Naval flight officers are a key part of many naval flights, depending on the plane’s design. They don’t actually fly the planes, but they are in the planes during the flight, which means they are coveted, competitive positions. It is not as difficult to become a flight officer as it is to become a pilot, but it is much more difficult to become a flight officer than it is to become a standard line officer.
A naval flight officer plays a key support role in every flight mission. He or she will carry out all the navigation, keep an eye on the plane’s general health, and often fire weapons. This creates a situation where the pilot is able to focus on actually flying the plane while the flight officer can focus on the other tasks without having to focus on flying a plane. Flight officers who are early in their careers will often be paired with veteran pilots, and vice versa, which shows the importance of each of these positions. While the pilot is officially in charge of the plane, the reality is that the two people are more symbiotic than hierarchical.
