Well, looks like my daughter will Go Navy now...She wanted to be a pilot, but doesn't have the education or the grades for an academy and wanted to enlist....

Navy pilot program opens to enlisted ranks

By Jason Chudy, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, February 1, 2006

The Navy is looking for enlisted sailors to join the new flying chief
warrant officer pilot and naval flight officer program.

The program is looking for 30 E-5s to E-7s with associate's degrees, and who
meet other specific requirements, to become fixed-wing aircraft and
helicopter pilots or naval flight officers. Naval flight officers are
different from pilots, and usually control electronic or weapons systems in
aircraft.

Those selected for the program will be commissioned as chief warrant officer
2s, attend the limited duty officer/chief warrant officer indoctrination
program, then go through flight training. Once complete, they will be
assigned to fleet replacement squadron training before reporting to a fleet
assignment. They will be assigned to patrol, reconnaissance and certain
helicopter squadrons.

"The Army does the same thing for flying," said Petty Officer 1st Class
Chris Connolly of Naval Support Activity Naples about using chief warrant
officers to fly.

"There are a lot of smart people in the enlisted ranks," said Connolly, who
is an aviation structural mechanic. "A lot of people would like to do this
program. I would do it, but I turned 27 this year."

All applicants must be under 27 before their commissioning.

"This is a good opportunity for the young folks," said Cmdr. John Bishop,
who served as a naval flight officer on P-3 maritime patrol aircraft.

"I think it's a great program," said Bishop, of the Naples, Italy-based Navy
Region Europe staff. "We'll welcome them to the flying ranks."

Traditionally, the Navy's warrant officers come only from the senior
enlisted ranks. For this program, however, the requirement was dropped to
E-5, so the sailors could be commissioned by their 27th birthday for pilots
or 29th birthday for naval flight officers.

The Navy does have a history of enlisted sailors taking to the air.

Between 1916 and 1947 the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard sent enlisted
personnel through flight training. These naval aviation pilots, which were
differentiated from the commissioned naval aviators, flew everything from
fighters to helicopters.

More than 5,000 enlisted pilots flew during that 30-year period, including
naval aviation pilot Ken Walsh who earned the Medal of Honor. Walsh was the
fourth-highest Marine ace of World War II with 21 enemy planes downed to his
credit. He rose through the enlisted, warrant officer and commissioned
officer ranks, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1961.

Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Robert Jones, the last naval aviation pilot,
retired in 1981.

The requirements for the program are listed in the Navy administrative
message 031/06, which is available at: npc.navy.mil
C 2006 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

concept into reality, worked well back then, stands to reason it'll work now.

Wonder if the Corps will open up this option now that the Navy is doing it?