Navy Helicopter Pilot
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A Navy helicopter pilot flies from ships and shore bases. The pilot may help hunt a sub or move cargo. Some crews search for people lost at sea. Others help ships with daily work. A helicopter can hover near the sea. It can land on small ship decks. Most planes cannot do that.
Helicopter pilot is a track inside Naval Aviator designator 1310. Helicopter pilot is not a new rank. Nor does it let you pick a ship or aircraft when you join. Students first enter the Navy pilot path. The Navy then picks a flight track. The Naval Aviator program explains the broad entry rules. This page explains rotary-wing pilot work, training, and life with a helicopter squadron.
Which Navy helicopters do pilots fly?
The two main Navy H-60 aircraft are the MH-60R Seahawk and the MH-60S Seahawk. They share much of the basic aircraft design. They do not serve the same main job. A future pilot should learn that difference before comparing squadrons.
| What differs | MH-60R | MH-60S |
|---|---|---|
| Squadron type | Helicopter Maritime Strike, HSM | Helicopter Sea Combat, HSC |
| Main role | Hunt and track submarines and surface threats | Sea combat support, rescue, logistics, and other missions |
| Typical tools | Mission radar, sonar and other sensors | Mission gear selected for rescue, support, and combat tasks |
| Flight setting | Ship and shore missions tied to maritime strike | Carrier, ship, and shore support missions |
| Crew work | Pilot crew and tactical sensor operator | Pilot crew, rescue and other mission aircrew where assigned |
| What the pilot must weigh | Search area, ship data, fuel, sensor plan | Load, hoist, landing area, weather, and fuel |
The MH-60R hunts subs and helps ships watch the sea. The MH-60S can help with rescue, cargo, mine work, and sea combat. Each helo can do more than one job. The table shows common uses, not fixed rules for each flight.
The Navy has separate MH-60R and MH-60S jobs. Both helos need safe crews. Their work at sea can differ a lot.
The pilot flies the helo. Aircrew may run sensors or rescue gear. The pilot holds designator 1310. Enlisted aircrew have their own ratings. Neither job is an NFO role.
What does an MH-60R pilot do?
An MH-60R pilot helps a ship find threats at sea. The pilot does this with a trained crew. The helicopter can leave the ship to search a large area. The crew uses sensors to look for threats. Then it sends what it finds back to the ship.
Submarine search is a good example. Water hides the target from plain view. The crew plans where to search. It must learn what each sensor shows. A report needs sound facts, not a guess. The pilot holds a safe flight path. The crew can then do its work.
A search may call for slow, steady flying. It may take place at night or over open water far from land. The ship may change course. The crew may find a new lead. Either can send the helicopter to a new area. The pilot keeps fuel, weather, and landing options in the plan.
An enlisted AWR aircrew member often runs the sensors. AWR means Naval Aircrewman Tactical Helicopter. The pilot still flies and works with the team. The pilot still needs to know what the sensor operator is doing. A sensor result can change where the helicopter flies next. Clear short calls matter when the crew is busy.
The MH-60R also supports surface warfare. It can help ships find vessels and build a picture of activity near the fleet. The pilot does not treat every boat as a threat. The crew works under its orders, current rules, and the facts available on scene.
A small ship may carry a helicopter. It helps the crew look far beyond the ship. Sea and weather conditions set real limits. So do fuel, the crew, and the ship. The ship must be able to get the helo back. A pilot must think about those limits before leaving the deck.
Officers first build flight skills. Later, some train crews or lead units. An MH-60R crew does not get each task at once. The pilot must first earn the right skills.
What does an MH-60S pilot do?
The MH-60S crew has a wider mix of support missions. The MH-60S can carry people and supplies. It may help with a rescue. It can support special operations or mine work when set up for that task.
Imagine a ship needs a part while it is at sea. It may not be able to dock to get it. A helicopter can carry the part from another ship or a shore base. The pilot checks the load and fuel. Weather must be safe too. The crew needs a safe landing place. The aircrew and deck teams do much of the work to make the move safe.
Rescue work asks for a different kind of skill. A rescue swimmer may need to reach someone in the water. The pilot keeps the helicopter in a safe place as the crew works. Wind and sea spray can change the plan quickly. The pilot keeps the helo steady. A risky pickup may need to stop.
