Navy Eyes New Pilots for Reserves

The Navy faces a surplus of pilots for its active-duty squadrons and a shortage of pilots in the Naval Reserve. Thus some of the newest pilots may be flying with a Reserve squadron for two years, then spending six years as drilling reservists. Normally, active duty pilots go to the Reserve after completion of their active duty time, but more pilots have been staying on active duty because of weak demand in the commercial airline industry coupled with higher-than-usual retention because of the war on terrorism. In addition, demand for new pilots on active duty has been reduced because of the phase-out of S-3B Viking squadrons and gradual elimination of the F-14 Tomcat, said a spokesman. If the rebalancing doesn’t reduce the surplus, some pilots in the training pipeline may be facing attrition, said an official.