Navy can’t slow pilot training

The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) is left with a balancing act – health of service members and turning out aviators. The Navy’s wanting to stop the spread of COVID-19 requires best practices that aren’t always conducive to pilot training, but CNATRA claims it can’t afford to slow down because of the force’s long-term readiness needs. Naval aviation’s leadership is trying to limit risks to pilot health while not risking the effectiveness of training, Lt. Michelle Tucker, a spokesperson for CNATRA told USNI News in an email. “CNATRA’s mission remains critical to the defense of our nation and as such, we will continue operations while mitigating risk in compliance” with designated guidance, including carrier qualification (CQ) detachments, she indicated. Aviation students continue to enter the training pipeline. Commands encourage social distancing and flex schedules, but those practices are difficult to employ in a cockpit. All surfaces of simulators and controls, helmets, masks, and headsets are sterilized with disinfectant before and after every use. The Navy has a slim margin in reference to delaying aviation training. In 2019, the Navy was about to meet its annual target of producing 1,100 aviators, after years of coming up short. Then came the coronavirus. (Source: USNI News 03/31/20) Central Mississippi Note: Naval aviation students report to NAS Meridian, Miss., for T-45C strike flight training and advanced flight training. Strike training culminates in the CQ stage when students fly aboard an aircraft carrier to complete their CQs and make their first arrested landings. https://news.usni.org/2020/03/31/navy-cant-afford-to-slow-pilot-training-amid-covid-19-pandemic