Not every Sierra flight uses a hoist. Not every HSC unit performs every mission on NAVAIR’s list. Aircraft are fitted for tasks and crews must hold the required training. Most days do not bring a big rescue. Pilots spend many hours on basic flight drills and fleet support.
Some MH-60S flights support a carrier air wing. Others help ships or units based ashore. A ship deck is a busy place. Masts and cranes can block the way. Wind, hot air and deck crews add risk. This is different from landing on a large airfield.
The Sierra is often called a support helicopter. That does not mean the flying is easy. Rescue flights can be hard. So can work at night or on small decks. Cargo flights need care too. This pilot still needs strong flight skills. Safe calls are just as vital as on a sub-hunting mission.
How do helicopter pilots learn to fly?
The traditional Navy pilot route starts with primary flight training before advanced helicopter school. Students learn flight rules, radio calls, route planning and instrument flying. That is one route, rather than a requirement to train in fixed-wing aircraft before every helicopter assignment. CNATRA describes COPT-R as a helicopter-focused route that bypasses fixed-wing primary. Naval Postgraduate School research also documents COPT-R and CORPS alternatives. Your assigned program determines the sequence; an applicant should not assume access to a particular route.
The current trainer is the TH-73A Thrasher. Some older training pages still name the TH-57 Sea Ranger. A 2026 NAVAIR update confirms the TH-73 replaced the TH-57 in pilot training. It offers a more modern cockpit and flight training tools.
The Navy’s HT-8 training squadron says its students learn in the TH-73A. They learn to hover and land. They fly by the flight gauges. They also learn safe low-level flight. Later training can include night vision, group flying, and rescue basics.
The table shows the traditional route. Helicopter-focused alternatives change the early stages.
| Stage | Skill the pilot builds | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Primary flight training | Basic aircraft control and safe flight planning | Shows whether the student can manage a plane and learn under review |
| Helicopter ground school | How rotor flight and systems work | A helicopter does not fly like a fixed-wing plane |
| TH-73A flight training | Hover, turn, land, and keep a safe flight path | Builds the core skills used near ships |
| Advanced helicopter work | Instruments, formation, rescue basics, night work | Adds crew skill for poor light and hard missions |
| Wings of Gold | Naval Aviator designation, 1310 | Wings are not yet an MH-60R or MH-60S fleet qualification |
| Fleet replacement training | Learn the assigned Seahawk and its crew plan | Prepares a new pilot for an operational squadron |
One of the hardest changes is learning to hover well. A fixed-wing aircraft stays in flight by moving air over its wings. A helo can hover in place. But wind, fuel, and load still set limits. The crew cannot freeze in place if the air or ship is moving.
Instrument training matters too. A pilot may have to fly when the horizon isn’t clear. The cockpit displays and crew procedures help keep the flight under control. That training does not make all weather safe. Every flight still has limits.
The Chief of Naval Air Training lists Rotary as a pilot pipeline. The names of training aircraft on that older overview have lagged behind the TH-73A change. Use the current squadron and aircraft pages for equipment details.
Picture a practice landing near a ship. The ship rolls with the sea. Wind comes across the flight deck. The pilot checks the view and flight gauges. A crew member makes radio calls. The deck team gives its signal. If the flight is not safe, the pilot may wait. The crew can try a new flight plan. It may need to go back to land. Each step calls for clear crew work. A helo can hover, but that does not make the deck safe. The pilot must be ready to stop a landing. Ship flight is a skill that crews build through drills, not a trick learned in one day.
What is it like to land a helicopter on a ship?
The sea doesn’t hold still. A ship may pitch, roll, turn, or change speed. The pilot must judge the landing area as it moves. The deck has masts and crew nearby. Other flight work may be under way too. There is not much room.
Shipboard flying starts well before final approach. The crew learns the ship rules and radio plan. It also learns when to stop a landing attempt. A helo can land on a carrier. It can also land on much smaller ships. Those are not the same setting.
A pilot needs to know whether the ship can take the aircraft at that time. Wind, sea state, deck movement and crew readiness all count. The crew may need to wait. It may use a new plan or stop the flight. The Navy trains pilots to work with that kind of limit.
Life aboard ship can put a pilot near the same team for long stretches. A small detachment may share work and living space with the ship’s crew. In a carrier air wing, a helicopter unit becomes part of a much larger flight plan. Both can be demanding in different ways.
