Wings are earned in flight school. Real wings are earned after night carrier landings. I'd save the gift for that event.
Puh-lease. RTFQ. It's a gift for a helo guy.
No difference. How about after landing at night on a small boy. I don't know about helos, but we had about 10 percent in jets who couldn't make it at night. I have to believe it is similar for night quals in helos.
I applaud everyone getting their wings, pilot or NFO, but there is a lot more to earn going through the RAG. I know; I've earned both sets. I don't think wings of gold are tarnished if someone washes out of the RAG, but I think they shine brighter when you've qualified to be in the fleet. That's when a gift is due IMHO.
Maybe that's true... but you don't graduate from the FRS. You only earn your wings once. It's what you do with them afterwards that defines what kind of pilot you are.
Maybe it's semantics. You are awarded your wings once. You earn them every day you keep them. I suppose if I had a son or daughter who successfully completed flight school, any flight school, I may give them a gift, but I'd save the big gift for successfully completing naval aviation grad school which, IMHO, is the night element around the ship.
But, I don't see my wife showing up after I do my first night flight at the boat just to say good job. I see her rolling over and going back to sleep wondering why in the hell I woke her up.
That is in the off-chance that your wife is actually home at the time, and not underway
I once diverted off the ship over 200 miles at 0100 with 3 of 4 hydraulic pumps gone and single engine, and all my wife unit said was "why in the hell did you wake me up to come get you? Couldn't you just spend the night at the BOQ?" First wives.......