UPT Journal (Phase III)

Phase III is a combination of academics and flight line for the T-38, T-1, T-44, or UH-1. Since I am on the T-1 track, I will focus on that. 

The phase is split into several segments. Though there are activities immediately in the flight room, the students are primarily in an academic phase for the first month. Once the students move to the flight line, they will enter 'transition,' where the basics of the aircraft are taught. Next comes 'navigation,' which is the most difficult portion of T-1s. The program ends with 'mission familiarization,' in which the students get to practice both aerial refueling and air drop profiles for their next aircraft [As I progress in the program, I'll recheck this for accuracy].

7 August 2003 FINAL FLIGHT

Today marked my last flight during UPT. Actually, ride would be more appropriate since our IPs flew us home after our flight of two aircraft diverted from Columbus to Montgomery due to Thunderstorms last night. It began yesterday as my last copilot ride, departing Monroe for Texarkana, then Columbus. When we arrived at Columbus, there was a pretty large cell over the airfield, and numerous other cells in the vicinity. We had plenty of fuel, so we opted to hold, hoping the weather would move on. As time passed, more cells developed and the volume of traffic increased. It also became apparent the cell was not moving quickly enough. We moved to another location to hold briefly, then were instructed to depart for Maxwell AFB (Montgomery). Our arrival into Maxwell was uneventful, and we ran into one of our other aircraft there. Despite the best efforts of our flight commander and another of our IPs, we had to stay the night. After a late night visit to Wendy's and our obligatory crew rest period, we were off again for Columbus the next morning. We were, however, passengers. 

 

Despite being done flying, there is still a lot to do. Graduation preparations are taking much of our free time, plus we were tasked with doing all the administrative stuff for the new class. Next week will be busy with briefings, out-processing, graduation practices, then finally the real thing on Friday with all our family and friends.  

5 August 2003

This week should be our final week of flying here at Columbus. I had three copilot rides remaining, and have flown two since Monday. I had to get 2.8 hours of night per the syllabus, so we've delayed our takeoffs until dark. Night flying is pretty cool. No night vision goggles quite yet, but I guess that's coming in C-130 training. I am scheduled to fly my final flight tomorrow with our flight commander and another student. They pretty much let you do whatever you want on the copilot rides, so I'm trying to think of something entertaining. There is still a fair amount to for graduation to occupy our time after the flying is done, so I don't think we'll be bored by any means. I just bought my wings today at the BX. It seems odd I've toiled and lamented for a year for the privilege of wearing a $6.75 badge.

2 August 2003  ASSIGNMENT NIGHT

The moment everyone has been waiting for since we arrived has finally come and gone. Last night, we all got to take our turn at the front of the banquet room in the club to be razzed and then shown what our assignments would be. While it's a no-brainer for the Guard/Reserve, it's like Christmas for the active duty. Everyone had already submitted their "dreamsheets" based on a "drop," or list of aircraft and locations that were available. Everything we'd done for the past year factored into the outcome. As it turned out, most everyone got what they wanted. Some of the best were, in my opinion, a C-21 to Ramstein (Germany), a KC-135 to Mildenhall (England), and a KC-135 to Kadena (Japan). There were also several C-17s, an E-8, and numerous other KC-135s and C-21s in the states. It was a great night.  

31 July 2003  MISSION-FAMILIARIZATION CHECKRIDE

I've now taken my last checkride at UPT. I passed, as have the seven others that have taken it so far. Seven students left, who will have to wait for next week. It feels pretty good, but there is still a lot to be done before we get out of here. Assignment night and preparations for graduation have really wiped me out. The checkride was really a second priority in comparison, since all our assignment night stuff had to be worked out yesterday (it's almost done). 

 

We planned the checkride for an "airdrop" sortie first, which involves a two-ship formation flying a low-level route and simulating air drops over predetermined geographic points. We've flown quite a few low-levels already at this point, and now we can use the GPS which basically gives you a moving map of the route you're supposed to follow. Not too bad. We were then going to do an air-refueling mission, which involves taking off separately, then meeting up in a local refueling track for a rendezvous. The flying for this portion is not particularly hard, but it involves a lot of in-plane math, which is somehow always much harder than math on the ground. The key to success in air-refueling is a very good plan before you leave the ground. Know your radio calls and do as much of the calculating as you can before you depart. 

 

The plans changed, of course, due to thunderstorms over Columbus and our entire low-level route. It then fell on myself and Zeese to go first, and do our air-refuel mission out of Columbus instead of Texarkana. We wound up doing just that, and the weather cleared for the low-level on the back half, so everyone was happy. Adapt and overcome, I guess.

26 July 2003  

Per yesterday's schedule, I should have my last checkride Thursday (fly Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday off, then check). Beyond that, I have three copilot rides, but those don't really count. Assignment night is coming up Friday and everyone's getting pretty excited/anxious. The choices are due Monday morning by 0730 and are allegedly set in stone by Wednesday. Sounds like our theme and presentation are coming together. We've got some characters working on it, so it should be good. 

 

I just went through about the best day in pilot training there can be, and it wasn't even a day at work. We took what's called the military competency test. This test basically transfers what we've learned in UPT to civilian ratings. For $215, we get our instrument, multi-engine, and commercial ratings, plus a Beechjet 400 type-rating. All those things independently would cost many thousands of dollars and hundreds of flying hours. This potentially sets us up for civilian flying jobs right out of UPT. Very nice.

23 July 2003  

I officially have three rides and a checkride (and three copilot rides) before I'm done flying at Columbus. I'm not presently on the schedule for tomorrow or Friday, so I probably won't check until late next week. It will be nice to have a day or two to digest everything. 

