Is WSO a full-fledged pilot?

[jet_fumes_junkie]

If so, how do they stay current, do they swap seats on alternate missions ?

[BEagle]

No – a WSO is a Weapon Systems Officer, not a Qualified Service Pilot. A few might have their own civilian PPLs, but they are not ‘fully trained pilots’. I understand that some helicopter forces allow WSOs to handle the controls and the RAF Dominie carries a ‘pilots assistant’ on most trips, but that’s about all.

[Jackonicko]

Perhaps he's been reading about the Vietnam War, when the USAF's F-4 WSOs were frequently rated pilots flying a tour as WSOs.

[SteadyNote]

I know a few EF 111 WSOs who were more than competent at flying approaches from the right seat (& the EF only had a stick on the left!).

[M134]

There are a lot of dual control aircraft in the RAF with only one stick in the front!;)

[jet_fumes_junkie]

I posted the question after seeing ‘Behind enemy lines’ and guessing (rightly) to have seen another one of those blatant BS moments in movies concerning anything aviation.

Gene Hackman (admiral/carrier skipper) asks Owen Wilson (F-18 wizzo) contemptuously if he intends to ‘go fly for the airlines’ after he’s through with Navy.

You wouldn’t think it would cost that much to actually have a pilot review the few pages in the script, especially with a big-budget flick like that….name one movie with airplanes in it that’s 100% percent true to reality! I guess same goes for other technical fields, EMT’s must be laughing when watching ER, etc…

[GrantT]

http://www.moviemistakes.com/film1788

Quite a few mistakes in the film actually.

[jet_fumes_junkie]

Excellent website, GrantT, submitted the blooper.

steadynote & m134 -
I can see reaching between pilot’s legs and grabbing the stick (hopefully the right one !:* ), but what of the rudder pedals?

thanx for posts gents, keep'em comin' !