Airwing questions

[itsy]

So I'm going to MEPs tomorrow and I know I want to be apart of the wing. Now ultimately I would like to be flying rather than a mechanic although UAV Operator interest me alot too. I'm looking into 73xx and it says Helicopter specialist, AH-1Z/UH-1Y. What does 'specialist' consist of? It also says this MOS is given to Marines in the following MOS's 6048 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6048.htm), 6114 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6114.htm), 6124 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6124.htm), 6154 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6154.htm), 6174 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6174.htm), 6324 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6324.htm), 6531 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6531.htm), 7563, and 7565. I couldn't just enlist in 73xx and get AH-1Z/UH-1Y specialist? My recruiter was telling me to go aerial observer instead of crewchief thus its the same thing.. very confused i'll be asking him tomorrow when he takes me to MEPs but I'm very curious. Also are all wing contracts 5 years?

[iamspartacus]

First of all, the Marine Corps isn't that great of a place if you want to work with UAVs. I can't think of any UAVs the Marine Cops has other than paper airplanes with cameras the grunts chuck over mountains before they head that way. If UAVs is your thing, the Air Force is where it's at.

Secondly, if you want to fly, you're going to be a mechanic. Crewchiefs are mechanics who fly. What do you think they are there for? Pass out pillows and get the pilots cocktails? As for aerial observer, it's possible for anyone in the squadron to get qualified as an AO. I was an Aviation Operations Specialist. I sat at a desk and filled out log books and published flight schedules. I could have requested to be an AO and I'd just have to go through the syllabus to get qualified and then I could fly like the cool kids. And if you maintain like 4 hours of flight time a month you qualify for flight pay. You just come to work and do your normal stuff and occasionally you'll see your name pop up on the filght schedule and you go out to the flight line, jump on your bird and look out the window. But if you want to be a full-time flyer, you're going to have to turn some wrenches.


I'm looking into 73xx and it says Helicopter specialist, AH-1Z/UH-1Y. What does 'specialist' consist of? It also says this MOS is given to Marines in the following MOS's 6048 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6048.htm), 6114 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6114.htm), 6124 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6124.htm), 6154 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6154.htm), 6174 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6174.htm), 6324 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6324.htm), 6531 (http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/marineenjobs/bl6531.htm), 7563, and 7565. I couldn't just enlist in 73xx and get AH-1Z/UH-1Y specialist?

I'm pretty sure you can't get a guarantee on which aircraft you'll be working on. You just say you want to be a crewchief and they decide where you'll work. And as far as what "specialist" means, it's just way to make the little guy sound smart.

[cashley123]

If your looking at being a mechanic you aren't guaranteed an aircraft until after A-school. If you're looking at anything to do with skid kids (hueys and cobras) you might as well get in line because as of right now in avionics (63xx) there aren't any orders for that coming available so I can assume it's the same for the powerplants and airframers. You have to have done your time in the fleet before you can be a crew chief. Most airwing contracts are 5 years because the schooling is so long. In the airwing you will have A-school in Pensacola, Fl which is just a completely basic course in your general field. After A-school you go onto C-school which is when you are given an aircraft.