 

We just found out today that six of our classmates from the T-38 side will be washing back to 03-14, leaving only three of the original students graduating with us. Their situation has been pretty bad for some time due to the closure of the tweet runway. That forced the tweets onto the center runway, and the T-38s are often limited on the shorter outside runway. It also cost everyone sorties since we have to fit the same amount of traffic on one less runway. Since T-1s depart Columbus and do our work elsewhere, we were not affected very much. Not that it helps our classmates much at this point, but the runway should open August 1st, hastening their remaining sorties and allowing the rest of their squadron to get back on schedule. 

 

Our sister class, 03-12, graduates Friday, and the new class (04-05) has come in to replace them. Our class number finally appeared on the sign as you enter base for assignment night as well. All good indications that UPT is near complete. 

20 July 2003  

Apparently it's going to be a sprint to the finish line for us. I had my nav check last Monday, Tuesday off, then flew Wednesday through Saturday. Three rides were basic formation in the T-1, and the fourth was an air refueling sortie on the front half and an air drop sortie on the second. Each was an out-and-back flight, lasting at least 8-10 hours. Formation is a little more entertaining than nav and doesn't involve as much individual flight planning, but certainly brings its own challenges. All of the radio calls and check-ins are new, and the procedures in general were not really covered for us prior to briefing for our first form ride. Normally, we have a class or briefing covering all the basic stuff regarding form or nav or whatever, but this one somehow slipped through the cracks. It was a fairly steep learning curve, though the general concepts were similar to tweets. Needless to say, I'm pretty exhausted and have only one day to try to recover. Since our sister class, 03-12, is done flying, we get all the IPs and jets to ourselves. That's a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because we'll finish sooner, but bad because finishing sooner means flying every day and double-turning frequently. This coming week will be exhausting as well, but that should mean checking early the next and being all done. That's the part I'm looking forward to. The pace certainly does not slow down the closer you get to being done. 

15 July 2003  NAVIGATION CHECKRIDE

Wow. The past week has been a busy one. Since the ninth, I've flown two "singleton" rides (low-level and a navigation sortie by yourself in one day) and my Navigation check. The singleton rides involve a great deal of planning backed up by the knowledge and ability to get through all that stuff by yourself. The daily rides are painful enough, then there's the checkride. The nav-check is basically the culmination of our time in T-1s, if not all of UPT. It encompasses basic flying ability, mission-planning, instrument flying and procedures, and low-level flying. I flew my final daily ride this past Friday, was opted for the checkride that afternoon, and had the weekend to plan. My profile had Chattanooga as the primary out-base, which means I have to wind up there on the way out and depart from there on the second half. Friday afternoon was spend frolicking at the club at 03-12's assignment night, and Saturday was pretty much a day of rest as well (though the specter of the checkride hung over me all day). Finally, it was time to hit the books on Sunday. You are required to have four completed plans that would accomplish your checkride objectives. They consist of a) primary low-level and nav on the way back, b) nav ride then primary low-level, and c) and d) use a secondary low-level with an out-base of your choosing. It normally takes a few hours to do one plan, so you can imagine how long four plans took. Needless to say, each of the plans is dependant on weather, so the potential exists for all your plans to go to crap. By the time all the planning is done, you're pretty anxious to get the stupid checkride over with and take a breath.

 

The big day started at 0630 when I awoke to start printing out weather and all the other essentials to make sure my plans were going to work out. Fortunately for me (and the others checking that day), a high pressure system had just moved in and the weather was forecast to be pretty decent. I was fairly certain that my first plan (Columbus to Huntsville, then Chattanooga, then low-level on the back half) would work out.

 

I headed to base ops (where all our nav rides start) to polish off all the final details, then met my IP at 1015. I went over the big picture, then briefed all the specifics with my IP. He seemed happy with everything, so we headed back to the squadron, where the three of us checking had to wait 90 minutes while our IPs went to a mandatory commander's call. Finally, they returned and we all stepped to our jets. 

 

I knew the profile I had planned was going to happen rather quickly due to it's short duration, but it got a lot shorter when our normal departure was drastically shortened followed by a heading given by ATC direct to a certain location, instead of via airways as I had planned for (in other words, I didn't have as much time as I'd hoped to run all the checklists as I'd have liked). My fix to fix (flying direct to a point in space) was not optimal, but we got there nonetheless and shot our approach after a few turns in holding. The approach went okay, then we started our climbout to Chattanooga. As we climbed out, we had to deviate around some thunderstorms, which pushed us closer more quickly. Again, I felt rushed with everything and there was an abnormally high amount of chatter on the radios. We arrived at Chattanooga for two approaches, which I flew okay, and then a full-stop. I was fretting on the ground due to a few errors I considered to be rather gross, but had to flush that feeling in hopes of having a good second half. 

 

We ate lunch and then returned to brief the low-level. After the brief, we headed to the aircraft and launched pretty much on time to hit the scheduled low-level entry time. The hardest part of a low-level, in my opinion, is finding the entry point. Once you find that, there is very specific timing and direction depicted on the map that, in theory, should get you over the exit point on time. After the IP subtly dropped hints regarding which cluster of buildings was the entry point, the rest of the route wasn't too bad. We got a little off a few times, but were generally on time. By the end, however, we had gotten a mile or two right of course and missed the exit point. I saw where it was, but we had already passed it. It was a bridge over a creek, which is just about impossible to see unless you're right over it. From there it was just a short hop back to Columbus, which the IP flew.

