Thinking of joining the Coast Guard??

[Greg Davis]

Thinking of joining the Coast Guard to fly? It's just a loose thought, but is it possible with no degree or anything? I'm 22....

My father, and grandfather, National Guard, and Marine, respectively, say you can actually choose what job you'll do when you enlist. It's just a thought right now, but I'm curious about Coast Guard aviation...

 

[bunk22]

You cannot fly Coast Guard without a degree. Can't fly in any service without a degree. The Army Warrant Officer program requires a two year degree, the Navy does have a Warrant Officer flight program too but it's for prior enlisted. Otherwise, get a 4 year degree and apply. You won't regret it.

 

[Greg Davis]

Well, because I finished an accredited A/P school, I only need a few more credit hours to get an AA in General Science...can;t I carry over those credits into the CG, get a degree, and then fly?

 

[Zidac]

Well, because I finished an accredited A/P school, I only need a few more credit hours to get an AA in General Science...can;t I carry over those credits into the CG, get a degree, and then fly?

Once completing a BA/BS, you'd have to get accepted into a commissioning program which is very competitive. It's not an automatic.

 

[Inverted25]

Does the coast guard train pilots? Maybe this is a stupid question but I thought they didn't have a direct entry pilot position even for someone with a bachelors.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Does the coast guard train pilots? Maybe this is a stupid question but I thought they didn't have a direct entry pilot position even for someone with a bachelors.

I looked into it back in the day. The CG pilots are trained by the Navy in FL. Not a bad place to wind up. The CG has a few Gulfstreams. Not a bad a/c to have experience in.

 

[bunk22]

Does the coast guard train pilots? Maybe this is a stupid question but I thought they didn't have a direct entry pilot position even for someone with a bachelors.

CG student aviators go through one of the five primary flight squadrons in the Navy then go to advanced with either VT-31/35 or one of the 3 advanced HT helo squadrons in the Navy. All Navy trained.

 

[MikeD]

CG student aviators go through one of the five primary flight squadrons in the Navy then go to advanced with either VT-31/35 or one of the 3 advanced HT helo squadrons in the Navy. All Navy trained.

Following getting their wings, that's when they head to Mobile, AL?

 

[///AMG]

I looked into it back in the day. The CG pilots are trained by the Navy in FL. Not a bad place to wind up. The CG has a few Gulfstreams. Not a bad a/c to have experience in.

Like their Navy and USMC brethren, not all CG students spend all of flight school (much less their careers for that matter) in FL. As a Navy guy, out of 2 years of flight school and another ~2 of platform specific training in the FRS, I only lived in FL for 9 weeks of that. Fixed wing CG types for example will eventually end up in Corpus Christi TX (as Bunk eluded to) for multiengine training prior to winging. I know folks typically think that it all goes down in the "cradle of aviation" of Pensacola, but really only the helo guys spend all of flight school there, and that isn't counting the helo guys that did primary in Corpus

 

[MikeD]

I know folks typically think that it all goes down in the "cradle of aviation" of Pensacola, but really only the helo guys spend all of flight school there, and that isn't counting the helo guys that did primary in Corpus

NFOs?

 

[///AMG]

Sorry, good point Mike. NFO's do spend flight school there, though I am unaware of any CG NFO's (though I have no idea what lives in the inside of a CG Herk or Falcon).....I don't recall ever meeting a CG NFO though And I will caveat that by saying that Navy NFO's in the P-3 and E-2 pipelines don't get their wings until partway through the FRS (either in Jax or Norfolk), so my argument still kind of sort of still stands

 

[MikeD]

USN C-130s.....do they have an NFO navigator? I know USMC ones had/have an enlisted navigator. I too don't know what the USCG uses, if any NFOs at all.

 

[///AMG]

USN C-130s.....do they have an NFO navigator? I know USMC ones had/have an enlisted navigator. I too don't know what the USCG uses, if any NFOs at all.

I'd assume it is the same way on the USN side, but I really have no idea. Not a lot of USN Herks flying around, aside from the Bloodhounds and various support outfits around the world.

 

[Inverted25]

For guys going into CG to fly Helios do they start flight training in Helios or does everyone start basic in airplanes?

 

[bunk22]

For guys going into CG to fly Helios do they start flight training in Helios or does everyone start basic in airplanes?

Everyone starts in fixed wing, T-34C or T-6B and then moves on to helo's. I would say at least 50% of all primary IP's are helo instructors. The other 40% are P-3 types then a small mixture of tactical and E2/C2 types.

 

[Inverted25]

Everyone starts in fixed wing, T-34C or T-6B and then moves on to helo's. I would say at least 50% of all primary IP's are helo instructors. The other 40% are P-3 types then a small mixture of tactical and E2/C2 types.

what is the reasoning behind having a helio guy fly fixed wing and aerobatics when they won't be doing that on a helio

 

[bunk22]

what is the reasoning behind having a helio guy fly fixed wing and aerobatics when they won't be doing that on a helio

It's called primary flight training for a reason, it teaches one the basics of flying. Things like aerobatics is more of a confidence builder vice learning a skill. Same in Phase I jet, we have E2/C2 pilots learning 2/4 plane formation flying, over the top 2 plane forms, aerobatics but they will never do that in an E2/C2. It's a confidence builder and the forms of course are for boat use as well. Again, around 50% of all primary IP's are helo pilots, it's mandatory they have been there done that in order to teach.

 

[///AMG]

what is the reasoning behind having a helio guy fly fixed wing and aerobatics when they won't be doing that on a helio

To add to what Bunk said, on the Navy/USMC side, you don't start flight school with any guarantee of a certain type of platform. You have to earn it through your performance, luck, and timing in primary. Yes, the majority of CG aviators fly helos, but as I understood it, it's not a given for them either when they start.

 

[CGFlyer]

To be a pilot in the CG you have to complete NAVY flight training or come from another service and apply for the direct commission aviator program. A pretty high percentage of our pilots come from other services probably in the 40-50% range. For civilians off the street you will need a 4 year degree to apply to OCS and flight school. Unlike most services you cannot get guaranteed flight school, you apply for OCS then while you are in OCS you'll apply for flight training. There are some programs available for individuals where you can get guaranteed flight slots but you have to go to certain universities and meet required criteria. The CG web page or recruiters have the most up to date info on those programs. Being a Herc guy myself we do not have NFOs in the CG our NAV & Sensor operators are all enlisted. Platform choice depends on needs of the service. When I went through you selected fixed wing or rotary wing the day you checked into flight school. The helo folks stayed in Pensacola after primary and fixed wing folks went to Corpus for VT31 advanced training. Over the last few years the CG was trying to plus up the fixed wing slots for the arrival of the CASA so a good number of pilots were forced to go fixed wing but I think the pendulum is swinging back now. Following advanced the majority of CG pilots go to Mobile, AL to train on their fleet aircraft. C-130 folks go to Little Rock or Tampa for their initial training. Overall great organization & missions regardless of platform you fly.

 

[MikeD]

J-models doing the full-up search missions now? Had one come in hauling our UAV cargo to DMA a couple years back.