Thursday, January 26, 2006

Enlisted Naval Aviator - Pilot Program

The US Navy has started a test program to place applicants from the enlisted ranks into aircraft cockpits as pilots and naval flight officers. It's a Pilot program in both senses of the word, only 30 sailors will be selected for the program and commissioned as Chief Warrant Officers (CWO) Naval Aviators.

The primary intent is to create flying specialists unencumbered by the traditional career paths of the unrestricted line (URL) community. A secondly goal of the program would be to provide another avenue of opportunity for the enlisted community.

P-3 (Source: US Navy)

There are some restrictions to the program, CWO's will be limited to the Patrol (VP), Electronic Attack (VQ(P) and VQ(T)) and the HSC and HSL helicopter working aviation communities, no Topgun fighter slots. Enlisted Sailors from the Nuclear, Naval Special Warfare(SEAL/SWCC), Naval Special Operations (EOD/Diver) and the Master-at-Arms communities are not eligible.

Helo Transfer (Source: US Navy)

The program is open to enlisted grades E-5 through E-7 who if selected would have to be commissioned before their 27th birthday, have obtained at least an Associate degree, are physically fit and pass the Standard Aviation Battery test.

Once the CWO's receive their wings they are obligated to 8 years of service for pilots or 6 for naval flight officers.

It has been sixty five years since the Navy had an enlisted to pilot program with the last enlisted naval aviator retiring Jan 31, 1981.

If you're not a submarine nuke maybe you can get your wings as well as dolphins. Applications are due to Navy Personnel Command (PERS-432M) no later than March 31.

2 comments:

bothenook said...

if you qualified submarines before going to the airdale community, and qualify there, would your warfare insignia look like this?
click

Lubber's Line said...

Bo, LOL solves the problem of what insignia to wear over the left breast pocket while TAD.

Just think how dangerous a submarine qualified P-3 pilot would be. He would know the the smoke came from the 3" signal ejector. He He -LL