• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Treatment of NFOs in the fleet

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

schroeds17

Sgt S
Hey all!

I am currently planning to go to OCS, and I'm looking at becoming a Marine NFO (my eyes are too bad to fly). A pilot friend of mine told me that NFO's are considered to be "lesser", or just not good enough to be pilots. Anyhow, how are they treated in the fleet? Personally, I'd rather be an NFO because I'm a techie nerd, and I prefer to focus on that.

I don't know that this would really affect my final decision, but I don't want to go into this blindly, either.

Thanks!
Sgt S
 
B

bch

Helo Bubba
pilot
The only people who consider NFO's (or aircrew for that matter) to be "lesser aircrew" are ignorant pilots who are too busy polishing the misplaced chip on their shoulder.

Pilot and NFO are both just as important to an a/c completing it's mission.

/This coming from a pilot
 
S

schroeds17

Sgt S
Hrmn... so it shouldn't be much different than dealing with being a woman in the Marine Corps, eh. :) Thanks for your input.
 
kmac

kmac

Coffee Drinker
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Or from pilots who just know too many NFO's ;) . Really though, if you've got that techie nerd quality, it sounds like you'd be great thrown back into the tube of an E2C. And by the way, nice line there: "don't want to go into this blindly" coming from a future NFO!
 
zab1001

zab1001

Well-Known Member
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
schroeds17 said:
A pilot friend of mine told me that NFO's are considered to be "lesser", or just not good enough to be pilots.
Click to expand...

Out of curiositry, what kind of pilot is this friend and what's his-her professionalñ experience?
 
S

schroeds17

Sgt S
He flew CH-46's in the first Gulf War. He was also a flight instructor down at Pensacola for a while.

He wasn't trying to discourage me, but he just seemed to have some reservations about becoming an NFO, and I wanted to see if they were valid.
 
RockyMtnNFO

RockyMtnNFO

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Tell me if you've heard this one.

Two NFO's are in the geedunk and see a machine selling pilot wings for fifty cents.

"Sweet! Now we can be pilots!" said the first.

"Yea, except I only have a quarter." said the second.

"Thats okay. I have a dollar and I will give you my change."

So the first NFO buys his wings and puts them on.

"All right! Now let me have a quarter so I can get mine." Says the second.

"Screw you, Baggage Boy!"

I gotta believe this joke has been put out already but just in case ...

BTW, any pilot that looks down on NFO's doesn't fly with one. You are respected or not based on your committment to your people and your skill as a warfighter. Everybody knows the sticks out there that the Skipper doesn't trust; you know, the same ones beating the upgraders up over PQS in the wardroom an hour after they passed, barely, their 3rd shot at a board.

So, know your stuff, take care of your people and you will have zero problems with being treated like a second class citizen.
 
I

ip568

Registered User
None
When the NFO designation was created in 1968 from the old Naval Aviation Observer (NAO), most of the older pilots looked down upon NFOs. Those days are gone. In the early 70s I had a PPC who was giving me (TACCO) crap, so I told him to come back to the tube and find the submarine himself. Boy, did he shut up fast. My senior TACCO became he first NFO to command a VP squadron in 1974. NFOs are full partners, as are your Aircrew guys (sensor operators, FE, etc.) If the crew doesn't work well together the job doesn't get done.
 
Fmr1833

Fmr1833

Shut the F#%k up, dummy!
None
Contributor
schroeds17 said:
He flew CH-46's in the first Gulf War. He was also a flight instructor down at Pensacola for a while.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't really take too much advice on NFO's from a guy who never flew with one - war vet or not.


On another note, why do so many of you who are applying feel it is necessary to validate your selection to or application for an NFO slot by saying something like "...my eyes weren't good enough to fly" or whatever? Being an NFO rocks and being a pilot rocks. Neither position requires a caveat or an apology. If you want to fly and you get a seat thank God for the opportunity and grab whatever seat is offered. My 2 cents.

Best of luck to you!
 
S

schroeds17

Sgt S
Heck, I don't really want to be a pilot. I'm more of a nerd. Let the other guy drive! I just wanted to get a feel for it from people who have some opinion/experience on the matter. It's never good to get all your information from one source, ya know.

And I'm all about Homestar. :D
 
squeeze

squeeze

Retired Harrier Dude
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Fmr1833 said:
On another note, why do so many of you who are applying feel it is necessary to validate your selection to or application for an NFO slot by saying something like "...my eyes weren't good enough to fly" or whatever?
Click to expand...

inferiority complex

/internet psychologist
 
Fmr1833

Fmr1833

Shut the F#%k up, dummy!
None
Contributor
*zing....thanks squeeze. :sonar_125
 

Attachments

  • Baby Stickmonkey.jpg
    Baby Stickmonkey.jpg
    24.2 KB · Views: 256
squeeze

squeeze

Retired Harrier Dude
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
exactly...

no inferiority complex = ability to take a joke and fire one right back
complex = sit there and take it like a good FO
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top