[aviation, pilots] How do ranks work?

Because being an officer means you hold a level of responsibility being that ordering men into combat or being responsible for a multi multi million dollar asset.

>Is rank just a matter of seniority in some cases

Rank is a matter of seniority in all cases.

Enlisted start as privates.

Officers start as 2nd Lt's.

Everyone goes up from there.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Line_Officer

>>31029120
So what makes an officer an officer is responsibility level... not the number of men under him?

P.S.: I am also watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79xbK9liJ0 I hope it's good.

>>31029140
Yes

>>31029145
>>31029120
>>31029133
>>31029136
Thank you very much for your contribution.

## Some extra info ##
I am going to play a larp game in which I will apply to be some kind of low-level cadet or something like this (setting is sci-fi, but of course the military maps onto current year military).

So my problem is: will I be able to play a character with some piloting role without having to purchase ranks by means of XP during character creation? But of course I do not expect /k/ to answer this. Yet, if you have ideas, you are more than welcome.

>>31029140
>P.S.: I am also watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79xbK9liJ0 [Embed] I hope it's good.
It's not. Just a slideshow.

>>31029105
>>31029182
I'm not american but i'm in military aviation as a technician.
Rank is not as big of a deal as in other branches, it's mainly a reflection of what level of responsibility you have within your category. Over here only NCOs and Officers (officers only in fighters) can be pilots, but soldiers can have a few flying jobs like door gunners or airborne infantry.

There are two main reasons for this. As you assume, long years in school and training means you get very little actual use out of a soldier pilot..

The second reason is that flying requires a certain amount of competence and leadership, even in single seat aircraft. In the air you are the commander of what happens on your vessel and that is a big responsibility no matter what kind of aircraft you're in.

Also money. Money factors into everything.

The difference between NCO and Officer pilots are generally career related. An NCO is set on the path to be as good a pilot as possible to be the best at what he does. An officer usually gradually transistions over to the administrative part of his division or squadron.

Back in the day there were actually conscripted pilots and non officer pilots. If you look at old records of killed crew they're mostly corporals and sergeants.

As for the technical side, us guys on the floor (mixed NCOs officers and soldiers) are mainly concerned with the whats and hows of our tasks, while the guys above us worry about what, when and where.

And for your larp, a cadet is an officer or NCO student. They can be a mixed bag but they fly trainer aircraft if at all, and certainly not actual missions. That's real life, if you want to be a space cadet pilot, be a space cadet pilot. Rule zero.

Also don't larp, it's for nerds.

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46KB, 506x536px

OP here.

>>31029580
Man, your answer is detailed beyond expectations. Thank you.

>And for your larp, a cadet is an officer or NCO student. They can be a mixed bag but they fly trainer aircraft if at all, and certainly not actual missions. That's real life, if you want to be a space cadet pilot, be a space cadet pilot. Rule zero.
I decided to be a former pilot NCO (in my country they are called "sub-officers") who has been demoted because of gambling issues.
But he is not a Han Solo type of guy; I want him to move from "scoundrel" to "civilized". My team asked me if I wanted to play a dude with some social skills, so I will be this demoted guy who has become body guard and with occasional flying duties (given his training).

>Also don't larp, it's for nerds.
Hahahah. I lost my virginity long ago. I mean, I am entitled to some hobby. Ain't I?

Thank you again for your contribution.

>>31029140
>So what makes an officer an officer is responsibility level... not the number of men under him?
also education

being an officer implies you have a university degree or equivalent training (like flight school for example)

OP again.

>>31029685
>being an officer implies you have a university degree or equivalent training (like flight school for example)
I didn't want to bring it up... but I smell something "political" in the distinction between COs and NCOs...

I mean, of course tertiary education is important and extra-military skills are sometimes necessary. But let us remember that everything a University gives to you can be obtained by just attending all courses separately.

So what it is about the academic title that makes an officer out of a commoner? I think this is more a matter of status than anything else... so here we are stepping from mere functional roles to "political ones".

I mean, you can obviously compare somebody who worked for ages as an accountant with somebody who has just graduated from a business degree. Chance is the senior accountant knows more than the graduate, with the difference the graduate has a title with some relevance in the civilian world.

