How difficult is transitioning from rotary wing to fixed wing? Does anyone have any tips or advice, as well as insight on future assignments?

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:57:13 -0400

Looking for up to date information about transitioning from RW to FW. Currently I am a UH60A/L/M Instructor pilot. Duty locations? Probability of going to USAPAT? How difficult is it to get the transition? Tips? Advice?

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 8 at 2020 3:47 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 15:47:08 -0400

As a fixed wing pilot who worked with helicopter pilots, I would say the transition shouldn't be too difficult. First, you have basic airmanship licked. As an instructor pilot, you should have extensive knowledge of the rules and regulations that govern Army aviation. The principles of flight remain unchanged. The same knowledge of weather, instrument flight rules, visual flight rules, and many other basic things apply. IMO fixed-wing aircraft should be easier to fly than rotary wing aircraft. The flight controls are slightly different (no collective), but the whole variable of being able to change the pitch of the wing with a control separate from the control stick is gone. Generally, fixed wing missions are longer and executed further above the ground. Instrument flying may be more important than in helicopter operations. The helicopter pilots I worked with were from Air Rescue Service and most of them served in Vietnam. They were a special type of courageous to do the combat rescue mission almost every day. They believed C-130 pilots like me had an easier job in military aviation--they were correct.

Researching on-line, it's difficult to determine exactly how an Army Aviator makes the shift to fixed-wing. Ten or so years ago, the USAF handled the transition by putting the rotary wing aviator through the entire USAF pilot training course--probably overkill. It appears in the last 5 to 7 years, the Army has opened or redesigned the fixed-wing advanced course at Rucker to handle the rotary-to-fixed wing transition. An Army aviator on RP can answer this question better than I.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Apr 10 at 2022 12:15 PM

Sgt Dale Briggs — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 12:15:31 -0400

I don’t know much about anything, but during Nam they were so short on helicopter pilots the Army started a shake and bake pilot training program at Ft Rucker. You trained if you passed you were promoted and sent to Vietnam. You couldn't do that with fixed wing, so it speaks to training and the degree of difficulty.