# Join the Navy or Air Force: how long before you get to fly "normal" duty in a fighter/transport/cargo aircraft? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836 "2022-10-06T18:43:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836/21 "2022-10-15T12:29:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And that’s about typical for the era. That was my impression too - pulling strings doesn’t easily change the time sequence of pilot training. The only question is when the rounds of pilot training started, and whether he skipped a line-up there, but considering it took several months to start, probably was the normal sequence. And I suppose it says something of the quality of training and how well he learned, that how many years later he could still land on a carrier. (I wonder if he ever did so in training?) ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836/22 "2022-10-15T12:57:59Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > And I suppose it says something of the quality of training and how well he learned, that how many years later he could still land on a carrier. Not sure if serious. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836/23 "2022-10-18T14:55:15Z")
An aside: the military doesn’t give you anything for free. If they give you extensive training for a particular goal, they’re going to want you to obligate extra service time to “pay” for it. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836/24 "2022-10-19T04:51:06Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Not sure if serious. I stand corrected - he was just copilot. [https://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/bush.carrier.landing/](https://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/bush.carrier.landing/) ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836/25 "2022-10-19T05:06:09Z")
He was a glorified passenger. It was a publicity stunt. He was “co-pilot” in the same sense as a 4-year-old invited into the cockpit to sit in the seat might have been back in the day when you could still do that sort of thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/join-the-navy-or-air-force-how-long-before-you-get-to-fly-normal-duty-in-a-fighter-transport-cargo-aircraft/972836.md?page=1)