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NAVAL AVIATION
Ethan Fowler
EDUC 1300: Learning Frameworks
Class Number 41261- TT 2:30
Spring 2015

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Naval aviation is a very intense and stressful career. It is seen as very dangerous simply
flying a plane, not to mention flying it on and off of a ship. Given the wide parameters for
missions one could end up on simple rescue or aid missions or high stress missions involving all
manner of dangerous situations. However, protecting ones country always reaps grand benefits
and getting to fly a plane while doing so seems very exciting.
Personally Ive always enjoyed flying in planes and the quick changes in altitude have
never been more than a slight annoyance, so I see no reason not be a pilot. Plus, the Navy takes
people all over the world which has always been a dream of mine. This paired with the simple
fact that I may serve my country and obtain useful skills along the way all yield positive reasons
which led me to pursuing a career as a Naval aviator. Of course there are many dangers in this
occupation and many people are injured or die while on duty and many people are turned down,
but paired with the pay, benefits, and exciting life one receives for their service, it doesnt seem
to be all that much of an issue in the wide scope of things and a life as a Naval aviator seems
both intriguing and wondrous.

Job Description:
Naval aviators are pilots which operate for the US militarys Navy. These pilots ensure
national and international security for civilians of the US as well as other countries, such as those
of South Korea. Naval aviators often operate in high-stress, high-risk situations, but their duties
can extend further than combat. Naval aviators can also assist in transportation, supply drops,
and simple scouting missions where little to no combat is actually required.
Of course naval aviators must also remain healthy and fit in order to operate fighters,
helicopters, and other aircrafts. This includes basic training, flight simulations, and testing to

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insure physical and mental alertness as well as better cooperation among pilots. However, health
prior to enlistment also plays a huge role in ones job description in the military and will affect
what ones job entitles.
Should he/she be fit for duty (medically and/or psychologically) prior to enlisting, he/she
is place into one of three classes: Class 1, containing actual aviators, Class 2, and 3, which both
typically contain non-aviators within the Navy that are, however, still in close association with
aviators despite not being one themselves. Class 2 and 3 also see little to no flight time and/or
combat as compared to Class 1, which maintains both steady and extensive amounts of flight
time, often in preparation for combat.
Class 1 is then further broken down into Medical Service Group 1, Medical Service
Group 2, and Medical Service Group 3. These three groups dictate how much flight time is
allowed to each person and to what degree they are allowed to fly. Medical Service Group 1
contains free-range pilots with unlimited flight duties which typically include high-risk situations
and important mission. Medical Service Group 2 aviators are not permitted to operate any form
of aviation onboard with the exception of helicopters and are able to assist aviators in Medical
Service Group 3. Those in Medical Group 3 are only permitted to operate any aircraft with dual
controls in the presence of a pilot of Medical Service Group 1 or 2.

Work Setting:
As stated prior, naval aviators often encounter high-risk situations which are not for the
weak bodied and/or minded. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often a resultant of these
high-risk situations in which various stressors, usually related to death, result in mental
instability among soldiers and pilots. This is not to say that all pilots and all soldiers come off the

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battlefield wounded either physically or psychologically, it is simply to show that those in the
military are often subject to gruesome encounters that not all are able to cope with.
Of course pilots dont always spend time flying and fighting. Some low-risk missions
provide easy experience and are typically very easy to cope with. At the same time, a reasonable
portion of aviators time goes into training, conditioning, and learning.

Personal Characteristics Needed:

The United States military provides very strict guidelines for those who wish to join any
of its various branches. Any and all medical qualifications can be found within the Manual of the
Medical Department (MMD). Guidelines are seen as very strict, however, exceptions may be
made with a waiver of standards, showing that, despite the medical issue, the agent is still fit for
duty.
First and foremost a potential aviator must be fit and aeronautically adapted. Aeronautic
adaptability is associated with personality, therefore therapy may be beneficial, but a waiver of
standards would still be required. Aeronautically adaptability is required so that aviators may
maintain better crew coordination in stressful, and possibly life threatening, situations. Should a
potential aviator not be seen as aeronautically adapted he/she may still be able to pursue a career
within the military, however they may not be an aviator.
In accordance with atmospheric pressure, an aviator must be able to equalize middle ear
pressure, have no dental work which may react adversely to any change of barometric pressure,
and must be able to maintain balance in accordance with the Self Balance Test (SBT). Other
requirements include passing all laboratory testing, must have sufficient visual abilities with

