What does radar intercept officer do?

What does radar intercept officer do?

Duties include operating aircraft communications and radar equipment, such as establishing satellite linkages and jamming enemy communications capabilities; operating aircraft weapons and defensive systems; conducting preflight, in-flight, and postflight inspections of onboard equipment; and directing cargo and …

What does Rio in aviation mean?

A Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) is a Naval Flight Officer who occupies the rear seat of such aircraft as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat .

Is a radar intercept officer a pilot?

NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many “co-pilot” functions, depending on the type of aircraft. Until 1966, their duties were performed by both commissioned officer and senior enlisted naval aviation observers (NAO).

Can the WSO fly the plane?

In the U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, the WSO can pilot the aircraft when required, although this is typically during non-tactical portions of the mission (e.g., en route to mission area or returning to base).

Is a Rio also a pilot?

RIOs were the back-seaters who operated the F-14’s weapon system, were responsible for communication and navigation, and performed other aircrew duties. During a radar intercept the RIO directed the pilot, so he was “verbally flying” the aircraft.

Is AF 14 Rio a pilot?

Although only the F-14 pilot has flight controls in the front seat, there are a lot of things that are only in the Tomcat radar intercept officer (RIO) back seat.

Can a Navy Rio fly the plane?

The stick in the rear seat cannot fly the aircraft. It is like a mouse for the weapons system. It controls the cursor on the displays and can move the position of the radar and TCS (Television Camera System) and things like that.

What does Rio mean in TOPGUN?

radar intercept officer
Dave ‘Bio’ Baranek flew the flying aerial sequences in the original 1985 Top Gun film and served as dialogue advisor. His role as radar intercept officer (RIO) – the air flight officer involved in air operations and weapons systems – in the F-14 Tomcat was the same as that of Goose in in the film.

What’s the difference between a Rio and WSO?

WSO originated as an Air Force term. RIO was strictly a Navy term from the F-4 days. The Air Force originally had two rated pilots in their Phantoms, completes with flight controls, while the Navy back seater was not. The RIO was carried over into the F-14.

Can Rio fly F-14?

‘The RIO was the only one who could turn on and manage the transponder which was most always required. We used to laugh about this as pilots. RIOs had a lot of say in the development of the F-14. We figured that they made it hard to fly without them, which we could do in the F-4.

What is an Rio in the Navy?

RIO – Radar intercept officer, a category of Naval Flight Officer who was the second crewman in the F-14 Tomcat. Is a REO a pilot? NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many “co- pilot ” functions, depending on the type of aircraft.

Can a Rio pilot fly an aircraft?

Virtually all RIOs had some experience actually flying an aircraft when they were in the Training Command, flying dual-control trainers. What does Rio mean in Navy? RIO – Radar intercept officer, a category of Naval Flight Officer who was the second crewman in the F-14 Tomcat.

Did the F-14 have flight controls in the Rio cockpit?

The short answer is: no, the F-14 had no flight controls in the RIO cockpit. In many photos of the rear cockpit you can see a “stick,” but it controlled several radar functions. Virtually all RIOs had some experience actually flying an aircraft when they were in the Training Command, flying dual-control trainers.

Was the F-4 Rio able to control the Phantom from his seat?

Was the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in the F-4 Phantom able to control the jet fighter from his seat? If so, did the pilot and RIO typically share flying duties? No, an F-4 RIO could not fly the plane from the back seat however a WSO or a EWOcould if they had the trianing. You might be asking “what’s the difference?”