But maybe this is just too brainy and I am overthinking as usual.

>>31029727
>So what it is about the academic title that makes an officer out of a commoner?

Because it's not a stereotype that most enlisted as as thick as pigshit.

I've always been confused, what is the difference between an NCO and a CO anyway?

All about level of responsibility. You have in some cases a guy flying a strike fighter all by himself He has weapons release authority and has extremely high level of responsibility That is why he is an officer On the ground he also is in charge of many of his subordinates executing missions like performing maintenance

>>31030162
Your using CO in the wrong sense. All officers are officers, however not all officers are a CO. An NCO is an enlisted person that has proved somewhere along the line that they can effectively not drink drive or shoot someone by accident.

>>31030264
Does CO not mean commissioned officer? What's the commission when it comes to NCO or otherwise

>>31030300
It means you've been officially given the job by the government.

There used to be more formal shit surrounding the granting of commissions by the government, as a holdover of feudal fealty type shit.

These days, it means someone who went to college and then joined the military as an officer.

A non commissioned officer is an enlisted man who worked his way up the ranks to a position of command.

Note that this is literally anyone who sticks around long enough and doesn't fuck up.

>>31030337
I thought NCO positions were quite competitive.

>>31029580
What do they look for in people who apply to be a pilot?
Cardiovascular fitness? Good grades?
Do you need a lot of flight experience as a civilian?

>>31030383
In some forces they are, I don't know about the U.S but a Lance Corporal (Corporal U.S) is awarded and administered by the unit, so if you are a fuck up they can demote you right quick. But the further you go the more competitive it will be. But we are generalising here.

>>31030383
It depends what career path you're in.

>>31029105
The Navy has commissioned officers fly their planes because the Navy views their aircraft like their ships: something to be commanded by an officer

The Marine Corps does whatever the Navy tells them to do.

The Air Force sees their aircraft being so incredibly complicated that they think you need a master's degree in aerospace engineering to fly them. All of this while the top brass systematically replaces all of its piloted aircraft with drones.

The Army views its helicopters the same way it views its rifles and tanks: something to be distributed down the chain of command as far as possible. This is why Army warrant officers do most of the flying. Commissioned officers are just managers, especially once they get to field grade.

>>31029727
you sound like some bugghurt kid that wants to fly but doesn't want to have to go to college first

Having a degree shows some level of academic competency which is required for pilots, obviously the more technical the degree the better. No, having a degree doesn't automatically make you a good officer, going to ROTC doesn't automatically make you a good officer, going to West Point doesn't automatically make you a good officer, being prior enlisted NCO for 20 years doesn't automatically make you a good officer.

You're right that a degree doesn't really mean shit but it's a step up from the typical enlisted shithead, hopefully those bad officers are stuck in logistics signing papers rather than leading men into combat and piloting aircraft. But that is why aviation (and even infantry) do even further vetting of their officers in order to pick the best. It's not just have a degree --> automatically become a pilot.

t. lowly enlisted man

>>31030423
Once again, not american so i can't speak for your system. I'd imagine the testing is similar for most countries though.

Over here you don't need any special aviation, military or educational background,
They look at everything, and i do mean everything, there is to you. I've done them myself and failed, too long spine/sitting height.

It starts with a full day at a computer testing pretty much every easily testable brain function. Imagine one of those online IQ tests you can take online on steroids, much broader span of abilities tested and drawn out over about 8-9 hours. This is the hardest part of getting in and most fail, we were 2 out of 35 left when i did it.

Next day is psychology and interviewing, basically a lot of talking tp several people about yourself and why you want to be a pilot for another full day.

If that goes well there's 2 days of medical testing and measuring. Lots of eye stuff. Centrifuge if you're aiming for fast jets. There's not much you can do about this, just go there, do this, look at that.

What they look for is a lot of things but not passing any one of the tests means you get to go home and think of something else to do. You don't really have to be very fit to be a pilot but the ones that make it through often have "the whole package" so to speak, you can pass the tests all the way and still get rejected because everyone else was better than you.