The pilot also works with officers who run ship operations. An aircraft may be needed for a search, a patrol, or urgent cargo. The pilot cannot promise that every task can be done. They must report what their crew can safely do with the fuel, time, and aircraft they have.
A ship’s schedule can change after the helicopter takes off. The crew may have to act on new weather or a new mission plan. Sound flight decisions matter more than keeping the old plan on time.
MH-60R or MH-60S: which path fits your interests?
The Romeo is a strong match for someone drawn to hunting and tracking ships or submarines. The work uses detailed mission data and close crew teamwork. You may like the Sierra if you want ship support work. Cargo and rescue flights are part of that mission.
These are work-style differences. They are not promises of a specific aircraft. A student still has to earn Navy wings. The fleet must also have a seat for that pilot. The Navy fills training seats based on its needs.
| If you most want | Learn more about | Questions worth asking |
|---|---|---|
| Submarine search and sea surveillance | MH-60R, HSM | How do pilots work with sonar operators and ships? |
| Rescue, cargo and fleet support | MH-60S, HSC | How does the pilot work with rescue and cargo teams? |
| Flight from smaller ships | Shipboard helicopter aviation | What ship decks and detachment types can a pilot join? |
| Night, sea and instrument flying | Both HSM and HSC | What training and checks keep the crew current? |
| Leading a flight crew | Both HSM and HSC | What leadership roles do junior pilots hold? |
Many recruits assume a Navy helicopter pilot stays on a carrier. Some do. Others spend time with ship detachments, on shore, or at training units. Ask where a squadron flies. Then ask what that means for life at home.
The helicopter field also differs from the Navy’s tiltrotor field. The Navy CMV-22B Osprey pilot flies a tiltrotor. It can fly on its wings as well. Its main job is carrier cargo, not Seahawk flight duty. The Navy treats that aircraft and its training as a distinct track. A person interested in both should compare the types of flying and the mission each squadron supports.
What does a Navy helicopter pilot do when not flying?
A pilot may have only a few hours in the aircraft that day. The rest of the day still belongs to the squadron. New officers may lead Sailors. They check flight plans and help keep crew school on track.
A pilot reviews recent flights with instructors and peers. The team looks for errors before the next flight. That can involve aircraft handling, radio calls, crew task sharing, or a plan that needs to be clearer. Good crews learn from small problems before they grow into large ones.
Aircraft care is another part of the job. Aircraft maintainers fix the helo. Pilots still need to know its faults. They must report problems clearly. If a pilot finds a fault, the crew writes it down. The flight crew works with those who can fix it.
The work can be routine and still matter. A training flight helps a new pilot learn to make a safe landing. A cargo flight brings a ship a part it needs. A patrol may help a ship learn that an area is clear. There may be no big event to report at the end of most flights.
At times the squadron trains for operations at sea. At others, it may take part in events with other ships, aircraft, or nations. Some pilots become instructors. Others take leadership or staff duties as their careers grow. A new pilot is not promised any one of those jobs.
A helo team has pilots, aircrew, repair teams, and supply staff. Each has a job to do. Pilots help the group fly safely and meet its orders.
Questions to ask about the Navy helicopter pilot route
There is no direct-entry “MH-60R officer” program. Apply to the Navy pilot program first. The Navy picks your track later. The Naval Aviator guide covers entry, health rules, and officer tests.
Ask a recruiter which pilot rules apply. Ask Navy flight staff which trainers they use now. Old lists may still name the TH-57.
- Does my current application qualify me for the Navy pilot route?
- When can a student ask for Rotary, and how are assignments made?
- Which helicopter models are receiving first-tour pilots now?
- Where does TH-73A training take place, and what comes after wings?
- What sort of ship or shore duty does a first-tour pilot normally get?
- What must a new pilot learn before flying with an operational crew?
Do you want to fly or work on mission systems as an NFO? Use the Pilot vs NFO comparison to help you choose. If you need ASTB-E practice first, the ASTB-E prep guide explains the test and study options. A study guide cannot win you a Seahawk seat. Your first pick may not be open.
A good career choice looks past the rotor blades. Choose this path for the full Navy job. You will fly, work at sea, and lead Sailors.
Compare other commissions in the Navy unrestricted-line officer community.