As a designated Naval Flight Surgeon, you are required to maintain a current Aviation Medical Examination, current physiology training requirements and a minimum of 48 hours of flight time per year. Failure to maintain any of these requirements will result in loss of eligibility for flight pay, recoupment of payments made for which you are not eligibile, and possible loss of designation.
Definitions:
1. Authorized Aircrew
Those personnel under orders to flight status who have met the
requirements as outlined above. Your orders should reflect assignment
to a 2102 billet, indicating an authorized flight billet.
2. Creditable flight time.
a. Pilot time - time creditable as first pilot in control of the aircraft and copilot who is assisting the pilot in control.b. Special crew time - time not creditable as pilot or copilot, but serving as a member of the authorized crew.
3. NAVFLIRS (Naval Flight Record Subsystem)
This new reporting system is the compiled source of individual
flight data on Navy aircrew. Information gathered through this
system is used for a number of purposes including flight safety
analysis, flight qualification minimums and flight hour budgeting.
Each aircrew member receives a monthly Individual Flight Activity
Report (IFAR) which lists a summary of your flight time for that
month. Errors should be corrected within 3 days of receipt of your
IFAR either by your NATOPS officer, or by contacting the logs and
records clerk at the squadron with which you flew that mission.
4. Naval Aircraft Flight Record (Yellowsheet) OPNAV 3710/4.
This is the primary source of all flight data for Navy
aircraft and aircrew. This form is sent to NAVSAFCEN, where data is
transfered to the NAVFLIRS and the IFARs.
5.Flight Readiness Evaluation Data System (FREDS).
This is the USMC equivalent of the Naval Aircraft Flight Record
(also called the yellowsheet by USMC). This is not compatible
with IFARS and is not sent to NAVSAFCEN, but rather to Quantico, VA
for the Marine Corps System.
IFARS and FREDS constitute a data bank for valuable information regarding flight safety analysis, but also to determine aircrew compliance with established minimum standards as previously noted.
If you fly with the Marine Corps, no entries will be sent to NAVSAFCEN. If you fly with the Navy in other than your own squadron, there is little incentive for the squadron file clerk to transfer your data to the submission form since you are not in that squadron Do not be surprised if your monthly IFAR needs correction.
To save yourself considerable trouble, you would be well advised to:
These will help you back up corrections of IFARS and substantiate the DOD Aviation requirements.
Your log book should be kept forever. Auditors have been known to try to recoup money even if you are retired or in the civilian community. There is no statute of limitations for recoupment.
Annual Flight Requirements:
OPNAVINST 3710.7 outlines your minimum flight requirements for special crew as:
These are the requirements to meet currency of flight qualifications only. For purposes of eligibility for flight pay, the DOD PAYMANUAL is the document the auditors will use.
Flying while in a leave status:
Flight time thus acquired will count toward flight currency
requirements but not for pay purposes.
Simulator time:
Flight time logged in a simulator may be used to fulfill up to 50% of
annual flight proficiency requirements, but it does not apply
for pay purposes.
Summary of requirements for special crew:
Flight Surgeon Flying Policy:
You are only authorized to fly operationally when under DIFOPS
Orders, assigned to 2102 billet or enrolled in the Aerospace Medicine
Residency Program.
You may fly in actual control of any dual controlled aircraft in all phases of flight if a NATOPS qualified pilot is occupying the other cockpit seat (CNO Msg 252228Z May 78).
United States Naval Flight Surgeon Handbook: 2nd Edition 1998
The Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons