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Navy Pilots Educate, Inspire Texas A&M NROTC Students
by U.S. Navy 1st Lt. Pawel Puczko
June 3, 2019
Approximately 200 Texas A&M University Navy ROTC students got a
firsthand look at Navy aircraft during a static display event at
Easterwood Airport in College Station, March 5, 2019.
Aircraft from across the U.S. flew in to support the event, which
gave students a chance to talk to pilots about career opportunities
within Naval Aviation.
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March 5, 2019 - Cmdr. Robert “Bobby Z” Zirzow, an instructor pilot assigned to the "Stingrays" of Training Squadron 35 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, answers questions about the T-44 Pegasus training multi-engine aircraft during a static display event for Texas A&M University ROTC students at Easterwood Airport in College Station. The event provided an opportunity for college students to speak with pilots about a potential career within Naval Aviation. (U.S. Navy photo by Anne Owens)
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Executive Officer of Texas A&M Navy ROTC Cmdr. Robert McGill,
from Natchitoches, Louisiana, said the event was a great way to
showcase Navy aircraft and could help solidify students’ career
decisions.
“Those who desire to go aviation can see what
aircraft are available, and meet flight instructors to see what the
future holds,” said McGill.
Through the support of Chief of
Naval Air Training (CNATRA), students interacted with pilots from
various aircraft platforms. Those aircraft included the iconic
orange-and-white painted T-6B Texan II, T-44 Pegasus, and T-45
Goshawk, which are used in primary flight training, multi-engine
training, and the jet/strike fighter pipeline respectively.
Throughout the course of the day each student had the opportunity to
interact with a pilot from every stage of becoming a naval aviator,
from student and instructor pilots all the way through pilots
assigned to the gray aircraft of active fleet squadrons.
“It’s important for me wanting to be a pilot because I get to see
what it’s like with different platforms and different aircraft,”
said Midshipman 1st Class Jake Ryan, Texas A&M NROTC. “… Hopefully
when I decide to see what aircraft I want to be in, I will be more
informed.”
Aside from the trainer aircraft, students also
interacted with pilots from a P-3C Orion, P-8A Poseidon, and a
EA-18G Growler, giving them a range of aircraft platforms and
personal experiences from which to learn. Participating aircraft
came from Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas, NAS
Jacksonville, Florida, and NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.
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March 5, 2019 - Capt. Steven Hnatt, a naval flight officer assigned to the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, Texas, addresses nearly 200 Texas A&M Navy ROTC students during a static display event at Easterwood Airport in College Station. The event provided an opportunity for college students to speak with pilots about a potential career within Naval Aviation. (U.S. Navy photo by Anne Owens)
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With CNATRA’s continued support of local ROTC units, the Navy and
Marine Corps’ leaders of tomorrow will have a better understanding
on how to prepare for the rigorous but rewarding journey ahead of
them.
“At the end of the day aside from all the technical
knowledge it all comes down to leadership, and that I know what I’m
doing here matters,” said Midshipman 4th Class Erin Keohane,
Texas A&M NROTC.
CNATRA, headquartered in Corpus Christi,
trains the world's finest combat quality aviation professionals,
delivering them at the right time, in the right numbers, and at the
right cost to a naval force that is where it matters, when it
matters.
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