Most of you have heard by now, but last week was assignment night and I got a B-52 (BUFF)! Funny how things have changed over the last year in the Air Force...especially here at Sheppard. The first assignment night we attended when we got here there were about 15 guys...14 got fighters, and the last guy got a B-52. There have been fewer fighters each time since then, and in my class, of the 8 Americans only 2 got fighters...2 got bombers...3 got special operations (propeller aircraft)...and 1 instructor. So, all-in-all I am pretty excited to end up with one of the aircraft that will allow me to get rid of some bad guys ;)
We will be moving to Shreveport, LA (most likely in January) for the B-52 training. This will be around 8 months long and then we will either stay there for 2 more years or we'll move again to Minot, ND (basically South Canada). Those are the only B-52 bases, and although they aren't the most attractive places in the world there are certainly worse. One of the bonuses of the BUFF is that they currently only deploy to Guam...a tropical paradise SE of Japan. In fact, it's a popular tourist spot for the Japanese and your family can visit you there. Most of the people I've talked to take advantage of their time there to get scuba certification...sounds rough!
The B-52 has been around for over 50 years and the Air Force plans to keep it for 30 more...a tribute to how successful it has been. It can carry more bombs than any other aircraft and is part of the AF nuclear mission. It has 8 jet engines and a crew of 4...pilot, co-pilot (which I'll start as), navigator, and electronic warfare officer. Here is a picture...BUFF. Not many people in the world can say they've flown an 8-engine aircraft...only BUFF pilots and a few Russians (they have an aircraft that copied the B-52 design). For those of you wondering...BUFF stands for Big Ugly Fat F...
Until we leave for Shreveport I'll be on a pretty tame schedule. Basically fly 1 time a week to stay current, have 1 simulator, and 1 back seat ride where I just tag along. Plan is to do some work around the house and let Andrea do some stuff she hasn't been able to since she's been busy with Gavin. It's been a long year+ and we are excited to move on to the next part of our journey.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
5 Weeks 'Til Assignment Night
This week I completed my formation check ride. The Basic Form Check Ride is over the same material as in -37s, just in a faster jet. Overall, the -38 is easier (in my opinion) to fly in formation but just requires a little faster thinking. Because you are going much faster, the jet is more pitch sensitive but once you learn to handle it everything is pretty smooth. For the check ride 2 students check at the same time...an IP in each of their jets. Usually the schedulers try to match you up with someone so that you fly "against" them quite a few times before the check, but that wasn't the case for me and my check partner. We hadn't flown together once, so didn't have a feel for what the other person flew like. Usually, the most random things happen on check ride day that lead to tough pass/fail decisions. Fortunately, we didn't deal with anything too out of the ordinary. We went out to the area and flew a pretty nice check ride. I made a few silly mistakes that I shouldn't have...but overall I'm pleased with my performance. Now we start advanced formation. During this phase we learn "tactical maneuvering." I don't even really know how to explain it because I've only read about it...but you are basically learning how to maneuver in relation to an aircraft that is a mile or so away. Quite a bit different than having someone 3 feet of your wing...should be fun. So, there are only 17 more flights that really contribute to what my assignment will be.
This past Friday was the final assignment night before mine. If it weren't for the delay, 1 Aug was supposed to be ours...but 5 Sept will be here in a flash. The drop included 30% fighters, 50% special operations, and 10% bombers. If this is indicative of our drop we should get 3 fighters, 4 special ops, and 1 bomber...however, I'd guess that they will assign an instructor slot from my class...hopefully taking one of the special ops spots. It's really hard to determine were you stand in a class. We have 8 people competing for assignment and there are 1 or 2 clear leaders, but after that it is really fuzzy. If I had to guess I would put myself somewhere in the 3-5 range...but who knows. In addition to check rides, daily flights and leadership play a role in final standing. I'm thinking that I will probably finish around 4 based on flying alone, but am optimistic that my leadership points will bump me up into that 2-3 range. So, a fighter isn't completely out of the picture but with the lack of fighters being assigned everyone in my class is preparing for the worst. If I had to decide today my order would look like this:
F-22
F-16
A-10
F-15E
F-15C
B-1B
NSA (non-specific aircraft assigned to Cannon AFB, NM in Special Ops)
U-28 (single-engine propeller aircraft assigned to Hurlbert Field, FL in Special Ops)
B-52
There has been lots of talk of unmanned aircraft being assigned in the near future, but we all hope it is a little later than sooner. Regardless of what happens Andrea and I know it will be rewarding and fun. We're both just really eager to find out because a fighter assignment would likely leave us here in TX for another year+, while anything else could have us moving by November...