 

On the ground, we first had our EP (emergency situation) and then moved on to GK. I took a very conservative approach to the EP, which was commented on but not downgraded. Being overly aggressive may get you hooked, so conservative is the way to go. The general knowledge portion was pretty extensive, but I got through it pretty much unscathed. It was only after all of that (about ten hours after I hit base ops) that I found out I had passed with a "5G." I think most of the weight of the world fell off my shoulders right then as I realized it was over and I had only about ten rides until I was UPT complete. 

9 July 2003 

I flew my first ride today with only myself and the IP in the aircraft. The sortie was a "local" sortie since that's what I was scheduled for with the wing commander (he was unavailable). We flew down to Montgomery, AL, which is pretty close and has good approaches. On our way back, we could see thunderstorms (visually and on radar) parked over Columbus, with all the accompanying radio chatter of people trying to find a way around it. We considered our options (holding to let it pass, diverting, etc) and opted to continue until another course of action was necessary. ATC vectored us between some cells and we could see the field directly ahead. We paralleled the runway to prepare for landing and observed some very dark clouds and heavy rainfall not more than a couple miles from the field. It got pretty bumpy and you could hear the controllers getting pretty antsy trying to get everyone on the ground. We got on the ground without any issues, but then waited about 90 minutes for maintenance to marshal us into our parking spot (the rules say they can't move us when there's lightning within five miles). While we were waiting, we heard a radio call telling a T-37 to "go around" during his landing. We turned to see a tweet emerge from rain so heavy we couldn't see where it had come from. It was only fifty feet from the ground, but had rolled into a very steep bank and pitched nose-up rather abruptly. They recovered, but you always hold your breath when you see things like that. They must have diverted after that, as we didn't hear from them again during our wait. 

8 July 2003 

We finally got our off-station low-level out of the way. What's the difference between the regular and off-station low-levels you ask? Good question. Basically, we had to call someone besides our own duty desk in the squadron to schedule it and we had to fly about ten minutes further to get there. This particular route was pretty cool, however, taking us north of Chattanooga and just southwest of Knoxville. There is a nuclear power plant and some pretty fantastic terrain to look at, as opposed to many of the other not-so-scenic options here. 

 

Tomorrow was almost a big pucker-factor day for me. I was on the board to fly a local sortie with this guy. Fortunately or unfortunately, things changed and I'm back on with one of our regulars. 

7 July 2003 

Today is our first day back following our four-day fourth of July break. It was great to have the time off, but our class went into it having three people hook their nav checkrides Wednesday. Hopefully things will get straightened out early this week for everyone. 

 

I am scheduled to fly my last two-student sortie today. After this one, I'll be doing "singleton" rides, where I have a nav ride to an out-base, then a low-level back to Columbus. This prepares us for our nav-check, which is a solo event as well. After today, I think I have four or five rides remaining in nav (the singleton out and backs count as two sorties, so it will go quickly). I should check late this week or early next week. 

29 June 2003 

After having a not-so-great experience on my previous flight, I was able to pull it back together on my next ride. The weather was much nicer and we did not have night to contend with. Bob flew the first leg (Columbus-Little Rock-Texarkana), then I did the return. The weather was beautiful in Arkansas, with virtually unrestricted visibility (rare due to the perpetual humidity and haze down here). We flew VFR (using visual instead of instruments to navigate) between Texarkana and Little Rock, then home. I'm still not sure exactly what happened on my previous flight, but I think it was a one-time thing.

 

The assignment night/graduation plans are moving along. Our order for assignment night glasses went in a few days ago and most people are nav-checking this week, so we'll be able to get a theme and skits knocked out soon. Several students are looking into "shadow-boxes" for us, which is a picture frame with your primary trainer (T-37/T-6), your follow-on (T-1/T-38), your "hero shot," the class patch, and a set of wings. They look pretty cool. We may also have a speaker arranged, which is good since the normal means here was unable to locate one for us. We had hoped to have Brockshus' dad, but the protocol office is pretty firm on their being an O-6 or higher. With all that's going on right now, I'm sure this last month or so will go by in a blur. Class 03-12 has their glasses all stacked up in the flight room already. It's hard to believe it's almost over. 

24 June 2003 "What's a bad day like in the T-1?"

Today was not a good day for Galaxy flight. Of the four crews that were around when I got back, at least four of us (including myself and my flying partner) hooked and one got a fair. I'm not sure if it was something in the air, but it wasn't pretty.

 

My bad day began in the morning when the weather at my tentative destination was forecast worse than it looked the previous night, forcing me to select a new one. I chose Dothan, AL, followed by Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee had their long runway closed, but I could still get the approaches I wanted on the shorter runway. 

 

The next blow was an EPQ. I'm not sure how I did, but I was fairly unhappy with some of the questions. As we were finishing the EPQ, the brief time for our flight crept to within 25 minutes. Normally, I would have all the weather, NOTAMs, bird threat, etc, printed out at home and still show up 30 minutes prior to our scheduled brief. Not so today. Never-the-less, I got everything together that I thought I needed but was still working on a VFR map when brief time arrived. 

 

Our IP arrived, and we had not quite finished everything we ought to have had done (not a good way to start). We then began to tell him what we intended to do, but he pointed out that the winds may not be favoring the runway we wanted at Tallahassee for our time there, and we may not get any of the approaches we were planning. This resulted in us changing our destinations to Jackson, MS, and Monroe, LA. Though I had been both places before, I reviewed neither the approaches nor the route like I normally would have to prepare for a flight. Though change is pretty frequent in this phase, it still lowers your situational awareness and throws you off, even if only a small bit.

 

 We got out to the jet and I began the ground preparations for takeoff. Normally, we have a ground power unit that provides power (so you don't have to worry about draining the battery). Well, today it didn't work, forcing us to do a battery start (I've done maybe one in the aircraft before). As a result, the rest of my ground ops were off since a battery start involves somewhat different procedures and my IP was moving things along since he did not want to waste battery power.

