Naval Aviator
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A Naval Aviator is a pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Like Naval Flight Officers, prospective Naval Aviators attend Aviation Preflight Indoctorination at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida (NAS Pensacola) and are designated as Student Naval Aviators. There they receive instruction in aerodynamics, aircraft engines and systems, meteorology, navigation, and flight rules and regulations. Following completion they are assigned to Primary Flight Training at NAS Whiting Field, Florida or NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Upon successful completion of Primary Flight Training, they will select whether they will fly fighter or attack jets, propeller driven airplanes or helicopters, with selection based upon the student's performance in Primary Flight Training, coupled with the needs of their particular branch of service the week they select.
After selection, Student Naval Aviators are assigned to Advanced Flight Training in their particular pipeline. Student Naval Aviators selected for jet training will be reassigned to NAS Kingsville, Texas or NAS Meridian, Mississippi. Those selected for propeller aircraft training will be assigned to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas and those selected for helicopter training will be assigned to NAS Whiting Field. Upon completion of flight training, a second selection process takes place in which Student Naval Aviators select the particular aircraft on which they will fly, as well as to which Naval Air Station they wish to be assigned. This selection is also based upon performance and the needs of the service. They are designated as Naval Aviators and are awarded the Naval Aviator Badge (Marine Corps: Naval Aviator Insignia) in a ceremony known as a winging ceremony. Additionally they are given a precedence number designating their lineal listing amongst all personnel ever designated as Naval Aviators. This designation is used to establish eligibility for the Gray Eagle Award, an award presented to the senior Naval Aviator currently on active duty. Newly designated Naval Aviators are then assigned to a Fleet Replacement Squadron for training on their specific aircraft.
In the Fleet, Naval Aviators are assigned to Navy, Marine and Coast Guard squadrons flying a variety of aircraft.
Fixed Wing
Navy
- C-2 Greyhound - cargo plane designed to land on aircraft carriers
- C-130 Hercules - medium cargo and personnel transport
- E-2 Hawkeye - all-weather, carrier-based tactical battle management airborne early warning, command and control aircraft
- EA-6B Prowler - electronic warfare and countermeasures
- EP-3E Aries II - signals reconnaissance
- F/A-18 Hornet - all-weather fighter/attack aircraft
- F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - updated version of the Hornet
- P-3 Orion - anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance
- P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft - modified Boeing 737 used for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare
- S-3 Viking - carrier-based anti-submarine warfare.
Marine Corps
- AV-8B Harrier II - VTOL attack aircraft
- C-130 Hercules - medium cargo and personnel transport
- F/A-18 Hornet - all-weather fighter/attack aircraft
- EA-6B Prowler - electronic warfare and countermeasures
Coast Guard
Rotary Wing
Navy
- MH-53E Sea Dragon - anti-mine warfare, shipboard delivery, and assault support
- H-3 Sea King - multi-purpose helicopter
- SH-60 Seahawk - medium lift, utility, and assault helicopter
- UH-1 Iroquois - search and rescue, command and control, and special operations
Marine Corps
- CH-53D Sea Stallion - medium lift helicopter used for transport of personnel and cargo
- CH-53E Super Stallion - heavy lift and assault support.
- V-22 Osprey - tilt-rotor, VTOL aircraft for transport purposes
- CH-46E Sea Knight - medium lift helicopter used for transport of personnel and cargo
- AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter
- UH-1N Huey - search and rescue, command and control, and special operations
Coast Guard
After completing a successful tour in the Fleet, a Naval Aviator may either complete a “shore-duty” tour as a staff officer, complete futher military schooling, or be reassigned for further specialized flight duty. This flight duty could entail flying larger cargo or transport aircraft such as the C-9 Skytrain, C-12 Huron, C-20D Gulfstream III, C-20G Gulfstream IV, C-35 Citation or C-40 Clipper. These aircraft are used to transport cargo and personnel, to include high-level personnel such as dignitaries and senior leaders.
Navy pilots could also be assigned to fly the E-6 Mercury (airborne command post), EA-6B Prowler (electronic warfare and countermeasures) or either the F-5 Freedom Fighter or F-16 Fighting Falcon (used in the Navy as aggressor aircraft for air combat training purposes)
Marine Corps pilots can be assigned to fly the F-5 Tiger II (used in the Marine Corps Reserve as aggressor aircraft for air combat training purposes) or they can be assigned to the presidential support squadron HMX-1, providing rotary wing flight support to the President of the United States. At HMX-1 pilots have the unique experience in being qualified in flying up to three different models of aircraft. In addition to variants of the CH-46 and CH-53E, HMX-1 pilots may also be qualified in the VH-3D Sea King or the VH-60N Night Hawk, used by HMX-1 for executive transport of the President.
Both Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots can be further assigned to duty in a flight instructor billet, flying either the T-34C Mentor, T-6 Texan, T-45 Goshawk, or TH-57 Sea Ranger.
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