Once upon a time, back in the original Top Gun days when Goose was still Maverick’s RIO, Navy tactical jet pilots had to prove they could actually land on the floating postage stamp known as an aircraft carrier before strutting around with their “wings of gold.” Now? Not anymore. The Navy has decided that the final exam of naval aviation—the deck landing—is optional. Think of it as graduating from medical school without ever holding a scalpel.
A Splash Course in Lower Standards
Carrier qualifications weren’t some quaint tradition. They were the crucible that separated the sky gods from the “maybe you should’ve joined the Air Force” crowd. Without it, pilots can still graduate, but somehow it just doesn’t seem the same. As today’s cartoon teasingly points out, the Navy has essentially turned its flight school into a swim class with better uniforms.
Gold Wings, Tin Standards
This move might save time, money, and wear on airframes, but it also lowers the bar on what it means to be a naval aviator. Future pilots will still look sharp in their gold wings, but the real test—bringing the bird back to the boat—has been scrubbed from the basic syllabus. The wings stay gold, but the standards are starting to look more like tin.
Ok, ok…I can hear you grumbling out there. Yes, there will still be training on how to land on an aircraft carrier for those who will be called on to perform that very precise task. Carrier qualifications will occur later during follow-on training at Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS), where pilots may be assigned after graduation.
And international students and E-2 Hawkeye pilots still have to complete carrier qualification landings before graduation.
But still, some of the romance is gone in the name of training expediency.