft can they get assigned to? Thanks for posting unfUSN. I didn't realize this.

 

[NFOtoBE]

Navy NFO's can go to one of several aircraft (all of whose jobs are slightly different)
The Mighty P-3 Orion- 2 NFO on Crew one Tactical Control Officer and one Navigator/Communicator
EP-3 Aries II- basically the same plane as the P-3 just slightly different in jobs
E-2C Hawkeye- 3 NFO on Crew, mostly Airborne Early Warning job
F-14 Tomcat- 1 NFO on Crew, Radar Intercept Officer
F-18 Super Hornet- 1 NFO on Crew
S-3 Viking- usually 1 NFO on Crew but can have 2, WSO

the S-3 is in the process of being phased out, but they are currently sending NFO's to the Rag. Also the F-14 will be phased out sometime soon too. The P-3 community will be receiving a whole new airframe sometime in 2010 timeframe.
Lots of changes in the future as we move toward a joint service/ multi task type of airframe.

 

[goplay234]

Thank God, a topic for FO's!! All right. So anybody got the skinny on the possibility of jets? Who gets picked for what? I am going to be there around DEC so I want to know my chances. Where do the majority of us go?

 

[EA-6B1]

Yea, I'm glad that this thread is here for SNFO's too. Thanks guys.

 

[savingthisone]

unf, what is current SNFO wait time for API? How long was wait between API and Primary? Thanks.

 

[unfUSN]

Originally posted by savingthisone
unf, what is current SNFO wait time for API? How long was wait between API and Primary? Thanks.

I had a 7 weeks wait for API. But now some SNFO's are going to IFS and that will extend your wait for API.

The wait for Primary kind of depends on what you are slated to fly either T-34 or T-6? Right now it is about 6 weeks for T-6 and 8 weeks for T-34. The Primary wait times are differnt all the time though.

LTJG Payne

 

[savingthisone]

Thanks much. Have PPL so will bypass IFS.

 

[goplay234]

Are you serious? We have to do IFS? Why? We don't have to be pilots. Man, I have been stashed for SIX months...I don't want to have to wait to get to the pipleline. I can understand for pilots but this is ridiculous!! Anyone who can give me answers would be great.

 

[adam]

LMAO! I guess only an nfo would be pissed about getting to do ifs...best deal in the navy. it makes sense to me, what if the pilot conks out and you need to take it in????? if the controls are there, you might as well be able to use them.

 

[EA-6B1]

I'd love to do IFS as a SNFO!

 

[ScottHook]

Might be a bit of a squeeze for us to get into the front seat of a SuperHornet if Lt Narcolepsy decides to take a nap. Anyway, I hear they finally put that inflatable autopilot from Airplane into production, so we'll have nothing to worry about.

Seriously, though, I was told that we do it so that we are better able to communicate with the pilot and have a better understanding of what they do. Makes sense I guess.

 

[paullatina]

Bring it on!!

 

[goplay234]

I just don't want to wait anymore for the pipeline to start. I just don't want to wait any longer. Oh well. So I should definitely get an apt as opposed to staying in the Q considering I will be at IFS...right?

 

[Meridiani]

Well, if you take a look at the NIFS syllabus (posted under the NFO forum), you'll see that very little of the course is taken up by actual stick time. From what I've heard, both IFS and NIFS are done primarily to screen folks prior to API who would attrite from Primary because they dislike flying/being in the plane/doing the job...whatever. It saves the Navy money.