Living Situation For Naval Aviators?

Question

I've recently been thinking about going into the Navy after college, and I'd like to be an aviator. I know it's a difficult rating but I am a very determined person. My question is where do most of the Naval Aviators live? Could I live off base? Would I still be able to study for a Masters Degree while being a pilot? I'd like to be a pilot, live off base with my cat, (or live on base as long as my cat can reside with me), and go to graduate school at the same time. Does this seem like a possibility?

Answer 1

Former Naval Flight Officer who keeps in touch with the Naval Aviation Community speaking.



Being a Naval Aviator is not a "rating." "Rating" refers solely and specifically to enlisted specialties. As a Navy pilot or Naval Flight Officer (NFO) you would have a designator:



1310 - Pilot, Regular Navy

1315 - Pilot, Active Reserve

1320 - NFO, Regular Navy

1325 - NFO, Active Reserve



ONLY Naval Academy graduates enter Naval Aviation as "Regular Navy." For those who come from NROTC or through OCS you enter as USNR (Active Reserve) and you must apply to be augmented into the Regular Navy, with your first opportunity being just before you make O-3 (Lieutenant). You can apply multiple times and being turned down does not end your career.



That said, and to validate my numbers, here is a quote from the Chief of Naval Air Training website concerning where Naval Aviator and Naval Flight Officers come from to get into the program:



"All Flight Officer training begins at NAS Pensacola, Florida, the “Cradle of Naval Aviation.” Young men and women report from three recruiting sources: Just under 40% come from the U.S. Naval Academy, just over 40% come from Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) units, and just over 20% from Officer Candidate School (OCS)."



However the EA-6B has been replaced with the EA-18G "Growler" version of the F/A-18 for Electronic Warfare. I'd go back tomorrow if they'd let me fly that.



While in training most Naval Aviation Candidates live on-base in the Bachelor Officer Quarters and, no, you cannot have a pet of any kind living with you.



Once you have won your wings and completed ALL of your training you will be sent to your first Sea Tour and you will have the option of having an off-base residence (depending on if you are homeported CONUS or OCONUS) but you are going to be gone 6-9 months at least twice during a 2 1/2 year Tour, so what are you going to do with your cat?



There is NO WAY you will be able to go to Graduate School until you hit your first Shore Duty and the nature of your Shore Duty (whatever it is) may still interfere with furthering your education. Even on my Shore Duty as a Leadership and Management Instructor I was only able to grab a total of four Graduate-level classes in 2 1/2 years. Virtually every Naval Aviator I ever met who had a Masters got it at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.



Being a Naval Aviator is definitely not an 8 hours a day 5 days a week job on Sea or Shore Duty. ON a Sea Tour in which I normally deployed six weeks, had six weeks contingency (usually gone 2-3 weeks) and six weeks training cycle (usually gone 2-3 weeks) I had an unbroken (no days off) deployment of 114 days during which I either worked or flew a total of 1972 hours. My average work day was 17 hours 20 minutes.



Let's look at it in brief:



You think being a Naval Aviator is a "rating" - obviously you need to do more in-depth research.



During training you will live in a BOQ that does not allow pets.



After training you will be sent to Sea Duty for 2 1/2 years during which you will at spend at least two 6-9 deployments. Where will Kitty go?



You will not have time to pursue an advanced degree during your Sea Tour. It will be difficult during a Shore Tour so you should research Navy PG School (http://nps.edu).



Here are some links for you:



http://www.navy.com/careers/aviation/naval-aviators.html#ft-key-responsibilities



http://www.cnatra.navy.mil/training_officer.htm



http://www.cnatra.navy.mil/training_pilot.htm



If it still interests you after finding out the facts, good luck to you. Wings of gold have real meaning.

Answer 2

You really have no clue about lifestyles in the military much less the very demanding position you are asking about



I get the impression that you think being a Naval Aviator is like being a civilian airline pilot. It isn't



I also get the impression that you think the military is a 9-5 job. It isn't. Not even in the same universe in fact.



not only that you are asking about one of the most selective jobs in the military . A job most spend their teenage years and young adult life preparing for. And BS like housing and your freaking cat are your major concerns.



my magic 8 ball says you don't stand a snowballs chance in hell of ever being selected as a Naval Aviator

Answer 3

It will depend on where you are stationed. Some bases will have Jr Officer barracks that you will be required to live in, other places will not so you are given BAH w/o dependents to pay for rent. On base in barracks no pets allowed, off base then it depends on what the apartment/condo/housing regulations are.



You will not have time to study for a Master Degree in your first years, that is when you are concentrating on qualifying for whatever you are doing.



This is of course based on you getting in and picked up for Aviation.

Answer 4

Youd probably live on an aircraft carrier. Michael will probably correct me but if youre not in NROTC or in an academy, theres a high chance you won't get a pilot slot.