Naval Flight Officer - Naval Aviator Vs Naval Flight Officer

Naval Aviator Vs Naval Flight Officer

Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) are the men and women who operate some of the advanced systems on board most multi-crew naval aircraft, and some may also act as the overall tactical mission commanders of single or multiple aircraft assets during a given mission. NFOs are not formally trained to pilot the aircraft, although they do train in dual-control aircraft and are given the opportunity to practice basic airmanship techniques. Some current and recently retired naval aircraft with side-by-side seating are also authorized to operate under dual-piloted weather minimums with one pilot and one NFO. However, in the unlikely event that the pilot of a single piloted naval aircraft becomes incapacitated, the crew would likely eject or bail out, if possible, as NFOs are not normally qualified to land the aircraft, especially in the carrier-based shipboard environment.

NFOs serve as Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs), Electronic Warfare Officers (EWO), Electronic Countermeasures Officers (ECMO), Tactical Coordinators (TACCO), Bombardiers, and Navigators. They can serve as aircraft mission commanders, although in accordance with the OPNAVINST 3710 series of instructions, the pilot in command, regardless of rank, is always responsible for the safe piloting of the aircraft. Many NFOs achieve flight lead, mission lead and mission commander qualification, even when the pilot of the aircraft does not have that designation. Often, a senior NFO is paired with a junior pilot (and vice versa). NFO astronauts have also flown aboard the Space Shuttle as Mission Specialists and wear NFO-Astronaut wings.

Like their Naval Aviator counterparts, NFOs in both the Navy and Marine Corps have commanded aviation squadrons, carrier air wings, shore-based functional air wings and air groups, Marine Aircraft Groups, air facilities, air stations, aircraft carriers, carrier strike groups, Marine Aircraft Wings, Marine Expeditionary Forces, and numbered Fleets. Two NFOs have reached four star rank, one as a Marine Corps general having served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the other as a Navy admiral having commanded U.S. Fleet Forces Command & U.S. Atlantic Fleet, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). Another former NFO who retrained and qualified as a Naval Aviator also achieved four star rank as a Marine Corps general, has commanded U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.