"C.D. Damron" wrote in message
news:XOnRa.79707$ye4.59310@sccrnsc01...

Snip

I know the Navy has made a number of things easier for pilots that are
planning a post-Naval career with the airlines. What was the situation in
the sixties and seventies?

I recall a number of funny stories about how NFO's got their ratings.

I have been cruising the ICW the last week so I haven't been on the board in
a while.

In the early 60's there weren't very many airline pilots or management
people without military training/experience. The FAA (Federal Aviation
Agency in those days) hadn't been around very many years, and IIRC it was
the CAA (Civilian Aviation Agency) until 1958 of so.

Acceptance of military flight time was a lot less informal, and maybe not
quite as accurate as it should have been. It was still to a large extent a
"good Ol'boy network". Qualifications were often exaggerated, to say the
least. Didn't really concern me as I had no desire to fly for the airlines.

I knew of one reserve F-8 driver (and there was more than one, not just in
F-8's) that made the switch to a multi-engine commercial airline seat, in a
matter of just a few months, in the mid 60's. I guess he figured it was
better drawing the civilian big bucks, than getting shot at.