Inside the MQ-8: A Super JO's Perspective

Inside the MQ-8

By LT Bryan “Twilight” O’Loughlin, USN

Greetings from the USS Charleston (LCS 18), somewhere in the Pacific. I am LT Bryan “Twilight” O’Loughlin and I consider myself fortunate to be deployed with HSC-21’s Det 8, “The Hateful 8” as a single T/M/S MQ-8 Super JO. I pulled off what many consider to be the impossible… I managed to “avoid the boat” after my FRS Instructor tour and re-joined a Fleet squadron! I wanted to take this moment to talk about my background, being a single T/M/S Air Vehicle Operator (AVO), and why I willingly chose to leave the MH-60S and the FRS 12 months early to jump onto TWO back-to-back LCS deployments. After reading this, I hope some of the Fleet aviators out there will consider this new option for their disassociated sea tours (if it is still available) and that the NAE will see value in this tour.

I started my journey towards the mighty MQ-8 with the HSC-5 Nightdippers out of Norfolk, VA. Like most Naval Aviators from a carrier background, I believed my side of HSC was the only one that mattered. All we knew about the expeditionary side of the community was that they flew the MQ-8, which meant they had fewer flight hours in the MH60, and to me that sounded awful. The biggest takeaway from my first tour was that the HSC Community did not have a strong identity and there was internal disagreement about the future of our community. The only constant was change, and if you didn’t greet it with a smile you’d be miserable holding onto what you thought our community should be or used to be.

I was a dime a dozen checking into HSC-3 as a “fully qualified LVL 3,” since the same could be said of the other 50 Instructor Pilots (IPs). What I didn’t realize was that my peers over in expeditionary squadrons were growing and developing the community in areas that were soon-to-be in high demand as the importance of unmanned capabilities was quickly gaining the attention of the CNO. Being good at TERF was not going to get me very far in this new wardroom. Thankfully, the FRS allowed CVN pilots to get qualified and instruct in the MQ-8. This was partially due to the fact that expeditionary pilots who had experience in the MQ-8 were looking for new IPs to share a large course load with them and afford them more hours instructing in the MH-60. I was in the right place at the right time as the email asking for a volunteer to leave HSC-3 early and go on two deployments was sent out. Compared with the endless options for boat jobs after my time at the FRS, this seemed like the best of a bunch of bad choices. However, having held this position for seven months now, I’d like to share a few of the many reasons why I actually enjoy this job and think others would too.

First, this tour as a single T/M/S AVO is actually a flying tour. I did not know that at first, and was fully expecting to leave the MH-60S for two years, lose my annual flying currency, and then later have to return to the FRS as a CAT 3. In actuality, when you are not in an FRTP cycle with your Det, you revert back to your ACTC quals and fly with your

Fleet squadron. I’ve been out of the MH-60 for seven months now, and I am just starting to really miss flying. While I think an FRS IP can handle juggling both MH-60 and MQ-8 on and off, a new PQM ought to focus on one or the other if we want them to achieve their highest potential . Going forward I would love if other IPs turned AVOs could continue to fly both aircraft as I have, with the MQ-8 as the priority, and only fly the MH-60 for currency or when needed for proficiency and to hit hours minimums instead of the proposed single TMS construct. I’m going to have to drop some flight hour waivers when I get home….

Second, being an MQ-8 AVO has enhanced my quality of life. From an IP stand point, a double bag in the MH-60 easily translates to 8-10 hours of work depending on whether or not you are a cold-go. Not to mention, after you land you still have to work your actual job. Once I started teaching MQ-8, two simulator events only took four hours. I was able to get the same amount of hours in my log book for way less time spent outside of the actual flying. Being an MQ-8 AVO gave me back my free time, and I was able to start surfing and doing the things I enjoy in San Diego again. Respect to the guys with 40+ hour months in the MH-60 in the FRS, but I just had different priorities. After all, it was my shore tour and I wanted to spend as much time at the shore (i.e. the beach) as possible. From a deployed standpoint, I definitely could do this for the rest of my career.

Third, I believe in putting the light where it is darkest, and this was a dark place. What I mean by this is that I know the MQ-8 has struggled with image. Students dreaded learning it, and many pilots saw it pulling us out of the MH-60. On previous LCS Dets the ship and even the pilots would look for almost any reason not to fly the MQ-8 because it was easier to fly the MH-60. It has been talked about as a negative thing liability--something that doesn't work well. To me, this sounds like a great problem to solve. If you want to make an impact and shape the future of unmanned aviation, this is a great place to do it. We have made meaningful strides in establishing routine MQ-8 and MH-60 operations into the deployment flow. Every fly day underway includes both aircraft flying at the same time. The Det has flown the most MQ-8 hours of any Det at HSC-21 so far. We have shown MQ-8 operations are as reliable and as simple as MH-60 ops. With one person focused on flying the drone, the process is going smoothly and the ship is impressed with its reliability and various capabilities.

Fourth, I missed being in a Fleet squadron. There is something special and highly rewarding about being deployed with Aviators who were my students a few months ago in the FRS. Not many IPs get a chance to be out with the PQMs they just taught in the MH-60. Now I get to sit on their HAC Boards and help them learn their ground jobs. It is a beautiful thing to see. This LCS deployment so far is much more relaxed when compared to my 5th Fleet carrier deployment, but we are making great memories even without a lot of the usual trials of long deployments. In many ways, I like LCS life more than CVN life. The port calls are plentiful and the downtime is abundant. Suffice to say, there have been many beverages consumed in Japan.

Lastly, it is the first time since flight school I have had a singular focus. It is what I had imagined being a pilot would be like, no distractions, just flying (well, kind of flying). All I do is MQ-8. All my effort goes into making sure our drone is ready to fly. This singular focus is a reason we have been a successful Det. It is nice to not be spread thin across seven mission areas maintaining six different qualifications.

In closing, this is for the younger pilots out there. Don’t be afraid of the MQ-8. Go into it head first, amped on all of its potential if the right people get behind it. I don’t know if this job will be around in the future, or if it will eventually be handed over to Warrant Officers. However, until it is more established, I believe every AVO has the important job of representing this platform, and we need the best HSC has to offer in order to ensure its success going forward. This job needs to be filled with the future of HSC, and not just a warm body who went through a two-month FRS course.