Scheduling aircrew training at United States Navy Fleet Readiness Squadron HC-3 during replacements of H-46D helicopters by CH-60S

Abstract

The United States Navy is replacing the H-46D helicopter with the new CH-60S helicopter. Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Three (HC-3) is the U.S. Navy's Fleet Readiness Squadron, responsible for training the contingent of pilots and aircrewmen to fly this helicopter fleet; it is also responsible for managing their transition to the CH-60S. Each pilot and aircrewman represents a large investment in training and experience, and each is engaged in some stage of a Navy career that is governed by a host of guidelines for training, service experience, sea and shore duty rotations, and so forth. This thesis introduces an optimization model that takes as input the current state of Navy pilots and aircrewmen, the schedule of CH-60S introductions, restrictions on career duty tours and qualifying experience, limits on training resources, and other policy guidelines. The output is a schedule of duty tours, including training, retraining, shore, and sea duty tours, while recommending an optimal set of career paths to accommodate the transition over an 84-month period.