 

The takeoff and departure went fine. As we approached Jackson, my IP asked if I'd like to do the "Back Course" approach "full procedure" instead of vectors (full procedure is more complicated, because there are more frequencies and a different avionics setup). Not wanting to disappoint, I agreed, not having really looked at the setup as I should have. When we hit the starting point, I still did not have the correct avionics setup, and consequently became disoriented and had the jet taken from me (the IP takes the controls when the students get dumb). He gave it back to me, but it took me awhile to get reoriented.

 

On our departure from Jackson to Monroe, I must have still been reeling over the fumbled approach. There are several checklists that are supposed to be run when climbing through 10,000 feet. I neglected one of them and called for the other prematurely.

 

For training, we always plan to "hold" (doing a 'racetrack' pattern around a point in space to kill time). My IP had pointed out a fix that works well near Monroe, but I failed to realize that the fix exists in two separate spots. In one spot (the one we talked about in the pre-brief), it is depicted and starts at 15.6 miles from the station. In the other (an en route chart), it is at 16 miles. I picked the 16 mile location, and then didn't hear the controller and my IP say, "hold as published," which refers to the 15.6 mile fix drawn on the approach plate. Not a safety issue, necessarily, but one more link in the chain.

 

I think my last big blunder was with what is called a "circling  approach." A circling approach is where you fly a straight-in approach to one runway, then fly visually to the opposite runway (if the winds, for example, favored the other runway). These approaches are flown at specific speeds, as are all approaches. Normally, for a straight-in, we are "category B," which is 91-120 knots. For circling, we fly faster and are considered "category C" (121-140). The difference in speed leads to different minimum altitudes, and I set up the approach for the slower speed. Despite being only a 40' difference, it is still a safety issue since I was lower than I was supposed to be. 

 

I'm not sure what the moral to the story is. Pay attention, do things right, and develop the ability to shed mistakes off like water and start fresh after each maneuver. My IP did what he could for me, throwing me hints and trying to help me out without giving my mistakes away, so I take all the credit myself. The plane moves the same speed whether you're keeping up for falling behind. 

19 June 2003 (Eight weeks left) 

After an extended no-fly period for me over the past week, I finally flew again Tuesday. We went to Jackson, TN, then stopped in Huntsville, AL. On Hardenstine's leg, we had to revert to a nav-leg instead of his planned low-level due to Thunderstorm activity. Storms had popped up rapidly all over the area and we spent a good deal of time deviating around cells throughout the flight. It was the closest I'd been to storms like that in the air. 

 

We're inching closer to assignment night and graduation. I think we're ordering our glasses tomorrow to sell for some fundraising, and there is apparently a skit in the works. I know it will be a great time. 

 

I spoke with the lady at the Guard Bureau that handles schooling for Guard/Reserve and found that I will be starting in Little Rock on September 16th. We're hoping to move to MN, sell our house, find an apartment, move-in, and see all our friends and family before I head out again. Not too much for three weeks, is it?  

15 June 2003 (Eight weeks left) 

This past week went pretty slowly for most of the 03-13 class, as most of our jets were used by 03-12 so they can get through their nav checks together. The checks have gone very well for them so far, which is great. I hope we do as well. It's supposed to be one of the more difficult checks we ever take. I am keeping my fingers crossed for good weather. We did manage, however, to get a good start on our graduation packet (a detailed checklist on everything we have to do for graduation). We have split up the class into work groups and divided up the tasks so everyone has something specific to work on with dated objectives. It's a lot of stuff, but it's a labor of love since it means we're almost out of here. 

 

We attended the birthday party of one of our tweet IPs yesterday (Major Nell). He was turning 40, so we had to go harass him a little. It was a little odd since it was three students and pretty much all the senior leadership from T-37s, but we had fun. They're a little different in a social setting, but it's hard to let go of five months of being submissive all of a sudden. 

9 June 2003 (Week eighteen) 

Today was a good start to the week. We had beautiful weather, we had a nice relaxed meal at our drop-in destination (Acadiana, LA), and I got to do basically everything I had planned. I flew second today, so I got to sight-see while we flew to Baton Rouge, LA, then onto Lafayette (Acadiana). Louisiana has some very beautiful countryside, and certain traits that make it distinct (large berms bordering the Mississippi and all the above-ground cemeteries... both due to the low elevation and high water table of the southern part of the state). I really just sat back and appreciated what I'm doing for a living right now.

 

My flight originated in Acadiana, then we traveled to Gulfport for our approaches. The weather was great and we were able to see the city and the coast during all of our maneuvers. We flew three approaches there, then hopped over to Keesler in Biloxi for another. It was a lot of fun. 

 

I think a large part of the enjoyment comes from your instructor as well. The IP I flew with today is a reserve instructor and is the chief pilot for his own corporate company on the side (can you say, "networking?"). As it turns out, he's flown out of Flying Cloud airport near my home, and also worked briefly at American International Airways, where I was a dispatcher for several years. It's a small world. We get along pretty well, which goes a long ways in the aircraft. 

6 June 2003 (Week eighteen) 

Another week gone by. I think I flew twice this week and had one sim. The days have a tendency to run together. My ride Tuesday was a nav ride, with a drop-in at Little Rock (Adams Field) and a full-stop for chow at Texarkana, AR. I was surprised at Little Rock, as the city was a lot larger than I imagined. There is also a large river that runs through the city, plus the area was quite mountainous. We caught a glimpse of the Air Force base there as well, with C-130s dotting the ramp in pretty large numbers. It's coming up quickly. Our sim Tuesday was an ICAO sim, which introduces us to the rules used internationally for aviation. They vary somewhat from those used in the states. I'm told this sim was implemented into our syllabus after the T-43 crash in Eastern Europe that killed a high-ranking civilian a few years ago. Finally, I flew my third low-level, with a stop at Maxwell AFB. The base is very nice, and is home to Officer Training School (OTS) where the active and reserve folks are commissioned. 

