Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Yes, I understand that. That said, it would seem to favor economics right?You do realize warrant officers, and enlisted personnel get paid less than officers, in any military, don't you?
Okay, so it had to do with making numbers real fast. I'm curious why they kept on doing this -- last I checked, they still do, right?Army Aviation went to the Warrant officer ranks for helicopter pilots, and fixed wing too, during the Vietnam era ( and earlier) because they needed a lot of pilots quick.
Then why'd the USAAF/USAF go all officer for aircrew?It takes less time, and cheaper to train WOCs on E-5 pay as pilots, than a 2nt LT, or whatever rank, at his pay rate.
So, it works out way better if you're an officer in that regard?When the WOC fails to complete his flight training he reduced to the rank he had before flight training, and used however the Army wants. The failed Officer is sent back to his original skill, (infantry, artillery, engineer) full pay.
Seems like that'd be a bonus. Get people into active duty and in combat faster.In the WOC training they're basically training you to be a pilot, with less time spent on the skills needed of a officer, than a OCS trainee would have had.
Forgot about the cargo and tanker crews.Not all USAF members of aircrew were officers, even in the jet age. Gunners were enlisted as were refuling boom operators. And many enlisted crew chiefs flew along on missions for cargo, tanker, and even bomber aircraft.
Why would it be easier to retain them if they were officers?One reason that USAF pilots are officers is that Air Force pilots are more likely to have the kind of training and flight experience that was attractive to the airlines.
HehThe USAF did have enlisted pilots. It's just that technically they were not in the USAF at that particular time but were working for "another agency."
Glider pilots would probably be magnificent for P-47 pilots. They would have to know energy management...I recall reading where a P-47 unit stationed in Germany just after WWII was told they could not go home until they had trained their replacements. The replacements turned out to be a bunch of Army glider pilots. Somehow, I think a P-47 and a CG-4 probably fly just a bit differently, but they managed to do it. I would assume the former glider pilots were all promoted to Lt once they mastered their new airplane.
That's actually pretty interesting: Did that apply to just the Army or the Navy?FLYBOYJ said:Zipper - very interesting questions here and a lot of dynamics behind the officer/ enlisted pilot discussion. Another item to look at is a pilot candidate having a college degree. I've done some research into this and found some interesting information.
During WW1 a pilot was initially looked upon as a "chauffeur" and the Observer was usually the officer and incharge of the mission.
So it had to do with the fact that some were from college (which made them officer material), and romanticism (rule of cool I guess) and politics (unsure exactly how)As aerial combat progressed that changed and eventually you saw both enlisted personnel and officers flying combat aircraft. Some of this was due to social status, pay and manpower requirements (already mentioned).
I could respect a person enjoying their food and drink. If I didn't respect it so much I'd be 150 pounds still...I have more on this but it's O'beer thirty right now!
You sure about that? I've met a few B-36 FEs and they were usually senior enlisted dudesInterestingly enough, on the B-36 typically there were two flight engineers and both usually outranked the pilots. Flight engineers were usually Lt Col and the pilots Captains or Majors.
Not all USAF members of aircrew were officers, even in the jet age. Gunners were enlisted as were refuling boom operators. And many enlisted crew chiefs flew along on missions for cargo, tanker, and even bomber aircraft.
One reason that USAF pilots are officers is that Air Force pilots are more likely to have the kind of training and flight experience that was attractive to the airlines. Making sure they were all officers helped to retain them. Many if not most Army pilots were not trained in IFR flying. I recall one USAF officer assigned as liaison to the Army saying that when one of their pilots wanted to do cross country they often asked him to come along, even saying to him, "I'm glad I have you with me."
The USAF did have enlisted pilots. It's just that technically they were not in the USAF at that particular time but were working for "another agency."
I recall reading where a P-47 unit stationed in Germany just after WWII was told they could not go home until they had trained their replacements. The replacements turned out to be a bunch of Army glider pilots. Somehow, I think a P-47 and a CG-4 probably fly just a bit differently, but they managed to do it. I would assume the former glider pilots were all promoted to Lt once they mastered their new airplane.
All airmen had difficulty in correctly identifying ships from the air including the USN.In WWII I think the RAF was unique in that it had Officer Observers.
Of course at Midway the USN figured out it needed to provide some naval officers as observers on USAAF B-17's, because:
1. The B-17 probably was at least 10 times more capable of handling Japanese aircraft than the USN's favorite patrol plane, the PBY. PBY's flying at their 75 kt long range cruise sniffed around the edges of the IJN, ducking into clouds to escape. And they had to contend with Betty bombers operating out of Wake Island even when they were not near IJN ships. B-17's flew right over the middle of the IJN fleet. not hitting anything with their bombs.but scaring the bejesus out of the IJN.
2. USAAF crews could not tell a battleship from a rowboat. One crew even claimed to have sunk an IJN cruiser when in reality they had attacked a US subamarine that merely submerged. Later, when B-29's began operating from Saipan, a special slide rule was developed to enable the crews to accurately measure the length of ships sighted by using their remote gunsights.
It was the class system. Officers were gentlemen, enlisted men were not. A college education in the 20s and 30s was a good way to ensure that only those with money need apply.
But they weren't allowed to be officers.Not sure I buy that argument entirely, and certainly not across all nations. WW1 proved that being a gentleman did not necessarily make that person an effective leader. Also, air forces tended to demand higher technical expertise, which demanded men who tended to be more independently-minded.
The RFC/RAF experience during WW1 showed that even relatively poorly-educated men could succeed if they had sufficient technical acumen and could "think in 3D". Thus social status was less significant than, for example, in the British Army. The RAF continued to recruit NCO pilots between the wars.
But they weren't allowed to be officers.
Certainly wartime broke down some of the barriers. I think all pilots should have been officers. They had the same responsibilities but were not allowed to share the perks and I believe were paid less as well. Often they were reduced in rank after hostilities ended.
Certainly wartime broke down some of the barriers. I think all pilots should have been officers. They had the same responsibilities but were not allowed to share the perks and I believe were paid less as well. Often they were reduced in rank after hostilities ended.
George H. Holmes - Wikipedia