Ask a Naval Aircrewman

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by austin_andres

For the rate of AWO, how difficult is the A-School? Like do you study things like math or is it more about your aircraft and how it operates? Also how long is the typical pipeline, taking into affect being on holds?

AW(A1) "A" School covers Advances sound transmission theories, tactical oceanography, basic diesel and nuclear submarine mechanical characteristics, and basic radar theory... the hard part is memorization of Secret level information which can't be studied outside of class hours. To graduate, we had to memorize about 12 diesel/nuclear submarine parameters, which consisted of about an entire whiteboard worth of components and frequencies... and about 50 types of radars, including basic parameters, ships/subs/aircraft/vehicles associated with them, and weapons and applicable ranges if any.

You don't learn anything about your aircraft until you get your follow-on orders and go to the applicable Fleet Replacement Squadron for ~1 year.

Total training pipeline from RTC to operational squadron is about 2 years.

Originally Posted by Diverdee90

My son is graduating this week - he is an AWF and headed to Oklahoma next week... Excited for his next step in this crazy journey

Awesome, congrats to him!

Originally Posted by ByrgeB

Whoa whoa, I went to meps the 8th of march, swore in the 9th, got accepted into the Aircrewman program and was offered FTS (They informed it was one of the best programs too get into..ftw that is...stupid fast advancement/etc)

I dont ship till sept 28th, howd u get in after me and get shipped out in may @Austin_andres

and one more question, Haasino, what do you mean FTS doesnt get too pick AWO.. I was informed ill get too choose from AWO. AWF. AWV even while FTS...

Is this not true? Theyve lied too me multiple times, saying family will go to move with me too schooling in pensacola ( im 26, married, and 2 kids) come too find out they wont.. and multuple more reasons.

HELP.

Nothing is impossible... but, like a US ground-invasion of Canada, just highly unlikely. Currently, FTS Aircrew is only AWF's acting as flight attendants and loadmasters on C-40 and C-130 aircraft.

You'll most likely be assigned AWF out of NACCS and attend AWF "A" School across the base in Pensacola... since NACCS is "officially" a 3 week school, and "A" School is about a month or so, you are correct that the Navy will not pay to relocate your family because they don't factor in the hold times waiting to class-up... so you may be in Pensacola for over 6 months... but the Navy still considers it TAD follow-on orders from RTC.

After "A" School, you'll get assignment to a VR squadron flying the C-40 or C-130, and from there they'll determine whether you'll go to the squadron or do more follow-on training. FTS AWF doesn't go through SERE, but they do go through C-40 Transportation Safety Specialist training with either Delta or American Airlines (Whichever has a flight attendant class open first), or loadmaster training for C-130s.

[ByrgeB]

1 and 1/2 year of AirC School and Training too become a AWF a be a flight attendant. How awesome..

Just crazy that my recruiter has informed me totally wrong this whole time. Everytime I ask a question, he just informs me he doesnt know much about AIRC programs.

Just contacted a large recruiting office in Tennessee that is good in the AIRC program, They pulled quotas up and informed me the last 296 people that tried for AWO, 0% was filled. Everyone currently coming out of Schooling is placed into AWF. while 9% is getting AWV.

Sad..

[austin_andres]

Originally Posted by Haasino

AW(A1) "A" School covers Advances sound transmission theories, tactical oceanography, basic diesel and nuclear submarine mechanical characteristics, and basic radar theory... the hard part is memorization of Secret level information which can't be studied outside of class hours. To graduate, we had to memorize about 12 diesel/nuclear submarine parameters, which consisted of about an entire whiteboard worth of components and frequencies... and about 50 types of radars, including basic parameters, ships/subs/aircraft/vehicles associated with them, and weapons and applicable ranges if any.

You don't learn anything about your aircraft until you get your follow-on orders and go to the applicable Fleet Replacement Squadron for ~1 year.

Total training pipeline from RTC to operational squadron is about 2 years.



Awesome, congrats to him!



Nothing is impossible... but, like a US ground-invasion of Canada, just highly unlikely. Currently, FTS Aircrew is only AWF's acting as flight attendants and loadmasters on C-40 and C-130 aircraft.

You'll most likely be assigned AWF out of NACCS and attend AWF "A" School across the base in Pensacola... since NACCS is "officially" a 3 week school, and "A" School is about a month or so, you are correct that the Navy will not pay to relocate your family because they don't factor in the hold times waiting to class-up... so you may be in Pensacola for over 6 months... but the Navy still considers it TAD follow-on orders from RTC.

After "A" School, you'll get assignment to a VR squadron flying the C-40 or C-130, and from there they'll determine whether you'll go to the squadron or do more follow-on training. FTS AWF doesn't go through SERE, but they do go through C-40 Transportation Safety Specialist training with either Delta or American Airlines (Whichever has a flight attendant class open first), or loadmaster training for C-130s.

Thank you Haasino! Its kinda difficult to find information about AIRC, and although I realize I can't plan and know everything, I just have to go through it, it is nice to have a general idea to plan ahead in life, so I appreciate the replies to my questions.

[ByrgeB]

What's a good break down of a normal day for a AWF.

[austin_andres]

What does the flight physical consist of? What are some reasons someone would be disqualified?

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by ByrgeB

What's a good break down of a normal day for a AWF.

I can only comment on IBNFE Local 8251... aka, P-3 FE's. E-6, C-2, and VR AWF's are a completely different and foreign entity to me.

As a P-3 FE, you'll be assigned to work in one of the mech shops such as powerplants, airframes, maintenance control, etc. Your basic daily workload will be based on maintenance needs, or if you're on Duty FE, where you'll standby in case maintenance needs to spin up an engine for testing.

Originally Posted by austin_andres

What does the flight physical consist of? What are some reasons someone would be disqualified?

It's basically just a hand-on physical with about 6 tubes of blood tested for anything and everything, an exam of your sinuses and chest cavity, and an EKG to make sure your heart is normal. The huge disqualifiers that are ulikely to be waived are sinus issues, heart issues, and color blindness.