USCG Helicopter Training

[TundraT]

Would some please enlighten me on the process one take to become a USCG helicopter pilot. Years ago after I got out of the US Army I was flying helicopters on PADQ and ran into some former Army helicopter pilots stationed there. They switched branches and were flying helos for the USCG.

Someone recently asked me were the USCG does their training and how does the program work for requesting "flight school." Thanks in advance.

 

[Kuma]

Tundra-

I'm not a coastie, but I have lots of friends who are coasies. Until someone posts with better info, I'll tell you what I know/think.

Those Army pilots probably went through the DCA program. That is Direct Commissioned Aviator program or DCA for short. If you are below an O-1 (read that a warrant officer) then you would enter the Coast guard as an O-1. If you are above an O-1 in your service, then you would enter as an O-2. I've met a couple of Marine O-3s and one Navy O-4 who decided it would be better to join the coast Guard as an O-2 then stay as a more senior officer in their original service.

If you enter via the DCA (for helicopters), then you would go straight to CGAS Mobile (Alabama) to learn your new aircraft.

If you enter in order to go to flight school, then you will go to Whiting field for your initial training and then to CGAS Mobile when you get your wings.

The C-130 and Falcon and Casa? pilots go to Whiting, then Corpus Christi and then somewhere else for their training. (Sorry I don't know more about the fixed wing side).

Go to the following website for info on the most current DCA board...

http://aptap.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~3907.asp

Good luck-
Kuma

 

[TundraT]

Thank you Kuma. Good information. I forgot about the aptap website I'll check it out. Thanks again.

 

[mudkow60]

For info, go to:

http://www.gocoastguard.com/

Click:

Jobs/Careers

Officer Careers

Direct Commission Programs

Direct Commission Aviator

You will find all the application info there. I flew for nine years in the Navy (enjoyed most of it), and switched to the Coast Guard about a year and a half ago. Best decision of my life. Great flying, great mission, great people.

Feel free to e mail me if you have any questions. There are two ex Army guys at my station. I think they would agree with my assessment.

Matt

 

[TundraT]

Thanks MudKow60. Just what I needed. The info is not for me but for a soon to be ex-girlfriend’s cousin. I did my time in the Army but I’m passed the age for government service now.

 

[exnavy]

MudKow60, wonder if I could PM you with some specific questions. After this impending deployment I'll be looking to change gears and get back to my naval roots(read: Coast Guard). I used to teach out of OPF a couple of years ago and the coasties I ran into raved about their job. Would really like to make the transition.

 

[mudkow60]

Feel free...

 

[sardaddy]

Just a few things to add. The DCA program is for fixed wing and rotary wing positions especially in the next few years. And despite some folks thoughts, it is not just a program for prior Army guys. Any service pilot can apply. Mudkow is a prime example of that. Are you still in San Fran by the way?

Besides that Kuma hit the points fairly well. But again just to add, the DCA program is only for prior military pilots. If they want to apply for flight school, they will have to go through the OCS selection process or if they are coming out of high school they can apply for the Coast Guard academy.

ATC Mobile trains HH-65, HH-60, and HU-25 Falcon jet pilots. The courses are about six weeks long. At some point they will also train CASA pilots but not quite yet. If you get selected to fly C-130s you will usually get your initial training in Little Rock, AR by the Air Force.

If you enter via the DCA program you get sent to your unit and from there you are sent to the Direct Commissioned Officer course which is basically a quick primer in what you need to know to be a Coast Guard officer and then you go off to your aircraft transition course.

While you are waiting for school you will be doing a few things depending on your unit and the amout of time you will have to wait. Anywhere from a couple of days to a few months. Some units have an Operations Duty Officer that basically deals with emergent situations during the day (and night) so the duty pilots don't have to deal with it. So tag you are it. When you aren't doing that you will be working on your collateral job. Every pilot has at least one and by not being qualified in an aircraft, you are provided ample time to do that job. Finally, you will get the opportunity to fly (ride) in the aircraft you will be flying so you get an idea of what to expect in training and you get a head start on what to study.

Good luck to your girlfriend's, uncle's, cousin's, brother or whoever it was.

 

[erj-145mech]

Matt,

I work for L-3, the maintenance contract for the UH-3's at NPA. A/C 401 has been retired to the desert and 400 and 402 will both be there before X-mas, just an FYI. They're being replaced with two SH-60F's.

 

[mudkow60]

Sardaddy... still in San Francisco.

Will be in Mobile next week.

Erj- We must know each other. Are the H-3's being flown to the boneyard? I will stop by next week to say hello.