Woods is 35,000th helicopter pilot winged at Whiting

MILTON — Call it what you want, luck, fate, being at the right place at the right time or just having the right letter of the alphabet in your last name.

LTJG Robert P. Woods received his Wings of Gold at NAS Whiting Field last month along with 22 other new Naval Aviators.

Woods did not miss a beat when he was asked what are you going to do next? And just like the Superbowl commercials, Woods said, “I’m going to Disney World.” And he was not kidding.

Woods, his wife and parents had planned on vacationing at Disney World after he received his wings.

What he did not know was that he would be the 35,000 helicopter pilot to receive those wings. And it happened by chance.

Woods was commissioned after graduating from the U. S. Naval Academy. The Northlake, Illinois, native was assigned to advanced squadron HT-18 at NAS Whiting Field, completed his pilot training and was winged on Nov. 22.

His next assignment is to HSM-East Norfolk, Virginia. where he will fly the MH-60R helicopter.

“I’m reminded of all the people that came before us,” Woods said of the ceremony.

His commanding officer at HT-18, Commander Kennith Kerr, told Woods that the ceremony would feel like he was receiving a doctorate in flying.

“This has been a two-year process, it was fun but a lot of work,” Woods said. “I feel like a true professional.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Woods is 35,000th helicopter pilot winged at Whiting