 

We just got our assigned low-levels for our checkrides yesterday. Our nav checkride will consist of a nav ride and a low-level on the same day (out and back flight). Lots of planning goes into it, and the general knowledge portion is very in-depth. This is the last event that counts towards our assignments, though there is one more checkride in Mission-Fam. We've seen all there is to see at this point, so we now have to polish everything to the checkride standard. Not too much longer now.

31 May 2003 (Week seventeen) 

Heidi and I made the most of Memorial Day weekend and headed down to New Orleans. I had really wanted to see the D-Day museum, which is downtown, for some time. We did that Sunday, then headed to the Audobon Zoo Monday before coming home. It was a nice getaway. 

 

I flew Tuesday and Thursday, with a sim on Wednesday. I did another low-level Tuesday and landed in Nashville. Our sim Wednesday had us departing Biloxi, MS and navigating to a navy base in New Orleans for a "high-penetration" approach (started from high altitude instead of descending en route to the field) and a couple radar approaches (instructions given by the controllers). They also throw in some icing so we get more familiar with the anti-icing equipment on the aircraft. Finally, Thursday's flight was with our flight commander down through Montgomery to Tallahassee, then back through South Georgia Regional to Columbus. I flew second, and did not have very good luck getting the instrument approaches I had planned for. Sometimes your plans workout, and sometimes they don't. The IPs are happy as long as you show up to the pre-brief with a good plan, whether you actually fly it or not. 

 

This weekend is the big "Wings Over Columbus" airshow. There are already numerous aircraft on the ground from all over the place, plus the Thunderbirds are arriving at 1700 tonight. The club is having a big party tonight with all the transient aircrews which should be fun. Today is also "career day" for the students, where we all head out and talk to crews of different aircraft to try to get some idea what life will be like after UPT.  

24 May 2003 (Week sixteen) 

We've been pretty busy the past week planning for cross-country, nav sorties, and low-levels. Our cross-country actually took place last Sunday through Tuesday. We had planned on going down to Gulfport for two nights, and had therefore planned all of our flights accordingly. Unfortunately, there were thunderstorms planted all over that area solid until the east coast. Suddenly we were going to Texas instead of Gulfport or Charleston. That pretty much set the pace for the rest of the trip. All our planning was done on the move and we were flying approaches we really hadn't looked at prior to getting in the airplane. Despite the pace, it was a good trip. We built our confidence in our mission-planning and got to see some different places. My flying partner got to fly into both College Station (where he attended college at Texas A & M) and his home town of San Antonio. Some of our other destinations included Lake Charles, Alexandria, and Monroe (all Louisiana). Instrument approaches and navigation are much better in the T-1 than the Tweet. 

 

I had my first "low-level" in the T-1 Thursday. Low-levels in this phase of training are planned by the student and flown by the IP (with the student navigating off the maps we've made). We fly on published Military Training Routes (MTRs) between 500 and 1,500 feet above the ground at an average ground speed of 240 knots. The visibility is pretty poor at those altitudes, so the navigation becomes very challenging. You are basically flying pre-determined headings and times and trying to keep yourself oriented by finding landmarks (natural or man-made). I think the C-130 does a fair amount of this type of flying, so I'll be studying up. 

16 May 2003 (Week fourteen) 

The navigation phase officially arrived for me today. This week has been a blur of planning and anxiety. This phase consists of going to multiple out bases of the students' choosing each day to practice navigation and, more importantly, instrument procedures. There are many bases to choose from, but the list of variables seems endless initially. Things to consider... weather, NOTAMs (inoperative navaids, runway closures, etc), types of approaches (students must have continuity for types of approaches flown between rides), IP preference, and what sort of lunch you can get there (more important than it might sound). The typical day seems to be: 1) Arrive at base ops 3 hrs prior to double-check weather and NOTAMs, calculate TOLD, call for servicing, and touch-up your flight plan; 2) Meet your IP 2+30 prior to discuss your plan and make adjustments if necessary; 3) Back  to the squadron at 1+30 to brief the sortie, sign out the aircraft, get pubs, and catch the bus to the flight line; 4) Depart at 0+00 with the first student at the controls (each student flies a 2 hr sortie that includes a drop-in base and a final destination); 5) Arrive at the destination at 2+00 and eat lunch (most FBOs offer discounted or free food to lure in pilot business, which works quite well); 6) Depart after 2 hrs on the ground for the second 2 hr sortie; 7) Arrive at your home base 6 hrs after you departed; 8) Debrief for one hour. You can see that it quickly adds up. The flying was pretty fun, but the planning... not so much.

13 May 2003 (Week fourteen) TRANSITION CHECKRIDE

Anderson and I finally arrived at our transition checkride today after two months of practice. We had planned our profile for Jackson, MS, but when we checked our weather in the morning we found thunderstorms forecast for our time of arrival. Our secondary was Millington, TN, near Memphis. We went to check flight a few minutes early to wait for our IP (there's no more "couch of death," like in tweets). I was flying first, and the pre-brief went well. We left after the brief so he could check our publications for currency (all our flight manuals). We stepped to the jet at 1200 for a 1257 takeoff. 

 

Since I was first, I went through all the ground ops (more chances to err). They went alright, with a few minor deviations. The departure was good, as were the area maneuvers (we were in the Picks MOA, east of Memphis). Finally it was time to head to Millington. 

