I am a P-3 Flight Engineer, retired. Was trained at VP-30 in 1990 and my assigned command was VP-10. My last flight was in the last quarter of 1996. Best job ever. My fellow engineers were great. The crew coordination was top notch. Would do it all over again.
My dad helps keep the best P-3 Flight engineers in the Navy, He was career counselor and an air crew on p-3 1980-1994 out of NAS Jacksonville. He also served two tours on three aircraft carriers in 1965-1969, mainly with F-8 Crusaders. He also served in the Army Reserve for 4 years sometime in the 1970s. Furthermore, he is enjoying his retirement and being a great grandpa.
I agree. for sure a great job. I was in P-3 aircraft for 17 of my 20 year career in the USN (73-93) and was a P-3 F/E for 14 of them.. over 7,000 hours in the P-3. and 1900 hours F/E in Convair C-131 prior to P-3's. GREAT JOB. Sad to see it leaving active duty Navy...
@@jackshittle why was she crying? and i know plenty of female aircrew who are fantastic at their job and some male aircrewman who suck at it. dont lump all of us together...
My daughter was a sensor tech on the P3 and then P8. She just got out of the Navy after 16 years last month...now she's struggling to find a decent job.
I'm sorry to hear that man. I mainly got out of the Navy after my first enlistment because they shit canned my job off of the plane (Inflight Ordnanceman). Luckily it timed out so they got rid of my job about 3 months before my 5 year enlistment was up so it wasn't a big deal really but if I was thinking about reenlisting that idea went out the window along with my job as I absolutely hated my job when I wasn't flying. I'd pray every day that I would be on the following days flight schedule. That's a shame that your daughter cannot find a good job somewhere. I have two teenage daughters still in HS so I can see how that would heart breaking to see her volunteer in the U.S. Navy and then not able to find a job after serving 16 years. I hope she finds something soon David.
I was stationed at VP31 (1st duty station out of boot camp Sept 1979) I became 1 of 3 women to become a dedicated P3 Observer in 1980. We three females where the first non mission aircrew at that time! Went through Dwest in San Diego, Natops training, secret clearance, etc. We worked within the Flight Engineers office. I flew during pilot training, hops, and non mission training flights for approximately 18 months! I earned my aircrew wings in 1980! No recognition for us!
Shutting down Hawaii P3 location & transferring it to NAS Whidbey Island during 2016. My son is stationed there and if you are into the outdoor life it is a great duty station. The P3 still will be around for several more years as they are able to there job well and range & sub attacking is better than P-8.
Not much future in the P3 FE seat in the navy. Maybe the E6 will be around another 10 years, but most FE platforms will be got in the next 10-15 years.
"What was your fav part of sim ride?" - "Ah, taking off!" - aaaah so you haven't started multiple take-off malfunctions/aborts then I see lol. Like T/O's in sim so much after that, I think you will not - "I got a bad feeling about this takeoff..." lol
Jesus Soto If I remember correctly, AE,, AD, AM and I think they added AT. I was a FE (8251) with VP-1 89-92. What a blast. It is why I now have my Private pilots cert.
+Jesus Soto theres no guarantee to get this job. you enlist for aircrew and once you complete naccs youll be given awf, awo, aws, or awv, its all needs of the navy. awf is the only flight engineer rate. even if you do get awf theres still a chance you wont be awf but instead loadmaster
Avionics tech on the ground in a VP squadron is best. Just like a job with mostly just shift work. I went on most detachments including a UNITAS in 1973. VP-23 72-75.
@@Chris_at_Home I'd never shit on ground pounders, you guys were awesome. However, two trips around the world flying over places no one else is allowed to fly was pretty cool. VP4 03-08
@@donaldbolen9371 I made a 3 1/2 month tour around South America staying in hotels and hardly working during UNITAS 14. Also did the usual deployments and a spring board. I liked flying but not from the back. Ten years after I got out I bought a small plane. My avionics training made for a lucrative civilian career in electronics and communications in Alaska.
@@Chris_at_Home Sounds like you done it right, buddy. I loved the VP life, and all the crazy aircrew schedule weirdness that went with it. I never minded riding in the backseat, just enjoyed the views. Now I live the boat life (sailboat). I've flown all I care to for this lifetime, it's floating from here on out... still low and still slow. Fair winds and following seas, shipmate.
@@donaldbolen9371 I ended up with jobs where I flew all,over Alaska in different kinds of planes and helicopters for work. I had the crap scared out of me a few times on some of those flights. I haven’t flown in eight years now and I sure don’t miss it.
