Airman Classroom Training CourseBy

Former Naval AviatorJay Rollins

Objective:

• To provide all Sea Cadets with a broad overview of Naval Aviation (Lesson One), and further, to provide classroom instruction for cadets desiring to earn the Airman rating (E-3).

• The Airman course includes classroom presentations as well as field excursions, to be announced.

Special Notes:

• Cadets are encouraged to take notes at each classroom presentation. Sea Cadets interested in qualifying as an NSCC Airman (E-3) are expected to progress through Airman Cadet qualifying test questions, located in the Navy’s Airman Manual posted at:

• http://compass.seacadets.org/cadets/nscc_courses/airman.htm.

LESSON ONE

• Introduction to Naval Aviation• (2+00 hrs)

• Mission, History, and Organization • (0 +55 mins)

Introduction

• By marrying air power with naval forces, the USA is able to project military power virtually anywhere in the world.

• The ability to win WWII, to fight the Korean War, Viet Nam, and two Gulf Wars directly accomplished with the sea power in combination with air power.

• The Airman Rating prepares you to maintain the Navy’s vast fleet of aircraft.

• Leadership and training are a part of your everyday life in the Navy, and teamwork is the most important attribute of any military organization.

• [Aircraft “Nomenclature”] or aircraft naming convention reveals the aircraft’s purpose and model series. The first letter describes the purpose:

“A” = Attack

“C” = Cargo

“E” = Electronic Warfare

• US Navy EA-18 G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft

“H” = Rescue

“S” = Anti-submarine

“T” = Trainer

Pilatus Pilatus Pc-7 Military Trainer Aircraft

“U” = UtilityThe Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) C-17

Globe master III

• The letter is followed by a hyphen, a number for each model, and finally a letter to identify which design modification. As an example, I flew the “[TA-4J],” which describes training attack aircraft # 4 in a “J” design. Aircraft are also assigned a nickname. For the A-4, it is the “Skyhawk.”

TA-4J Skyhawk

Primary Mission of Naval Aviation:

• To support our naval forces, “The Fleet” to keep vital sea lanes open (command of the seas). Accomplished by closely coordinating with other forces by engaging in five basic operations:

E-2 Hawkeye , FA-18 Super Hornet

•1.      Act as “eyes and ears” for the fleet [E-2 Hawkeye, FA-18 Super Hornet].

• 2. Protect against submarine attack. [P-3C Orion][SH-60B/F Seahawk]

P-3C Orion US Navy SH-60B Sea Hawk

• 3. Aid and support amphibious landings (for Marines). [AH-1W Cobra]

ah-1w cobra

• 4. Rapid logistic support for ground forces. [C-130 Hercules], [C-2A Greyhound (COD)]

C-130 Hercules C-130 Hercules

• 5. Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. [HH-60H Rescue Hawk]

HH-60H Rescue Hawk

History of Naval Aviation:

• 1898 – The Navy becomes interested the new “flying machine” as a weapon.

• 13 Dec 1903 – the Wright Brothers successfully demonstrate first powered flight.

• November 14, 1910 Civilian aviation pioneer, Glenn Curtiss began developing aircraft suited water-based operation, and today, he is considered to be “The Father of Naval Aviation.”

• [“The Glenn Curtiss Story” video]

• 1910 – First successful shipboard launch of an aircraft. [Eugene Ely launches a Curtiss biplane off the cruiser Birmingham].

• 8 May 1911 – Considered “birthday” of Naval Aviation: Navy purchases its first aircraft, [A-1 Triad]. Ely lands and takes off from the Pennsylvania. [Excerpts from “The Glenn Curtiss Story”] By end of year, Navy has three airplanes, four pilots, one Naval Air Station (NAS) near Annapolis.

• 1917 – USA declares war on Germany with fleet of 54 aircraft, one airship, and three balloons. By end of WWI, fleet had grown to 252 land aircraft and 1865 seaplanes and flying boats.