 

My profile included a localizer approach followed by five VFR patterns. For some reason, it was just not my day. After only a handful of unplanned go-arounds in all of transition phase, I had to do it three times today for either being too fast, too slow, or for overshooting in my turn to final. By the time I turned it over to Anderson, I was pretty beat down. 

 

After the flight, we sat down for a Q & A session. We had two Emergency Procedures, including "runaway trim" and landing gear that would not retract. We resolved each without much trouble. Our IP then went on to ask questions on a variety of topics, including TOLD (takeoff and landing data) and the fuel/hydraulic/electric systems. I felt our IPs had given us everything we needed to pass the checks. There were no surprises. 

 

And the moment I was waiting for... Both Anderson and I got "4Gs" (four downgrades and an overall 'Good'). I thought the grade was generous for myself and less than what Anderson deserved. No rest for the weary, however, as I have my first navigation "out-&-back" tomorrow.    

06 May 2003 (Week thirteen)

This week started with a bang (literally) as thunderstorms and tornadoes once again rolled through northern Mississippi. Most of our flights were canceled Monday, but most of them went today between cells. This was the second time on base the "big voice" came on to tell us a tornado was "minutes out." Unlike the storm in November, no damage was done in the Columbus area. 

 

Our first four (and hopefully five) people to transition check have all passed. The best so far is Quam with a "2E" (go Guard!). I am still sitting on two rides, but may yet check this week if the weather holds up. It would be nice to get it out of the way and get into navigation before I get too far behind those who have checked already. I'm shooting for a 1E, not so much to beat Quam as to tie a guy in 03-12. Wish me luck. 

 

This month is going to be busy. Not only is everyone studying for transition check and then scrambling to figure out what the nav phase is all about, but we have our cross-country on the 18th to plan for and graduation on the horizon to start thinking about. I think the count is 100 days now. Everyone has been stepping up and volunteering their time for things, so things should go well. 

01 May 2003 (Week twelve)

I have only two rides remaining until my transition checkride. Anderson and I completed our third copilot ride, which really helps give you a feel for the pace all the radio calls and instrument procedures come at. Even with two people in the cockpit, it can get quite busy when quickly going from one instrument approach to the next. I am pretty confident going into the checkride, but there are always little "gotchas" out there you have to avoid. I'll have until Wednesday before the ride, so I'll have some time to polish everything up. Brockshus and Duran are scheduled for tomorrow and will be the first to check.  

26 April 2003 (Week twelve)

Another week gone by. We've started counting down at this point, despite a substantial amount to do yet. We have 97 days until assignment night, and 111 until graduation. I need to get that counter on the site I think.

 

We have a big class study session planned for tomorrow since some of my classmates will be going to transition check this week. Class 03-12, despite all the negative we heard from all our IPs, went 16-0 (pass/fail ratio). As with most checkrides so far, general knowledge plays a substantial part in your success or failure. That, in my opinion, takes longer to develop than the actual flying skills.

20 April 2003 (Week eleven)

Heidi and I just returned from a little R & R down on the Gulf Coast. One of the benefits of Columbus over Enid or Del Rio is the proximity to some really nice vacation spots. We decided to hit Gulfport and Biloxi on this trip, having been to New Orleans, Pensacola, and Destin on previous trips. We drove down Friday and toured Gulfport a little before retiring to a room at the Command Readiness Training Center (CRTC), which is a Guard base at the Gulfport airport. Given it's proximity to the ocean, you can't beat the $18 price. Saturday morning, we headed to the marina and boarded a ship bound for Ship Island, a barrier island twelve miles off the coast. Besides having a beautiful beach, it is historically important for it's naval usage by the British in the Revolutionary War and both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War. There is still a fort there to tour. That evening we ate at a Mexican restaurant on the ocean and tried our luck at one of the many casinos. Both Heidi and I lost everything we started with. "Everything," however, was only $20 in nickels between us, as we are not big gamblers. We departed Sunday, but opted to take a detour to Kiln, MS, the birthplace of Brett Favre (Heidi is a die-hard Packers fan). After getting her picture there, we continued through Hattiesburg, MS, which was both on our way and the current hometown of the same Brett Favre. On a whim, we looked him up in the phone book and, to our surprise, he was actually listed. Since it was only a few miles out of the way, went to check it out. He lives right on a highway, and his property stood out due to the extensive fencing and an "F" in the metal gate. Though we couldn't really see much, it looked pretty impressive. Unable to take any more excitement, we headed back to Columbus.

 

We have Monday off due to "Blaze Day," but arranged to come in for a couple hours with an IP for an informal study-session. Since we'll be checking in the next two weeks, every little bit will help. This also demonstrates to our IPs our commitment, which they seem to question at times. 

 

I'm very much looking forward to this weekend. We're planning on heading to Tuscaloosa to play paintball. I really enjoyed playing whenever I could before coming here,  and think this will be a great escape for everyone. Nothing relieves tension like shooting your buddies.

11 April 2003 (Week nine)

This past week was not nearly as productive for us. We flew Tuesday, then had a sim on Wednesday. Both went pretty well for us. We were supposed to fly again Thursday, but our plane arrived with mechanical difficulties and we were canceled. It was pretty disappointing. 

 

Despite improving weather and progress being made in flying for everyone, morale took a hit yesterday after a speech given by our flight commander. He is seldom present during our formal brief, so he poked his head in to say a few words. He advised us we were all grown-ups and neither he nor his IPs were there to hold our hands. The good will of the IPs had been used up on the class we share our flight room with, so we would be paying the price for it as well. He was unhappy with our performance and recommended we take it seriously and pick up the pace. At the completion of his speech, we were all left to wonder why those words were spoken and what effect they were meant to have. The more I think about them, the more angry I get. Our class is doing well for where we are, and have done nothing to warrant such treatment. They have told us numerous times that our sister class has tried their patience, but I refuse to believe we should be treated poorly as a result. If motivation is what he sought, there are much better ways to go about it. Unfortunately, as students, this is sometimes the way it goes.