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corrective equipment, must have normal blood rates/pressure, and maintain hearing of at least 50
dB in one ear and 30 dB in the other (ANSI 1969).
In terms of personal traits an aviator should be intelligent to the degree of that of a
college graduate or higher (not necessarily required, but important nonetheless) and must be
calm, alert, courageous, and dutiful. A pilot is a soldier and it should always be seen as so. Those
not willing to follow orders to the end and give their lives if necessary are not fit to be a soldier
and should most likely not pursue a life as a soldier, however, this should not discourage people
from joining the military as there are many jobs which do not involve jumping into the line of
fire.

Education Needed:
The only educational requirement to be a soldier is a high school diploma. However,
aviators must attend one of the USs military funded colleges such as the Air Force Academy,
Naval Academy, or West Point University in preparation for enlistment or another college where
they receive higher education. Those which attend these colleges, or other universities, to
obtain a bachelors or higher with the intent of joining the military will join the military as either
an officer or of a higher pay than those who simply enlist and often receive priority, such as
promotions.
Those wishing to be Naval aviators must also join NROTC, or the Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps, during college or attend a military institution such as those mentioned earlier.
After willingly consenting to be an aviator, candidates are taken into consideration and are then
made pilots, should they be chosen.

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Wages, Benefits, and Retirement:

Newly enlisted soldiers at the lowest rank within the Navy, or E-1s, make about
$1,516.20 a month, or roughly $18,000 a year excluding benefits, although promotions are
somewhat easy to come by with enlisted personnel. A majority of Naval pilots, however, are
warrant officers which make $33,000-$48,000 a year upon enlistment and can nearly double their
pay within twenty years of service without promotions. Continuing up the ranks within the US
Navy can earn officers $100,000-$200,000 a year within twenty years of service, although at that
point they are full-fledged officers and not Naval aviators.
After 20 years of service, military personnel also receive a full retirement from the
military. While on active duty Naval aviators also receive health care from the US military,
which includes any injury acquired while on duty, as well as housing on a base/a housing
allowance and dining free of charge.

Employment Outlook:
Any and all positions in the military are expected to remain roughly the same with little
to no growth at or around 8,000 jobs (US Bureau of Labor). However, enlisted personnel often
serve for the minimum required years, typically 3-5 years, or until they receive a retirement fund,
should they live so long, allowing for a constant flow of new occupations. And so long as one
does well in school it is not unimaginable to become an aviator.

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Even though there is not supposed to be a noticeable change in the number of Naval
pilots, there will always be jobs available for replacement due to the militarys volatile nature. It
is a dangerous occupation which nobody can be one hundred percent prepared for, but it also
provides many benefits which one, such as myself, ought to take into consideration before
rejecting the notion all together.

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Citations

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<http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=167>.
"U.S. Naval Academy." Admissions. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.

<http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/index.php>.
"Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps - Program Entrance Requirements." Naval
Reserve Officers Training Corps - Program Entrance Requirements. N.p., 19 May
2014. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.

<http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/entrance_requirements.aspx>.
"Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps - Aviation." Naval Reserve Officers Training
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<http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/aviator.aspx>.
Aviation Physical Standards Are Developed To Ensure The Most Qualified Personnel
Are Accepted. "U.S. Navy Aeromedical Reference and Waiver Guide." 1.0

AVIATION PHYSICAL STANDARDS (n.d.): 1-19. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Chief of Naval Air Training." Chief of Naval Air Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr.

2015. http://www.cnatra.navy.mil/training_pilot.htm
"Occupational Outlook Handbook." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.bls.gov/ooh/military/military-careers.htm>.