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Summary of NFO flight school
- Thread starter Pat1USMC
- Start date
P-3 NFOs
>>Does anyone know anything about the type of jobs that P-3C NFOs do once they are out in the fleet? What types of things they are responsible for in the air. I heard from some people that P-3 NFO is a bad job bc it is so hectic. Does anyone know anything about that? I really just want to know if I select NFO what the job is going to entail. I mean I dont just want to look at a radar screen for the entire flight.... any help?
OK. The NFO runs the show aboard a P-3. It's that simple. First you qual as NAV/COMM and you're really busy and harrassed having to do what uused to be two separate stations. Then you move up to TACCO and it's a whole new game. The TACCO directs all tactical evolutions aboard a P-3 and you'll wish you had eight hands, between running your scope, the search stores armament panel, the torp panel, the Harpoon missile panel, all the sensor input panels from acoustic and non-acoustic sensor stations, plotting all target movements and predicts, slewing fly to points into the computer that the pilot has to follow, coordinating all ICS comm with all 11 other stations, keeping the NAV from flying off the edge of the world, and coaxing FLIGHT to be in the right position at the right time so you don't have to try a 90 degree angle bank turn in order to mark on top a bouy that has target contact. This doesn't include ensuring that proper comms are used, the 2nd wrench doesn't burn his face off cooking supper, and that the F/E doesn't start punching-out the pilots.
Then, there is qualification as Patrol Plane Mission Commander, the next step up...
Of course, flying is always a _secondary_ duty. In the Navy you'll also have three or four ground jobs which will be your "primary billets," such as line division officer, coffee mess officer, morale officer, and if you are as lucky as I was my first deployment, condom control officer.
If you like a lot of responsibility fast and want to see the world -- a LOT of the world -- being a P-3 NFO is almost impossible to beat. P-3s go everywhere and you get to go in your personal airplane. And it's all on per diem. On my first tour I went to Washington, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, French Frigate Shoals, Midway, China, Thailand, and of course, Vietnam. A lot of Vietnam.
If you have any specific questions, email me at ip568@charter.net.
Have fun!
>>Does anyone know anything about the type of jobs that P-3C NFOs do once they are out in the fleet? What types of things they are responsible for in the air. I heard from some people that P-3 NFO is a bad job bc it is so hectic. Does anyone know anything about that? I really just want to know if I select NFO what the job is going to entail. I mean I dont just want to look at a radar screen for the entire flight.... any help?
OK. The NFO runs the show aboard a P-3. It's that simple. First you qual as NAV/COMM and you're really busy and harrassed having to do what uused to be two separate stations. Then you move up to TACCO and it's a whole new game. The TACCO directs all tactical evolutions aboard a P-3 and you'll wish you had eight hands, between running your scope, the search stores armament panel, the torp panel, the Harpoon missile panel, all the sensor input panels from acoustic and non-acoustic sensor stations, plotting all target movements and predicts, slewing fly to points into the computer that the pilot has to follow, coordinating all ICS comm with all 11 other stations, keeping the NAV from flying off the edge of the world, and coaxing FLIGHT to be in the right position at the right time so you don't have to try a 90 degree angle bank turn in order to mark on top a bouy that has target contact. This doesn't include ensuring that proper comms are used, the 2nd wrench doesn't burn his face off cooking supper, and that the F/E doesn't start punching-out the pilots.
Then, there is qualification as Patrol Plane Mission Commander, the next step up...
Of course, flying is always a _secondary_ duty. In the Navy you'll also have three or four ground jobs which will be your "primary billets," such as line division officer, coffee mess officer, morale officer, and if you are as lucky as I was my first deployment, condom control officer.
If you like a lot of responsibility fast and want to see the world -- a LOT of the world -- being a P-3 NFO is almost impossible to beat. P-3s go everywhere and you get to go in your personal airplane. And it's all on per diem. On my first tour I went to Washington, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines, French Frigate Shoals, Midway, China, Thailand, and of course, Vietnam. A lot of Vietnam.
If you have any specific questions, email me at ip568@charter.net.
Have fun!
QUOTE by ip568......On my first tour I went to .......French Frigate Shoals .... !!!
Great photos of the P2 and P3 ... where is "LY" on the tail of the P2?? FRENCH FRIGATE ??? I have some really good digital photos of that great aerodrome taken (by me) on the way to Tokyo @ 35,000 feet. If I can figure out how to post "thumbnails" on this site, I will do so ....
