Join Us
Are You a Bug Jockey? CVW-14 wants YOU!
We’re a MILSIM-LITE squadron recruiting Hornet pilots of all skill levels. We fly on Thursdays @ 8:30 US Eastern and have a good time while we’re doing it! Training starts January 8th, 2026.
WHy Join US?
- The intrepid aviators of CVW-14 have just completed a deployment to RED FLAG at Nellis, and now we’re looking for motivated individuals looking to join one of our virtual squadrons flying the F/A-18C Hornet. We’re a very close-knit group (though we live all over the country, a bunch of us have become good friends and met up IRL!) that shares a love of naval aviation and the squadron itself has existed for over 5 years with a rich and storied history.
- As of our last training cycle we have expanded to a second Hornet squadron. We now consist of the VFA-161 Fighting Stingrays and VFA-44 Kingfishers, both of which will be taking on new members this cycle.
- CVW-14 is a MILSIM-LITE group focused solely on Naval Aviation, though we do have some weirdos who enjoy flying the Herky Bird on off nights. What do we mean by MILSIM-LITE? We endeavor to fly the Hornet by the book as much as we can (sorry, Tom Cruise!) but we forego the more mundane aspects of military aviation to focus on the fun. We do not completely throw reality to the wind, but this is not a Yes Sir-No Sir environment!
- We fly as a squadron on Thursday evenings at 2030 (8:30 PM US Eastern). We have a dedicated Mission Planning staff which meets on Tuesday nights to craft missions and briefs. Expect full formal briefs and coordination between more than 20 jets in the air at a time, and that’s on a slow week! We generally operate in cycles, with a 10-12 week cruise followed by a combined training cycle for new folks and skill refreshers for cadre, followed by about a month of workups and another cruise.
What to Expect
- A 10-week training course designed to integrate you into your squadron + teach you “our way.”
- Weekly handcrafted missions.
- Two cruises (campaigns) a year, lasting 10-12 weeks.
- Two dedicated servers.
- A group that is passionate about flying.
- A group that is inclusive.
You Need to Be…
- Mature adult (21+) with a passion for Naval Aviation regardless of skill level. North America only, sorry!
- Someone who wants to improve your skills in the Hornet.
- Willing to learn.
Training Pipeline
Are you brand new to the Hornet? No problem!
Are you an experienced pilot with 500+ hours in the jet and countless campaigns under your belt? Come on!
No matter your background, we’ll take you through an organized training program that’s designed to teach you advanced systems, tactics, and squadron SOP. Over the course of 10 weeks, you’ll gain the confidence and skills required to be a virtual naval aviator in the Hornet. More than that, the program will get you onboard with “our way” so even if you’re super experienced, we think you’ll find value here too!
We have awesome instructor pilots and a library of resources that will help you get up to speed on the basics before training kicks off. If you are willing to put in the effort, we will get you through the training.
Requirements
- Aircraft: F/A-18C Hornet
- Maps: NTTR, Syria, and South Atlantic
- Asset Packs: Supercarrier
- HOTAS
- Working microphone
- Head tracking or VR
- Discord (duh)
Enlistment form
We’re looking for 12 candidate members for this cycle, which is currently planned to kick off with session zero on January 8th, 2026. Obviously we know the holidays are coming up, so sorry if you see this message the day it gets posted and have to cool your heels for a few weeks before the cycle kicks off… we promise it’ll be worth it!
If we sound like a good fit for you or somebody you know (bring your friends!), we’d love to chat with you and get you on the board for the 2026 spring training course. Visit our Discord link to get to know us and see if we’re the right fit for you!