Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
On average - I'd say they are 24-25 years old and have approximately 400 hrs of flight time. I base the age on a college graduate (22 y/o) and then 2-3 years through the pipeline to hit the fleet.
I base the flight hours on him having no prior flight experience and checking yesterday what a small sampling of our newest class of pilots have coming to the Hornet (250-280+) and then adding another 120 hours in the Hornet before hitting the fleet.
Now...those newly trained wingman hitting the fleet can be thrown RIGHT INTO a combat situation when they leave the FRS and find themselves sent to an already deployed squadron aboard USS Boat sitting in the Gulf flying OIF/OEF missions. They also are on someone's wing most of the time as you might imagine - but stranger things have happened. also - no one is on their wing when it is time for that night carrier approach with pitching decks and a dutch roll thrown in for good measure. What they are able to accomplish is amazing. My hat is off to them. Brave men and women are they.
USMCFLYR
USMC,
I came up the civilian route and thus have no idea how intense the military training is. However, I would venture to guess that 400 hours on the military side is a much different type of 400 hours than found on the civilian side. In other words, the
quality of 400 hours in a military training program is probably different than a civilian's first 400 hours.