Andy Bush wrote:
"One quick question for Widewing. In the USN, does a 'crew chief' perform the same duties as a 'flight engineer' does in the USAF? Insofar as you folks are discussing flight matters, the question might be relevant."
Hi Andy,
Back when I served, the Navy flying billet for Flight Engineer was an enlisted position.
This included aircraft such as the C-9, C-130, C-118 and C-131. Generally, this position was filled by someone with an AD or ADR rating, but not always. Flight Engineer duties extended beyond actual flight operations, to include supervising all servicing and repairs made away from home station. Flight Engineers will be turn-up and taxi qualified.
Crewchief's are another matter. The Navy likes to have someone on the aircraft who has been fully trained and has demonstrated a high level of knowledge on operating procedures and all of the aircraft's systems. A crewchief can diagnose a problem and offer solutions to operate around the problem, and sometimes, even make a repair.
Additionally, the crewchief is expected to sit right seat when only pilot is aboard to operate radios and navaid receivers. The great benefit of this is that the crewchief invariably gets many opportunities to fly the aircraft. Some Commands required that the crewchief become minimally qualified to land the aircraft in an emergency. This was also common in the Navy helo community as well. All crewchiefs will also be turn-up and taxi qualified at the minimum.
For someone like myself, who was taking flying lessons in my spare time, I suddenly found myself with many instructors who were very happy to teach. Before I had six hours in the Cessna 152, I had already accumulated more than a 100 hours of multi-engine instruction. I can thank men like Cdr. Vern Bloch, Lcdr. Sid White and Lt. Bo Ingram for taking the time to teach a young and very nervous kid as much as time permitted. In retrospect, I also learned some bad habits too. :-)
Andy continues:
"I do have to say that I got the same initial impression that someone else mentioned...that you were a pilot. Not that there is anything wrong with other crew positions...but a pilot is a pilot, and everybody else isn't. For example, when I first started out as an airline pilot, I flew as a flight engineer on a B-727. When I upgraded to First Officer and then Captain, I did it on the DC-9/MD-80 aircraft. Today, after 12+ years and 8500 hours of airline time, I think I would be very careful before I started advising folks on how to fly the 727. Not without some serious qualifiers, that is...such as the fact that I never have actually 'flown' the 727, only flown in it. Managing engine performance and fuel expenditure is one thing...flying an engine out procedure is something entirely else."
Yes, I realized that the language I used was
ambiguous enough to be interpreted as you did. That is why I was very specific to list each and every crew position that I qualified for when I was asked for those specifics.
Andy, you might also note that I have not 'advised' anyone on how to fly the P-38. I certainly don't have the background that would allow for that. What I stated was that my experience, even limited as it is, does provide me with some insight into the flight characteristics of the P-38. In the same manner, someone who has experience driving a rear-drive Ford will have greater insight into the driving characteristics of a rear-drive Buick, than someone who has never driven an automobile. By 'insight', I employ the literal definition; having the ability of seeing into a situation and undertanding the situation.
My regards,
Widewing
