iam thinking about becoming a coast guard pilot. i was just courious if pilots are stationed on ships and if so how long?

Obviously when a helicopter is deployed on a ship the aircrew goes with it. Length of time depends on the ship's mission. An icebreaker could be gone a long time, other ships for shorter periods.

If not already a Coast Guard Officer, then you will most likely spent time on a ship prior to acceptance to flight school. Usual selection is for LTJG or senior Ensign. Not more than a few years.

We (CG aviation) lost the polar opertions gig so CG pilots don't deploy on ice breakers anymore. There are a few very rare 6 month or longer deployments for pilots. Most are no longer than 2-3 months. Many are shorter.

Pilots are not "stationed" on ships meaning ships do not have pilots or aircraft permanantly assigned to them. Instead, an air station receives a tasking that they will be supporting a particular ship and a crew and aircraft are selected to be temporarily assigned to the ship for the specified period of time. So when the ship gets underway the crew meets them, they conduct the deployment and then they both go their separate ways when it is over.

As for selection to flight school, I would disagree that you would be spending time on a ship prior. There are not that many billets on ships and they cannot even find enough billets for academy graduates.

quote:

We (CG aviation) lost the polar opertions gig so CG pilots don't deploy on ice breakers anymore.

Who does than? Or do the breakers no longer carry helicopters when deployed?

quote:

Originally posted by Ex_CG_GM:

quote:

We (CG aviation) lost the polar opertions gig so CG pilots don't deploy on ice breakers anymore.

Who does than? Or do the breakers no longer carry helicopters when deployed?

Yea, that was my question too.

When the CG re-engined the 65's it took many helos out of service and the decision was made to stop sending CG 65's on the polar trips, did not have the assests. Mera time helos was taking the north trips, south trips to antarctica I don't know if they had a civilan contract helo onboard.

We still handle all other ship board depoyments.

quote:

Originally posted by fenestron:
When the CG re-engined the 65's it took many helos out of service and the decision was made to stop sending CG 65's on the polar trips, did not have the assests. Mera time helos was taking the north trips, south trips to antarctica I don't know if they had a civilan contract helo onboard.

We still handle all other ship board depoyments.

So do the helo riders off the cutters still have to go to dunker-training if they are riding civilian helos?

The requirment for the dunker is every 7 years for aviators. Non aviation types would only be required to attend dunker training if their job required them to make multiple helo flights over water. MSO types would fall into that catagory, so the ops boss from the cutter taking one flight on an oberservation LE flight while on deployment would not require them to attend dunker training. So the answer is no unless you meet the the above mentioned criteria.

Dunker training used to be every 3 yrs when I first started flying and know we are at 7 years.

quote:

Originally posted by fenestron:
The requirment for the dunker is every 7 years for aviators. Non aviation types would only be required to attend dunker training if their job required them to make multiple helo flights over water. MSO types would fall into that catagory, so the ops boss from the cutter taking one flight on an oberservation LE flight while on deployment would not require them to attend dunker training. So the answer is no unless you meet the the above mentioned criteria.

Dunker training used to be every 3 yrs when I first started flying and know we are at 7 years.

Thanks. So if they meet the dunker requirement, they need it regardless if it's civilian or our own helos?

quote:

Originally posted by duckcop:

quote:

Originally posted by fenestron:
The requirment for the dunker is every 7 years for aviators. Non aviation types would only be required to attend dunker training if their job required them to make multiple helo flights over water. MSO types would fall into that catagory, so the ops boss from the cutter taking one flight on an oberservation LE flight while on deployment would not require them to attend dunker training. So the answer is no unless you meet the the above mentioned criteria.

Dunker training used to be every 3 yrs when I first started flying and know we are at 7 years.

Thanks. So if they meet the dunker requirement, they need it regardless if it's civilian or our own helos?

Yes!

There are also many civilan run helo dunker programs, they take care of all the oil rig helo pilots and the crewman that work on the rigs that are transported to the rigs via helos. This is not just a military requirement.

quote:

Originally posted by fenestron:

quote:

Originally posted by duckcop:

quote:

Originally posted by fenestron:
The requirment for the dunker is every 7 years for aviators. Non aviation types would only be required to attend dunker training if their job required them to make multiple helo flights over water. MSO types would fall into that catagory, so the ops boss from the cutter taking one flight on an oberservation LE flight while on deployment would not require them to attend dunker training. So the answer is no unless you meet the the above mentioned criteria.

Dunker training used to be every 3 yrs when I first started flying and know we are at 7 years.

Thanks. So if they meet the dunker requirement, they need it regardless if it's civilian or our own helos?

Yes!

There are also many civilan run helo dunker programs, they take care of all the oil rig helo pilots and the crewman that work on the rigs that are transported to the rigs via helos. This is not just a military requirement.

Roger that. Thanks for the info. I had to go through the dunker back in the late 80's as a non-rate when I was a helo observer for the old LEDET teams. Went through it up in NAS Jax. It was kind of fun, but kind of sucked all at the same time.

Yeah I don't miss it! The worst part was the other folk that would freak out and kick you in the head or get in your way.

I would think anyone who even remotely has a reason to ride in helo over water would need/want dunker training. Also i would want it every couple years if i was still flying.

While I wholeheartedly agree that the training will help if there is a mishap, I disagree that anyone with a "remote" reason for flying should need the training.

Where would you draw the line? ATON folks have a remote reason to ride and sometimes do. We take watch standers on area fam flights as well. Is it really necessary for them to go through 4 hours of dunker training for one flight in a career? I don't think so.

Maybe remote is not the word to use. How about likely chance.

quote:

Originally posted by joedepilot:
Maybe remote is not the word to use. How about likely chance.

That is why Dolphin Driver and his FM would make sure that any pax was given a proper egress brief!

I also gave briefs but someone who has never been through any form of dunker training probably is not going to get out. Even the pvc pipe chair in a pool is better than nothing. IMHO

quote:

Originally posted by joedepilot:
I also gave briefs but someone who has never been through any form of dunker training probably is not going to get out. Even the pvc pipe chair in a pool is better than nothing. IMHO

I guess that depends on the brief. One FM I flew with told me straight up - "Chief, if you want to get out, grab ahold of my ankle and don't let go until you see sunlight." Of course, that was after the official scripted brief.

Civilian schools were pretty good ... I went once each year for 5 years I was with MSRC. Not just dunker, but how to haul my fat azz into the liferaft while wearing a survival suit and my favorite ... floating around in deep water near the Channel Islands as they cruised out of sight. I kept wondering if I really did look like a sea lion on the surface, to a Great White below me.