[1bigK]

Not a jarhead, but I did look at Google. He could have been a crew chief, but flight crew are officers. The Army uses the same basic structure/restrictions with regards to their chopper pilots, which I am familiar with. The Flight Officer Act of 1942 promoted enlisted pilots to warrant officers and in 1945 the existence of enlisted pilots was discontinued.


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[hogship]

Not a jarhead, but I did look at Google. He could have been a crew chief, but flight crew are officers. The Army uses the same basic structure/restrictions with regards to their chopper pilots, which I am familiar with. The Flight Officer Act of 1942 promoted enlisted pilots to warrant officers and in 1945 the existence of enlisted pilots was discontinued.


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That's what I thought.

Actually, crew chiefs are considered flight crew, but pilots in USArmy aviation were all officers, or warrant officers. My experience with that is limited to 1967-70 active duty as a crew chief on a Huey helicopter.

Still hoping someone with direct experience with Marine aviation will eventually come along......

 

[1bigK]

That's what I thought.

Actually, crew chiefs are considered flight crew, but pilots in USArmy aviation were all officers, or warrant officers. My experience with that is limited to 1967-70 active duty as a crew chief on a Huey helicopter.

Still hoping someone with direct experience with Marine aviation will eventually come along......

I could have worded that better somehow, but you knew what I meant. My service time was ‘75-82, but I left the infantry, and 101’st AA in early ‘80. Hueys and Chinooks both.

I tried to get into Warrant Officer flight school, took the FAST II test and set new high scores. But I couldn’t get a waiver for being 6’7”. Par for the course for me.


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[Jump]

CH-54 was an Army Helicopter. The Marines did not operate that aircraft.

Jump

 

[John43]

I served 61-70 and we had a Chief Petty Officer for a pilot at Pensacola.

 

[rangerjd]

I met someone the other day who claims to have been a Marine staff sergeant pilot of a CH54 helicopter. He's about 50yo +/-, so this would probably be about 20-30 years ago.....

I didn't want to call him out for BS, but I've never heard of any recent enlisted rank pilots. (There were some in WW2, as I recall.)

So, how about it? Anyone here with Marine aviation experience who knows for sure?

I’m calling BS on this. There are no enlisted pilot of helicopters in any service. Take a good helicopter pilot with you and have him quiz him on the operation of one. He probably flew one on a video game once in his mother’s basement!

 

[Master Guns]

He is BS.

 

[Glock Commander]

The last enlisted pilot on active duty was ACCM Robert K. "NAP" Jones, who retired from the Navy on January 31, 1981. Sources: (1) The Silver Eagles Association (SEA).

 

[Terry G]

Warrant Officers flew most of the helicopters in Viet Nam. Never enlisted men.