Gavin has started talking and making animal sounds. My favorite is when you ask what sound a horsey makes and he says "Neee." Hard to believe he was only 4 months old when we got here!
Expect another post on 6 Sept...33 days ;)
This past Friday was the final assignment night before mine. If it weren't for the delay, 1 Aug was supposed to be ours...but 5 Sept will be here in a flash. The drop included 30% fighters, 50% special operations, and 10% bombers. If this is indicative of our drop we should get 3 fighters, 4 special ops, and 1 bomber...however, I'd guess that they will assign an instructor slot from my class...hopefully taking one of the special ops spots. It's really hard to determine were you stand in a class. We have 8 people competing for assignment and there are 1 or 2 clear leaders, but after that it is really fuzzy. If I had to guess I would put myself somewhere in the 3-5 range...but who knows. In addition to check rides, daily flights and leadership play a role in final standing. I'm thinking that I will probably finish around 4 based on flying alone, but am optimistic that my leadership points will bump me up into that 2-3 range. So, a fighter isn't completely out of the picture but with the lack of fighters being assigned everyone in my class is preparing for the worst. If I had to decide today my order would look like this:
F-22
F-16
A-10
F-15E
F-15C
B-1B
NSA (non-specific aircraft assigned to Cannon AFB, NM in Special Ops)
U-28 (single-engine propeller aircraft assigned to Hurlbert Field, FL in Special Ops)
B-52
There has been lots of talk of unmanned aircraft being assigned in the near future, but we all hope it is a little later than sooner. Regardless of what happens Andrea and I know it will be rewarding and fun. We're both just really eager to find out because a fighter assignment would likely leave us here in TX for another year+, while anything else could have us moving by November...
Gavin has started talking and making animal sounds. My favorite is when you ask what sound a horsey makes and he says "Neee." Hard to believe he was only 4 months old when we got here!
Expect another post on 6 Sept...33 days ;)
Friday, June 13, 2008
2 Down 3 to Go
Since my last post there has been lots of activity here at Sheppard AFB. On a sad note, one of our aircraft crashed killing the student and instructor on board. The investigation is on-going, but they have ensured the jets are safe to fly. The investigation resulted in our jets being grounded for about 3 weeks while they verified their safety. This, in turn, has pushed our graduation back about 5 weeks...now 15 September. Obviously, safety is paramount so the delay is understood...but still unwelcomed.
I've completed 2 check rides in T-38s. The first one was my contact check. As in Tweets, this check ride tests ability in flying the aircraft through various loops and rolls, and different landing configurations. Leading up to the check ride I was confident in my ability to fly the jet, but obviously was nervous. I spent countless hours studying all the material and chair flying (basically running through the flight on the ground). The check ride ended up being my best one, by far, in pilot training. I could have avoided a few minor mistakes, but overall was very happy with the results. Yesterday I completed my instrument check ride. This is the section that verifies we can fly the aircraft in bad weather, navigate to a place, and land. Much of our training is conducted "under the hood." For a majority of the sorties we are in the back seat and have a canvas sheet covering the entire inside canopy so that we can't see outside at all. All of the flying is done off of the jets instruments. Sitting in "the cave," as I called it, sucks...however, it's really cool to take off, fly somewhere, and get all the way down to the runway without ever seeing outside. Also included in the instrument phase was the cross country flight. My class chose Eglin AFB near Ft Walton Beach, FL as our destination. It's rough having to fly your own jet to a beach, stay for the weekend, and fly back home ;) The check ride itself is an "out-and-back" flight, meaning we take off from Sheppard, fly to another base to refuel, and return home. This results in the check ride basically being 2 separate flights...twice as long! I flew to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. Instruments have never been my strong point, but I flew one of the best instrument flights I've ever done and passed. The 2 weeks leading up to the flight were probably the busiest in pilot training so far because of all the planning required...but now that's done!!!
The rest of pilot training is 90% formation flying...yea! It's tough flying, but is the most fun as well. We have a formation and advanced formation check ride before assignment night, and then a low-level check ride before graduation.
Assignments haven't been too good lately. When I arrived at Sheppard each class would get about 75% fighters, 20% bombers, and 5% instructor pilots. That has shifted to about 40% fighters, 40% special operations single-engine propellor aircraft, 10% bombers, and 10% instructor pilots. So I've really gotta perform well over my next couple check rides to put myself in a good position to get what I want. Currently I'm leaning towards the A-10.