• 1922 – USS Langley commissioned as first aircraft carrier (CV-1)

• 1941 – Surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USA declares war on Japan with fleet of 5,233 aircraft, including the [F-6F Hellcat], [F-4U Corsair], [SB-2C Helldiver], and the [TBM Avenger] carrier-based aircraft.

• 1942• The Battle of Coral Sea – carrier-based aircraft

attacked Japanese Navy alone. Was first major naval battle without opposing ships making contact.

• The Battle of Midway, decisive battle considered the turning point of the naval war in the Pacific.

• The Battle of Gaudalcanal, carrier-based aircraft helped secure island for USA forces.

• 1943 – Navy purchases first helicopters from US Army along with Sikorsky YR-4B built to Navy standards.

• 1944 – Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka “The Great Mariannas Turkey Shoot”) is largest aircraft carrier battle in history. Japanese defeated after losing 600 aircraft and three aircraft carriers to US Navy.

• 1945 – World War II ends in victory for USA and “Allies.”

• June, 1946 – [“Blue Angels”] flight team established.

• 1953 – Navy aircraft test USS Antietam, as first angled-deck aircraft carrier.

• 1954 – Guided air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles placed into operation. [Polaris] [Sidewinder]

• 1959 – Four Naval Aviators selected for Project Mercury space missions. By the 1960s, US Navy is assigned the task of recovering space vehicles after splash-down.

• 1961 • [Naval Aviator Alan B. Shepard, Jr.] becomes

first American in space.• [USS Enterprise (CVN-65)] is commissioned –

World’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

• 1962 • Former Senator and Naval Aviator [John

Glenn], Jr. (USMC) became first American to orbit the earth, and later the oldest man in space at 77-years-old in 1998.

• [Naval Air Museum] is commissioned in Pensacola, FL

• 1965 – [A-4 Skyhawk], [F-4 Phantom], A-6 [Intruder], and [A-7 Corsair] aircraft execute massive bombing campaign in Viet Nam under Operation “Rolling Thunder.”

• 1967 – Fire breaks out on the deck of USS Forrestal. Despite heroic efforts, fire quickly spreads below, igniting bombs and ammunition. More than 130 are killed.

• July, 1969 – Naval Aviator [Neil Armstrong] becomes the first human to ever to set foot on the moon.

• 1971• Marines take delivery of [AV-8 Harrier] vertical

(V/STOL) “Jump-jet.”• [EA-6B Prowler], high-tech electronic warfare

jet delivered. • Navy also receives CH-53A Sea Stallion used to

locate and safely detonate mines. • 1972 – F-14 Tomcat, made famous in the

movie, [“Top Gun,”] first delivered as replacement for aging F-4 fighter jets.

• 1973 – Viet Nam cease-fire announced and US forces begin withdrawal.

• 1976 – Navy’s last operational seaplane, [HU-16] Albatross withdrawn from service. Navy celebrates USA’s 200th birthday. [LTJG Rollins outside specially painted CT-39E Sabreliner]

• 1981 – First flight of the Space Shuttle ([Columbia]), with an all-Navy crew, launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

• 1983 – After Cuban forces occupy Grenada’s main airfield, amphibious assault operations commence on Caribbean island of Grenada with air support based aboard [USS Independence].

• 1986 – Naval Aviation celebrates its 75th Anniversary. The bombing of a transatlantic Pan American 747 jetliner over Lockerbee, Scotland provokes a counterstrike on Libya using F-14 Tomcat, F-18 Hornet, and A-6 Intruder aircraft and HARM, Harpoon, and Shrike missiles..

• 1990s – Following fall of Berlin in 1989, Soviet Union collapse leaving USA as world’s only superpower.

• 1991 – Kuwait liberated in Persian Gulf War following massive aerial attacks as Navy launches Tomahawk cruise missiles, while Navy, Marine, USAF, and Allied aircraft of all types deliver crippling blow to Iraqi ground and air forces.

• 1992 – Unsinkable “Blue Ghost” of WWII and training command carrier, [USS Lexington], decommissioned. Navy accepts [T-45 Goshawk] to replace T-2 Buckeye and TA-4 Skyhawk.

