Marine Officer - Rotary Wing Pilot

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<span> <p> <img style="float: none;" src="http://assets2.marines.com/assetmgr/image/disp/inline/size/460x259/id/5015" alt="Rotary-Wing and Tilt-Rotor Pilot" /><h2>Tilt-Rotor Pilot, Capt Williams</h2>Williams1MOS 2:45<br /> <br /> [Capt Williams]:<br /> My current MOS is Tilt-Rotor Pilot, flying the Osprey. It´s both a plane and it´s a helicopter. It´s called a tilt-rotor because it has two nacelles, which has our engines, and our transmissions are actually mounted on the outside of the wing. And you have the ability to move that from the down position, which is the airplane, or you can move them up, you fly it like a helicopter. You have to think as an airplane pilot sometimes and at other times, when you go to land or get low, you have to think as a helicopter pilot. So, you´re incorporating all aspects of aviation into one airframe. <br /> <br /> Our day-to-day life as an Osprey pilot is, come in early in the morning, you´re usually planning for a couple hours, coordinating with whatever ground unit we´re gonna go fly with that day. You know, you do a preflight inspection on the aircraft, a walk around. Then you get in, you start up the aircraft and start executing the mission, whatever it is that day. So, we´ll go take off as two, three, four aircraft and we´ll fly somewhere, we´ll pick up troops. And some of it´s timed so you have to get `em in at a certain time, at a certain place. So, that´s where a lot of the planning comes in. And we can do that both on the ground and, if the mission changes, we can do a lot of that in the air, in the aircraft.<br /> <br /> The way we use the Osprey tactically is you can use it in two different ways: you can take advantage of the airplane aspect of it and you can fly high, so we can go, we can climb really high and we´ll have the landing zone marked out on our global positioning system and basically, when we get over it, we do a spiral dive. And then as we´re coming down, and to turn, and we´re spiraling towards the ground, we actually convert into a helicopter, slow the aircraft down and land. Or, the second option is we´ll fly as an airplane but we´ll go really low. We´ll just be about 200 feet, literally at 200, 220 knots, which is about 250 miles per hour. Once again, convert into a helicopter and land into the landing zone. As long as we can physically fit the aircraft, we can go there. And because it´s so powerful, we can carry 24 troops in the back and they can be fully combat-loaded and so we can be a fairly heavy platform. So we have the aspects of both a helicopter and an airplane. <br /> <br /> What would I say to someone who is considering coming into the Marine aviation? I would say be willing to work hard, be willing to be there for your troops `cause you´ll spend a lot of time working with your enlisted troops as well as be willing to put in the time to study and hone your skills. You know, I´ve had a great career. I´ve really enjoyed being a Marine Officer and being a Marine pilot. I wouldn´t trade it for the world.<br /> <hr /><h2>Rotary-Wing Aircraft: The Huey</h2>Huey :39<br /> <br /> Helicopter noises.<br /> <hr /><h2>Rotary-Wing Aircraft: The Cobra</h2>Helicopter noise.<hr /><h2>The Super Stallion</h2>SuperStallion :43<br /> <br /> Helicopter noise.<br /> <br /> <hr /><h2>Rotary-Wing Aircraft: The Sea Knight</h2>Helicopter noise.<hr /><h2>Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: The Osprey</h2>Helicopter noise. Engine roaring.<hr /> </p> </span>

Marine rotary-wing and tilt-rotor pilots fly aircraft in coordination with ground forces to execute the missions of the Marine Corps. These officers and the aircraft they command may be ship-based or shore-based. Marine rotary-wing pilots are engaged on the front lines in highly critical roles, including transportation of Marines, lethal air-to-ground firepower and lifesaving casualty evacuation. Tilt-rotor pilots’ mission mirrors that of rotary-wing pilots, combining transport capability with speed capability similar to that of fixed-wing pilots.

In addition to flying their aircraft, pilots are assigned leadership positions within the squadron such as Operations Officer or Maintenance Officer.

Because of the precise demands of the aircraft and their integral role, Marine Corps pilots undergo the longest and most extensive training in the Marine Corps.

Specialized Training

Aviation Preflight
Indoctrination
Pensacola, FL
6 weeks
Primary Flight Training
FL, TX
22 weeks
Advanced Flight
Training
Whiting Field, FL
27–44 weeks

After completing Advanced Flight Training, pilots will be assigned a specialty and train in a specific aircraft. Tilt-rotor pilots’ unique training path prepares them to pilot an aircraft with both rotary-wing and fixed-wing capabilities.

Beyond Your First Tour

After your first tour, you may be assigned to a billet available to all officers, such as recruiting duty, instructor duty at The Basic School or series commander at one of the Marine Corps Recruit Depots. Later in your career, you may be assigned to Expeditionary Warfare School or Command and Control Systems Course, or seek an advanced degree. This pattern of assignment is designed to expand your knowledge of the Marine Corps and overall strategic operations before you take on increased responsibility within your MOS.

As a pilot, you may also do a tour with an infantry or tank battalion as a Forward Air Controller, coordinating with aircraft to accurately time and target munitions.

Marines. The Few. The Proud.

Rotary-Wing and Tilt-Rotor Pilot

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Specialized Training

Beyond Your First Tour