Can the WSO fly the plane?

In the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, the WSO can pilot the aircraft when required, although this is typically during non-tactical portions of the mission (e.g., en route to mission area or returning to base).

Can the RIO fly the plane?

The stick in the rear seat cannot fly the aircraft. It is like a mouse for the weapons system. It controls the cursor on the displays and can move the position of the radar and TCS (Television Camera System) and things like that.

Can navigators fly?

Flight navigators used to spend hours looking over maps and weather forecasts to plot the best route. And once the plane was in the air, the navigator had to rely on features in the sky and on the ground to help keep the plane on course.

What does an f15 WSO do?

On four screens, this officer can display information from the radar, electronic warfare or infrared sensors, monitor aircraft or weapons status and possible threats, select targets, and use an electronic “moving map” to navigate.

What does WSO mean in airforce?

Weapon system officers or WSO's, are aircrew officers who are involved in all air operations with extensive training in operating weapon systems. “We are basically the leaders of the mission,” Wilson said. “We are in charge of all the weapons on the aircraft and how we execute and employ those weapons.”

Can WSO's Fly?

Is the WSO a pilot?

However, it is important to note that the WSO is not a pilot. The WSO is trained to operate the weapons systems, not fly the aircraft, but does have basic flight controls including throttle, stick, rudder pedals, compass, HSI, etc.

Are WSO officers?

A weapon systems officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air flight officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of an aircraft. In the United States Navy, they are responsible for manning the weapon systems of a fighter.

Can the WSO fly the F-15E?

In the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, the WSO can pilot the aircraft when required, although this is typically during non-tactical portions of the mission (e.g., en route to mission area or returning to base).

Did Tom Cruise fly TOPGUN?

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Before filming “Top Gun: Maverick,” with actors taking real G-forces in Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets sporting Imax-grade cameras, cinematographer Claudio Miranda pulled a Tom Cruise and climbed into the cockpit himself.

Is a navigator a pilot?

The Army Air Corps had only adopted the idea of the air navigator as a specialized crew member in 1939. Suddenly, tens of thousands were needed. Most navigators in the Army Air Forces started as pilot cadets who "washed out" of pilot training, often in PT-17s.

What is a Rio in Top Gun?

Dave 'Bio' Baranek flew the flying aerial sequences in the original 1985 Top Gun film and served as dialogue advisor. His role as radar intercept officer (RIO) – the air flight officer involved in air operations and weapons systems – in the F-14 Tomcat was the same as that of Goose in in the film.

Does the Air Force still train navigators?

The Air Force has airlift navigators, bomber navigators, fighter navigators, tanker navigators, experimental test plane navigators, special operations navigators and generalist navigators. There are also navigators trained in reconnaissance, surveillance and electronic warfare aircraft.

Is a Navy RIO a pilot?

RIO – Radar intercept officer, a category of Naval Flight Officer who was the second crewman in the F-14 Tomcat. For crew coordination purposes, RIOs were primarily responsible for communication and navigation, as well as operating the F-14 radar.

Does MiG 28 exist?

MiG-28: a fictional aircraft flown by the antagonist in the 1986 film Top Gun. The real aircraft used to portray the MiG-28 was a Northrop F-5.

What does 2nd pilot do in F-14?

The F-4 and F-14 for example, the 2nd seater operated the radar because the pilot really couldn't keep his head in the cockpit when engaging multiple enemy contacts or when the fight was close in.

What is a Navy pilot called?

A naval aviator is a commissioned officer or warrant officer qualified as a crewed aircraft pilot in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps.

Do NFOs get wings?

Advanced Training at VT-4 and VT-86 provides tactical training to student NFOs that tests and prepares them for their future fleet aircraft. Upon completion of Advanced training, NFOs receive their wings of gold and move on to their respective Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS).

Is there a TOPGUN school?

TOPGUN, or as its official title goes, the "Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" program, or SFTI (pronounced 'siff-tee'), is not actually a school, per se, but rather it is an instructional course loaded with schooling, training and tactics development, and it's held at the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development ...

What planes do CSO's fly in?

Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training

Primary culminates in several flights in a T-6B Texan II, flying contact sorties in which students are acclimated to the aerobatic flight environment, high level sorties practicing instrument procedures, and low level visual navigation flights.

Do Air Force officers ever see combat?

They do see combat. They just have their own unique way about it.

How much does an Air Force navigator make?

The typical US Air Force Navigator salary is $98,288 per year. Navigator salaries at US Air Force can range from $61,615 - $166,754 per year. This estimate is based upon 11 US Air Force Navigator salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods.

How long is Air Force navigator training?

Currently, navigators and electronic warfare officers train together for 90 days and then train for 82 days in their specialized career fields. Combat systems officer training will increase common training to 138 days before sending the aviators to either advanced navigator or electronic warfare training.

Why is everyone in Top Gun sweaty?

Good looking guys sweating all the time and walking around with their shirts off—yeah, that was definitely Tony Scott and Co.'s bid for female viewership and their attempt to give the film a gritty and edgy sexiness.