Other than that, Gavin walks like a champ now and keeps Andrea and I on our toes. He's so fun to watch and be around. Andrea reads to him all the time and he is a huge book fan...pretty cool. They head to Colorado next week for a couple weeks to visit family, and then Andrea's sister is planning on coming down to stay with us for a month or so to keep Drea company...which is great especially when I'm so busy.
On to formation...
I've completed 2 check rides in T-38s. The first one was my contact check. As in Tweets, this check ride tests ability in flying the aircraft through various loops and rolls, and different landing configurations. Leading up to the check ride I was confident in my ability to fly the jet, but obviously was nervous. I spent countless hours studying all the material and chair flying (basically running through the flight on the ground). The check ride ended up being my best one, by far, in pilot training. I could have avoided a few minor mistakes, but overall was very happy with the results. Yesterday I completed my instrument check ride. This is the section that verifies we can fly the aircraft in bad weather, navigate to a place, and land. Much of our training is conducted "under the hood." For a majority of the sorties we are in the back seat and have a canvas sheet covering the entire inside canopy so that we can't see outside at all. All of the flying is done off of the jets instruments. Sitting in "the cave," as I called it, sucks...however, it's really cool to take off, fly somewhere, and get all the way down to the runway without ever seeing outside. Also included in the instrument phase was the cross country flight. My class chose Eglin AFB near Ft Walton Beach, FL as our destination. It's rough having to fly your own jet to a beach, stay for the weekend, and fly back home ;) The check ride itself is an "out-and-back" flight, meaning we take off from Sheppard, fly to another base to refuel, and return home. This results in the check ride basically being 2 separate flights...twice as long! I flew to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. Instruments have never been my strong point, but I flew one of the best instrument flights I've ever done and passed. The 2 weeks leading up to the flight were probably the busiest in pilot training so far because of all the planning required...but now that's done!!!
The rest of pilot training is 90% formation flying...yea! It's tough flying, but is the most fun as well. We have a formation and advanced formation check ride before assignment night, and then a low-level check ride before graduation.
Assignments haven't been too good lately. When I arrived at Sheppard each class would get about 75% fighters, 20% bombers, and 5% instructor pilots. That has shifted to about 40% fighters, 40% special operations single-engine propellor aircraft, 10% bombers, and 10% instructor pilots. So I've really gotta perform well over my next couple check rides to put myself in a good position to get what I want. Currently I'm leaning towards the A-10.
Other than that, Gavin walks like a champ now and keeps Andrea and I on our toes. He's so fun to watch and be around. Andrea reads to him all the time and he is a huge book fan...pretty cool. They head to Colorado next week for a couple weeks to visit family, and then Andrea's sister is planning on coming down to stay with us for a month or so to keep Drea company...which is great especially when I'm so busy.
On to formation...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time To Go Fast!!!
Hard to believe it's been 6 weeks since I last posted! A lot has happened since then...
The beginning of the T-38 program was consumed by 3 weeks of academic training. Topics ranged from ejection seat training, to all aircraft systems, and finally aerodynamics. All of the academics were relatively easy, but 3 weeks of classroom and computer instruction gets old really fast! On the positive side, we only have 1 more academic block to complete before we graduate...yea! In addition to the academic training we were required to complete 4 simulator "rides." There were 2 cockpit orientation ones that basically trained us on how to start the jet, and 2 emergency procedure ones...my favorite...blah! The T-38 simulators are much more useful than the T-37 ones because you get a visual display in addition to a working cockpit. Pretty much a big video game...except for the whole getting graded part..
After we completed academics it was finally time to get our first ride in the mighty Talon. Just to give you an idea of what it's like compared to the T-37, the speed at which you enter the landing pattern in the T-38 is faster than the max speed we could fly in the Tweet. What this boils down to is that you have to think pretty much twice as fast to get everything done...and this is true of the whole flight. It's a pretty sobering experience to start learning an entirely new jet. I was just getting to the point where I felt comfortable in the Tweet, and then I'm back to square 1...kinda makes you feel dumb. On the plus side, the IPs know there's a learning curve. One of the most challenging parts, initially, of flying this aircraft is learning the new landing style. Compared to the Tweet, the -38 has much smaller wings, making it quite a bit less maneuverable at slow airspeeds...so you really fly the T-38 into the runway with a very small flare at the end to prevent from smacking it down...truly a controlled crash. During the first several rides I just couldn't get the landings down...I was VERY frustrated. It was comforting to hear that many of the other students were have similar problems, but...grrr! Around the 8th ride, though, I finally got the hang of it and have been improving bit by bit.
