Sweat-Ex at API to Sushi across the USA

[AnonymousGuy]

A friend of mine recently FAILED API, and he says he finished with a 94%. Is this possible, or is he just not telling me everything? He was an SNA.

After this, he transferred into the Intel Officer designator, and it now waiting to class up for Intel school in Virginia. Is this common practice? I thought if one failed API then they were separated.

Also, are the standards for API different between NFO's and SNA's? I'm going as a SNFO, and this 94% failure has me a bit worried. I definitely don't want to sacrifice my future in Naval Aviation, but even more so, I don't want to be separated from the Navy.

 

[HeyJoe]

See below

API start dates are going as fast as people can get through with IFS these days. The Pilot NSS is around a 94% but USMC only needs to get around an 85 to pass (and stay off the radar in primary).

 

[zippy]

A friend of mine recently FAILED API, and he says he finished with a 94%. Is this possible, or is he just not telling me everything? He was an SNA.

After this, he transferred into the Intel Officer designator, and it now waiting to class up for Intel school in Virginia. Is this common practice? I thought if one failed API then they were separated.

Also, are the standards for API different between NFO's and SNA's? I'm going as a SNFO, and this 94% failure has me a bit worried. I definitely don't want to sacrifice my future in Naval Aviation, but even more so, I don't want to be separated from the Navy.

If you search, there are a few other threads about it. Currently there are different NSS requirements for Navy SNA's in API. Typically the Navy's standard passing score is an 80. Since you're an SNFO, you should (unless something drastically changes) be able to pass with an 80.

 

[BigIron]

We also have an API attrite at our squadron who is transitioning to IWO too. His NSS not high enough to continue. When the economy is good, and aviation is overmanned, the Navy becomes even more picky.

 

[AnonymousGuy]

We also have an API attrite at our squadron who is transitioning to IWO too. His NSS not high enough to continue. When the economy is good, and aviation is overmanned, the Navy becomes even more picky.

So can SNA's/NFO's transition to another designator pretty easily if they are not performing well in flight school? I thought if you didn't do well that the Navy just automatically kicked out.

 

[BigIron]

So can SNA's/NFO's transition to another designator pretty easily if they are not performing well in flight school? I thought if you didn't do well that the Navy just automatically kicked out.

I'm not sure how easy the process is. It is possible and I think it depends on the needs of the Navy. If you are employable in another designator, then you have a shot. If not, or no billets in another designator are available, then Uncle Sam can (and will) under certain circumstances send you packing.

 

[MidWestEwo]

This needs to be verified, but I heard they just lowered the Pilot NSS to 40 and raised the NFO NSS to 40. So roughly a 90 average should get you to primary. Can someone else clear this up?

 

[Makk85]

People showing up in Corpus who just graduated API are confirming the 40 NSS. Pilot and NFO need 40 NSS currently. In a week who knows....
If you dont pass it really depends on your timing in regards to what happens to you.
One week you may be redesignated to NFO, the next you may be sent home. There were several who went to redes as NFO and then told they could have their pilots slots back.
Black magic is what it really comes down to.

 

[Swanee]

People showing up in Corpus who just graduated API are confirming the 40 NSS. Pilot and NFO need 40 NSS currently. In a week who knows....
If you dont pass it really depends on your timing in regards to what happens to you.
One week you may be redesignated to NFO, the next you may be sent home. There were several who went to redes as NFO and then told they could have their pilots slots back.
Black magic is what it really comes down to.

If Pilot and NFO min NSS is 40, and you don't make a 40 NSS I seriously doubt there will be any ability to redes from Pilot to NFO.

 

[AnonymousGuy]

Im sorry, but what exactly is NSS? What does a 40 NSS translate into as a percentage? Is a 40 really hard to get?


How many people generally end up not making the cut and get sent home without a chance to redesignate?

 

[BigIron]

NSS has been discussed ad nausem here at AW. Here's a post from 5 years ago about the same conditions folks are going through now. Search and ye shall find.


http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php/9496-Purging-SNA’s

JCUSN, you appear to be really sweating this. Do the absolute best you can in API. Your aviation career depends on it. Good luck.

 

[SynixMan]

You're getting lots of solid advice here. Just calm down. Don't be this:

 

[PB83]

Api

I was just talking to a Marine who is in week 3 of API, and he said "you should be lucky they just dropped the NSS for the Navy guys. The wait sucks, but you'll make it to Pcola eventually." I am not 100% certain what that means, but I will let you know what I find out when he replies to me.

 

[jfulginiti]

Holy hell..... when will this end?

 

[mtsupilot09]

Holy hell..... when will this end?

+1

The SNA and SNFO NSS are both 40 now. I graduated API last week. The pilots are excited and the NFOs are freaking out. NFOs were held to the 35 min, but for now that has changed. FOR NOW being the key phrase there. I can't speak for USMC, Int'l, AF or CG. Unless you're classing up next week, don't worry about things like the NSS in API. Worry about where you're going to live when you get down here, whether you'll go to the pool or the beach more and which sushi bar you'll go to on Tuesday half price night (I recommend Atlas, thanks for asking.) This stuff changes constantly. For those still wondering "what's the NSS?" it's like your GPA. It's more complicated than that, but for your purposes, it's your GPA.