Enlisted pilots

Hi Red! Long time, eh? Right on again, I see.

John (NAVCAD class 32-57)

"Red Rider" wrote in message
. com...

"Longtailedlizard" wrote in message
...
There was a short-lived and little-known program in the early 80s
whereby 35 enlisteds (E-5 thru E-7) went thru flight training and
became LDOs, serving as instructors in primary flight training. It
was touted to be a combination "career enhancer" for enlisteds and
relief for fleet pilots who chafed at flight instructor status.

They were designated Naval Aviators, however, not NAPs. I suppose
it's not inconceivable that some might have reverted to enlisted
status once the program was deemed to have flopped...and maybe one
or
two later became SEALs. That might account for the timeline. But
I still have trouble swallowing qualified SEAL/designated Naval
Aviator AND enlisted without having seen such unusualness promoed
to the nth degree by the Navy PR mill, special ops or no.




Ron,
Having been stationed at NAS Pensacola, and NAS Meridian, from 83 to
89
are
you referring to the NAVCAD program.
I'm not to clear on the details, but isn't this where going through
pilot
training, they were cadets, if they graduated from training they were
commissioned, and if they did'nt they went back home or to there former
rank?

J
No that was the LDO aviation program. It wasn't ran like the NAVCAD/MARCAD
program was. (I went through NAVCAD in 1960). The LDO aviation program
offered a commission as a Jg (?????) Limited Duty Officer with a guarantee
of 20 years service, and possibility of retiring as high as a Lt.Cmdr. I
also think that they required the applicants to have a min of 6 years
service (maybe it was be on 2d enlistment) and no more than 10 years
service
upon commissioning. This would allow them to retire at their rank upon
completion of 20 years without having to revert or to exceed the 20 year
limit.

Unlike the NAVCAD program which would wash out the number needed to keep
the
size down to meet requirements, the LDO program had a fairly high
completion
rate. It was dropped and the NAVCAD program was brought back. It may be
possible that a few of those selected for the LDO program were SEALS. And
I
guess that after completing 20 years service an LDO aviator it might have
been possible to revert to his permanent enlisted rank, but he wouldn't
have
been continued as an aviator. The odds that this happened without a lot of
PR Flak, is even more unlikely than believing that O.J. was innocent. I
believe that this LDO program was similar to the Sub and Surface Warfare
LDO
programs of that time where it was part of the contract that you had to
leave the Navy upon qualifying for retirement (transfer to the Fleet
Reserve) and couldn't revert.

But even if he was a SEAL, and former LDO Aviator who reverted there is no
way in hell that the Air Force is going to let a lowly enlisted man fly
one
of their C-17's or a C-141's. Hell I did an exchange tour with the Air
Force, and they didn't even like me being on their base, let alone flying
their aircraft. They especially didn't like my landings. ROTFLMAO You know
their aircraft really are delicate.