• 1993 – Secretary of Defense allows women on combat flights and vessels.

• 1995 – First female Naval Aviator goes into space. In age of high technology and shifting national interest, armed services are downsized. But the Navy and Naval Aviation retain their major role.

Questions

• 1. What is the mission and primary function of naval aviation?

• 1. What is the mission and primary function of naval aviation?

• (Support the fleet in maintaining control of the seas).

• 2. Which Naval Aviator became the first American in space?

• 2. Which Naval Aviator became the first American in space?

• (Alan B. Shepard, Jr.)

• 3. What is the name of the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and what year was it commissioned?

• 3. What is the name of the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and what year was it commissioned?

• (USS Enterprise, 1961)

• 4. What year did the Secretary of Defense lift the band allowing women into combat roles?

• 4. What year did the Secretary of Defense lift the band allowing women into combat roles?

• (1993)

•Break Time

• What is an “Airman,” an “AMDO,” and an “NFO”?

Naval Aviation Chain-of-Command

• (0 + 55 mins)• President – Commander-in-Chief

(civilian)Secretary of Defense (civilian)Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffChief of Naval Operations (CNO) (or Commandant of the Marine Corps);

• Naval Air Stations (and smaller Naval Air Facilities) support the fleet by:

• · Providing support to aircraft and squadrons assigned to the base

• · Services transient aircraft with fuel, oil, and minor repair.

• · Operates control tower and overall operation of airport.

• In addition, many NAS’s perform specialized missions such as training, major medical, AIMD, and NAVDEPS.

• Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Bases (AIMD) – Perform intermediate level maintenance. Divided into operational divisions:

• Maintenance Material Control – The heart of AIMD.

• Production Control manages resources to manage resources: parts and personnel.

• Material Control ensures parts or materiel kept available to various work centers.

• Power plants, Airframes, Avionics Departments, etc. maintain respective aircraft components.

• Quality Assurance (QA) – Back-checks quality of all work performed in order to prevent defects.

• NAVDEP (Naval Aviation Depot) – Performs heavy maintenance. Manufactures parts and assemblies as necessary, as well as engineering necessary to make necessary changes to aircraft hardware.

Aircraft Carrier Organization

General Organizational Chart

Focus on Air Department

Focus on Air Wing

Squadrons

Organization

• Focus on three departments:

• Operations – Responsible for operational readiness and tactical efficiency of the squadron. Maintains logs and records, schedules, training divisions, and more.

Maintenance

• Safety – Responsible for all matters concerning the squadron’s ground, aviation, and “NATOPS” safety programs.

There are four types of squadrons:

• · Carrier• · Patrol• · Composite• · Non-combatant

• Carrier Squadrons• The online study guide states there are five

types of carrier squadrons (page 2.7): • 1. Strike-fighter (VFA) • 2. Anti-Submarine (HS, HSL, VS)• 3. Early Warning (VAW)• 4. Fighter (VF)• 5. Attack (VA)

• [However, due to recent fleet refinements, this information is OBSOLETE!]

• 1. Strike-fighter (VFA) • 2. Anti-Submarine (HS, HSL, VS)• 3. Early Warning (VAW)• 4. Fighter (VF)• 5. Attack (VA)

• Today’s carrier squadrons are only one of the first three listed:

• 1. VFA – Fighter / Attack (F/A-18 Hornets)• 2. HS or HSL only (SH-60 Seahawk Mk III)• 3. VAW (EA-6 Prowler)

• Patrol Squadrons (P-3 Orion) – Operate from land bases, singly over land and sea for anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance, and mining operations.

• Composite (Utility) Squadrons – Either fixed-wing or rotary, (VC) (HC), support fleet in multiple roles, including SAR and MEDIVAC operations. (SH-3 Sea King, H-46 Sea Knight

• Non-Combatant Squadrons• Developmental (VX) (HX) – Fixed wing and

helicopter test squadrons • Tactical Support (VRC) – Long distance

transportation for supplies and personnel (C-130 Hercules, C-9 Skytrain, C-2 Greyhound “COD”)

• Training (VT)