2 April 2003 (Week eight)

This week has been quite busy for me. Brent and I flew Monday and Tuesday, then had our first copilot ride today. For the copilot ride, we sit in the right seat instead of the left, so all our duties are different. The copilot runs all the checklists and is responsible for setting up the navigation equipment and radio communication. All of that stuff was challenging enough, but actually flying from the right seat was perhaps the most difficult. You wouldn't think there would be that much difference, but your hands get trained a certain way and it's hard to change that. Tomorrow will be our second EP sim, which we're looking forward to. There's a little more down time with a sim, which we're in need of. The early shows take a lot out of you. I think we are free Friday, but may have to come in Saturday (ughh). 

 

The war is in its second week now, and I try to get all the latest updates a couple times a day. Watching the coverage is kind of aggravating, however. The negativity in the press and the protestors affect me in some way I can't entirely describe. It seems as if the press is trying too hard and digging too deep for new information, so they have begun to report that it's not going as well as we'd hoped and almost supporting Iraq by talking about how difficult it's been. The U.S.'s version of modern-warfare seems to have spoiled the world to a point where a war that lasts more than a few days and costs more than a few lives is abnormal and a disaster. Perhaps they should reference history and note that wars typically last years and cost thousands, not hundreds, of lives. 

 

I am also saddened to see the masses of protesters taking to the streets. It elicits a lot of different emotions for me. As a member of the military, I volunteered to put my life on the line for these people that don't seem to appreciate that, and even rally against me. The knowledge that I, as a soldier, do not have the support of our people (real or perceived) is nothing but damaging to morale. At the same time, I feel pride that I am defending a country where people are allowed to say what they want, even if it's open criticism of the government. Most nations do not have that freedom. I just hope the people protesting understand that the military consists of individual AMERICANS who VOLUNTEERED to serve their country to defend the nation and what we believe is right and just. Before they demand that we cease aggression and "bring the troops home," realize that the majority of soldiers are there because they wanted to be, not because they had to be. Protest the decision-makers if you must, but support the soldiers, for they are relatives, friends, and Americans.

27 Mar 2003 (Week seven)

I finished my third ride today, and have another sim ride tomorrow. We're on our fourth day of 0430 (0400, really) shows, which is mildly unpleasant. The bright side is that we have been getting released around two. 

 

The rides are going really well so far. We're both flying good, and the studying is coming along slowly, but surely. I keep hearing that the T-1 is all about the academics. If you do well with the mountains of general knowledge (GK), you'll go further than if you excel strictly in flying. Our class got a little shock today regarding GK. Many students, perhaps due to the ease and our limited time, study primarily with "gouge," or what amount to "cliff-notes" of the books we are supposed to study. We had been emphasizing this perhaps too much, as was demonstrated when our Flight Commander began asking questions that originated on a gouge sheet, then threw in more random questions regarding the same topic. Most of us managed to butcher the non-gouge questions, and he was none too pleased about it. He felt it was in our best interest not to let that happen again. While gouge is a great study reference, one REALLY has to stay in the books in T-1s. 

 

The last of our class finally got their dollar-rides yesterday and we received our T-1 name-patches. It's amazing how a little piece of cloth can change your attitude. As a classmate said, "we're not commoners anymore" (referring to our T-37 brethren). Status plays a big role down here.   

19 Mar 2003 (Week six)

After a welcome/big picture briefing on Tuesday with Capt Colson, we started flight line on Wednesday (today). Unlike T-37s, it was more 'friendly' and instructional than haze-oriented. We were told what to expect for stand-ups and when our EPQs would be. During the first twenty days, we will have five USEM events per week (stand-up or EPQ). After the first person transition checks, it drops to three. Our first EPQ is tomorrow, but consists only of Bold Face and Ops Limits, which many of us have had memorized for some time. We get an IP demo of a stand-up Friday, then start with our own on Monday. Lots of orientation for everyone at this stage.

 

Six of us had our dollar rides today! It was a beautiful day, and we flew 3.2 hours. I flew first (me in the left seat, IP in the right, and Brent in the jumpseat). We departed to the west and went to a MOA to introduce and practice maneuvers like stalls, steep turns, and slow flight. After I had done them all, then the IP took control while Brent and I switched seats so he could fly through all the maneuvers. Brent then flew us to Meridian, Key Field, in central Mississippi. We stayed there for about an hour, with Brent flying several patterns, then another seat swap so I could get a few in. I then flew the arrival back into Columbus and taxied back to the chocks. All in all, it was a very good ride and we had a lot of fun. Definitely the inspiration we need at this point in the program. 

17 Mar 2003 (Week six)

I just finished listening to the President deliver his 48-hour ultimatum to Iraq. It brings a deep sense of reality to what we are all preparing for here. It feels awkward that my unit was deployed a week ago and I could not be with them, but I suspect I'll have my 'opportunity' in the future. 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/17/sprj.irq.main/index.html

Brent and I are scheduled for our dollar ride Wednesday, which is exciting and depressing at the same time. The 'slow' pace of academics was a nice break. I am trying to get prepared to be exhausted and frustrated for the coming month. We are better prepared, at least, than we were for Tweets. 

