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Air Force Navigator Job Description
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By Scott Thompson Updated January 04, 2022
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Air Force navigators guide the airplanes that the United States Air Force uses in both combat and non-combat missions. Navigators read maps and use radar and other methods to guide the pilot safely to his destination. Air Force navigators serve on large airplanes such as bombers, fuel tankers and cargo planes. They are responsible for a number of complex duties.
Navigator Jobs
Air Force navigator is not a generic position applicable to all aircraft. Instead, Air Force navigators are officers with specialized training in the navigation systems and other equipment on specific types of aircraft, reports Military.com. The Air Force has airlift navigators, bomber navigators, fighter navigators, tanker navigators, experimental test plane navigators, special operations navigators and generalist navigators. There are also navigators trained in reconnaissance, surveillance and electronic warfare aircraft. If you are interested in becoming an Air Force navigator, you would be trained in one of these specialized areas.
Navigation Aircraft Duties
Navigators are responsible for guiding the airplane through a combination of methods. The navigator uses on-board radar to both determine the location of the aircraft and identify the presence of other aircraft in the vicinity, whether friend or foe. The navigator also uses charts and maps to determine the flight route, and communicates by radio to coordinate with other planes and the home base. The navigator is also in charge of finding out the expected weather for the mission and planning accordingly.
Navigators have a number of other duties besides the actual navigation of the aircraft. The navigator is responsible for keeping the pilot informed about the fuel status and other equipment read-outs, for conducting tests on the weapons systems and the navigation systems, for making sure the plane is loaded up and ready for the mission, and for tracking objects on the ground or water below during flight. Bomber navigators are also responsible for the bombardier systems when the bomber is on a combat mission, reports Careers in the Military.
Training and Skill Development
Air Force navigators are required to attend ongoing training courses in a variety of subjects needed in their work, including the science of flight and navigation, the procedures involved in operating an aircraft, and military tactics applicable to air missions and the science of meteorology. Navigators need to have strong map-reading and chart-reading skills, the ability to attend to detail, a deep interest in flying, and the ability to think clearly and adapt quickly in stressful and dangerous situations such as a fire aboard the aircraft.
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Scott Thompson has been writing professionally since 1990, beginning with the "Pequawket Valley News." He is the author of nine published books on topics such as history, martial arts, poetry and fantasy fiction. His work has also appeared in "Talebones" magazine and the "Strange Pleasures" anthology.
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