Great photos of the P2 and P3 ... where is "LY" on the tail of the P2?? FRENCH FRIGATE ??? I have some really good digital photos of that great aerodrome taken (by me) on the way to Tokyo @ 35,000 feet. If I can figure out how to post "thumbnails" on this site, I will do so ....
I was bored on a Trans Pac and looked up the French Frigate Shoals in the Pacific Supplement and saw the the runway was only 3300 ft long 
. I found these links about the place.
http://www.letarc.net/ffsavion/
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/
Soem good photos from the second site.
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/tern1lra.jpg
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/tern2lra.jpg
Not a place you want to be hot and heavy at
.
. I found these links about the place. http://www.letarc.net/ffsavion/
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/
Soem good photos from the second site.
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/tern1lra.jpg
http://www.radiojerry.com/frigate/tern2lra.jpg
Not a place you want to be hot and heavy at
.
Flash said:
That's the one, Flash ... looks like a GREAT LAYOVER !!! I have it from 30-something thousand feet --- and with my own Sony digital --- while eating curry-chicken-rice from the Noodle Shop @ HNL Int'l Aerodrome --- and sipping on a Starbuck's from the same locale ---and, and...... breathless....
Yours is a better pix, unless you see it in perspective from the whole atoll. Good job.
Can you teach an old pilot new tricks, guess we will find out?
Just click on the "Manage Attachment" button when you reply to a post, will open a new window for you to upload your photos. When you add your post, it will automatically thumbnail the photo.A4sForever said:
Old Dogs, Older Pilots, New Tricks?
Like This ?????
Picture this: Midway Island, 35,000 feet --- heading for Nippon --- beautiful day --- clean uniform --- just starting 12-day trip --- not tired yet --- rolling that big, beautiful, fat 747 Whale up on her side with many, many Nipponese pax aboard --- making an announcement re: a little "meeting" between our two Navies in June, 1942. And all the while flying the aircraft and eating some more curry-chicken rice and sipping another Starbuck's from the HNL INTL food court ??? WHERE DO WE GET SUCH MEN ? :icon_smil ????
Like This ?????
Picture this: Midway Island, 35,000 feet --- heading for Nippon --- beautiful day --- clean uniform --- just starting 12-day trip --- not tired yet --- rolling that big, beautiful, fat 747 Whale up on her side with many, many Nipponese pax aboard --- making an announcement re: a little "meeting" between our two Navies in June, 1942. And all the while flying the aircraft and eating some more curry-chicken rice and sipping another Starbuck's from the HNL INTL food court ??? WHERE DO WE GET SUCH MEN ? :icon_smil ????
Attachments
Bump... just give a little context to the Strike/Fighter thread I put up...
wanaBpilot
Pro Rec'd NFO
Pat,
Lately I've noticed a lot of NFO's going strike, but not strike fighter. I am aware that they are phasing out the F-14's, which mean less strike fighter slots available. My question is, how many nfo's have been forced into aircraft that are not on their list of choices. I wouldn't mind getting assigned to any aircraft except for the E2's, that being my worst nightmare.
Like many others on the forum, as of right now I'd really like to get strike fighter or atleast strike. How competitive are these slots, and how many nfo hopefuls ended up in an unwanted aircraft during your experience?
Thanks for all your input, it really helps everyone in the pipeline!
Lately I've noticed a lot of NFO's going strike, but not strike fighter. I am aware that they are phasing out the F-14's, which mean less strike fighter slots available. My question is, how many nfo's have been forced into aircraft that are not on their list of choices. I wouldn't mind getting assigned to any aircraft except for the E2's, that being my worst nightmare.
Like many others on the forum, as of right now I'd really like to get strike fighter or atleast strike. How competitive are these slots, and how many nfo hopefuls ended up in an unwanted aircraft during your experience?
Thanks for all your input, it really helps everyone in the pipeline!
wanaBpilot said:
It could happen. You never know when a "draft" into one platform or another is going to pop up. It was Hawkeyes for a while, and Prowlers for a while.
It's nice to see as many people as possible get what they want, but I'd suggest not making any decisions until you've got through at least part of Primary and have had a chance to talk to instructors from all sorts of platforms.
One other thing - the E-2 was dead last on my list of desired platforms. I easily had jet grades after intermediate, but for some reason the Navy decided that it was draft time for the E-2's. So me and a LOT of classmates wound up in Hawkeye land.
This aircraft is WAY cooler than I thought it would be. Not so glamorous as strike/strike flighter aircraft, but you'd be amazed at what you can do in the Hawkeye. Keep your options open - wherever you wind up, I'm sure you'll love it.