14 Mar 2003 (Week five)

Brent and I just finished our fourth sim, which was an emergency procedure sim. These are the ones where you experience one emergency after another and have to resolve each of them in turn. Emergencies are handled quite differently between the T-37 and the T-1. In the T-37, you have to accomplish everything yourself and can't spend a great deal of time with your nose in the checklist (and not looking outside). In the T-1, the pilot flies the aircraft and directs the copilot to specific checklists problem resolution. A consensus is reached about the problem and you work together to solve it. I definitely like this system a lot better. Our sims in general have gone very well so far, and we both have a similar work ethic and mindset that should keep us on track. We get to see if that translates into the aircraft next Thursday on our dollar ride. 

10 Mar 2003 (Week four)

Heidi and I had a great time with our friends this past weekend. Columbus is not exactly a tourist trap, so we appreciate people coming to see us.

 

Two more sims down, and at least two more to go before my dollar ride. The first was as I described below, and the second went through ground ops fairly quickly and then did several different types of landings (10 flap, 0 flap, ILS approach). It focused on emergency procedures as well, such as start malfunctions (what do you do if your engine catches on fire during the start). I always tend to go too quickly on those, and have to force myself to slow down and do things properly. Fortunately, I'll get lots of practice over the next two sims, since both will focus heavily on emergencies. 

 

This week is our last week of "relaxation" before flight line starts, but it is still pretty busy with two (maybe three) tests, numerous classes (instructor and on the computer), three sims, and whatever our flight commander wants us to do on the side. There is also an ORI (operational readiness inspection) going on here for the next ten days or so, which really ups the pucker-factor.

05 Mar 2003 (Week three)

I fell from 'grace' today, missing a question on our third test (avionics). Our hydraulics class started immediately thereafter, so I didn't have time to reflect on it. Oh well.

 

Brent and I have our second event in the sim tomorrow morning. Our last sim focused mainly on button-pressing, and involved limited flying time. This one will run through the checklists much faster and get us each a few laps around the pattern. The graphics are much better in these sims than the T-37 sims. We practiced again looking at a poster of the cockpit, but we've still got a ways to go. There are some pretty detailed checks that require a lot of memorization and crew coordination that are going to take a lot of repetition. We have only until the 19th before we have to do this on the actual aircraft, so we'll be busy.

 

Some friends are coming into town this weekend, so we're going to meet them up in Memphis and hang out on Beale Street for awhile. Should be fun. 

26 Feb 2003 (Week two)

We started the week with our first academic test, and finished our second this morning. It seems like a whirlwind during class and the CBT, but the instructors give a very thorough review that focuses our studies. We test on the computers instead of paper, which I am taking a liking to. Once you are finished, you get your results immediately. The instructor still discusses any missed questions with the students after the test is complete.

 

I had my first "sim" today. Brent Anderson, my designated flying partner, and I sat with an instructor at an FMT (the wood, cockpit mockup) and went over checklists. The worst part about the T-37 was getting it started and moving on the ground, and this aircraft is infinitely more complicated. After a two-hour session, we had barely gotten to the "Takeoff" checklist. It's a bear, so we'll be doing a lot of practicing between now and flight line. 

22 Feb 2003 (End of week one)

The majority of our week was spent in academics and getting acclimated to our new surroundings. We had only two or three actual instructor taught classes, but spent many hours doing Computer Based Training (CBT). The focus at this point is systems and getting familiar with all the switches and annunciators in the cockpit. There is a tremendous amount of information to learn, and I'm certain this would be a challenging course even if we never left the ground in the aircraft. 

 

We also spent some time touring our new environment. We got to see the T-1 simulators and trainers we'll use to prepare us for the aircraft. The simulators have no motion, but do have expanded viewing screens beyond just straight ahead. T-1s have Cockpit Flight Trainers (CFT) similar to the T-37, but they're known as Familiarization Trainers (FMT). The FMT for the T-1 is actually just a 3D poster set up like the cockpit of the aircraft so students can become familiar with switch locations. For more advanced practice on the avionics, there are consoles that look like the cockpit but have working electronics. I'm sure I'll become very familiar with both in the coming weeks. 

 

We have our first test on Monday, then another on Wednesday. Our first sims will be next week as well. Our dollar rides are only a month away, so the pace will be rapid. It is nice, however, to have a break from the flight line for awhile.

18 Feb 2003 (Week one, day one)

T-1s got off to more of an interesting start than I'd counted on. I received a call on Sunday from our new flight commander informing me I would be the SRO (senior ranking officer) for the class. Since several students were commissioned before I was and I am not the oldest, I am not certain what that was based on, but there it was nonetheless. We seem to have a very good group of people who know what needs to be done and are willing to help out, so it should not be too terrible. As cheesy as it sounds, I thought back on the motto from AMS... "Take charge, take orders, or take a hike." It will definitely put an interesting spin on the rest of my time here.

 

We had a good mix of activities today. First on the schedule was Physiology, where we reviewed some items we had covered in T-37 academics. We also touched on the differences between pressurized and unpressurized cockpits. Our second stop (after brunch at "The Other Kitchen"), was to our new flight room, where we met our flight commander and some of our IPs. We went over general information and assembled our gradebooks. He emphasized that the "trust cup" was presently full, and it was up to us to keep it that way. Basically, if we keep our noses clean, he'll take care of us. No real surprises after the T-37 program. 

 

The day ended with a short tour of the T-1 computer lab (CAI, or computer assisted instruction). We had a lesson on how the computers worked and got to see the classroom where our academics would take place. They were much nicer than T-37s. We'll see the FMT's (familiarization trainers) tomorrow, where we'll practice procedures prior to hitting the sims or aircraft.

 

If you have specific questions, please contact me at scot_wilcox@hotmail.com.

Back to UPT