The basic aerobatic maneuvering we do in the T-38 is pretty much the same as in the Tweet. Here are some fun comparisons though:
Max speed of the Tweet - 350ish...Talon - 700ish
Altitude required to do a loop, Tweet - 5,000 ft...Talon - 10,000 ft
Max cruising altitude, Tweet - 20,oooish...Talon - 40,000ish
Fuel used in a 1.5 hour flight, Tweet - 2,000 pounds...Talon - 4,000 pounds
Because we'd already learned the aerobatics in Tweets we jump right into them in -38s. A very important part of being a fighter pilot is learning how to maximize your energy (altitude and airspeed) to take advantage of any situation. This concept is a bit tough for me to get down, but practicing these maneuvers helps improve that skill.
The T-38 solo flight is much sooner, in comparison, to the -37 one. After only 11 flights it is time to solo. The IPs emphasize in the early phase that landings must be "safe" not "pretty," and that's about where most of us stand. My solo ride was this past Friday. I'll admit that going into the flight I was a bit nervous, but considered that my IP would not have cleared me to fly if he didn't think I was capable of success. The flight was AWESOME!!! In the -37 your initial solo is only a takeoff and then staying at Sheppard to practice landings...not in the -38! The initial solo is a full-up mission to go out and fly aerobatics and then come back and land a few times. Not having an instructor in the back seat seems to slow everything down a bit and the lack of commentary is great ;) Everything was without incident and I proceeded to be escorted to the solo tank...
Graduation is under 4 months away...wow! In that time I have about 90 more flights and 5 check rides to complete...overwhelming to think about...
Andrea and Gavin are doing well. In the last week or so Gavin has become an awesome walker. Literally 10 days ago the most he had done was 5 steps or so, and he just decided to kick it up a notch now walking from one end of the house to the other...unbelievable! As always, Andrea keeps the house running while I'm consumed with class and studying for 12+ hours a day...she's awesome!
Hope all is well with you guys!
The beginning of the T-38 program was consumed by 3 weeks of academic training. Topics ranged from ejection seat training, to all aircraft systems, and finally aerodynamics. All of the academics were relatively easy, but 3 weeks of classroom and computer instruction gets old really fast! On the positive side, we only have 1 more academic block to complete before we graduate...yea! In addition to the academic training we were required to complete 4 simulator "rides." There were 2 cockpit orientation ones that basically trained us on how to start the jet, and 2 emergency procedure ones...my favorite...blah! The T-38 simulators are much more useful than the T-37 ones because you get a visual display in addition to a working cockpit. Pretty much a big video game...except for the whole getting graded part..
After we completed academics it was finally time to get our first ride in the mighty Talon. Just to give you an idea of what it's like compared to the T-37, the speed at which you enter the landing pattern in the T-38 is faster than the max speed we could fly in the Tweet. What this boils down to is that you have to think pretty much twice as fast to get everything done...and this is true of the whole flight. It's a pretty sobering experience to start learning an entirely new jet. I was just getting to the point where I felt comfortable in the Tweet, and then I'm back to square 1...kinda makes you feel dumb. On the plus side, the IPs know there's a learning curve. One of the most challenging parts, initially, of flying this aircraft is learning the new landing style. Compared to the Tweet, the -38 has much smaller wings, making it quite a bit less maneuverable at slow airspeeds...so you really fly the T-38 into the runway with a very small flare at the end to prevent from smacking it down...truly a controlled crash. During the first several rides I just couldn't get the landings down...I was VERY frustrated. It was comforting to hear that many of the other students were have similar problems, but...grrr! Around the 8th ride, though, I finally got the hang of it and have been improving bit by bit.
The basic aerobatic maneuvering we do in the T-38 is pretty much the same as in the Tweet. Here are some fun comparisons though:
Max speed of the Tweet - 350ish...Talon - 700ish
Altitude required to do a loop, Tweet - 5,000 ft...Talon - 10,000 ft
Max cruising altitude, Tweet - 20,oooish...Talon - 40,000ish
Fuel used in a 1.5 hour flight, Tweet - 2,000 pounds...Talon - 4,000 pounds
Because we'd already learned the aerobatics in Tweets we jump right into them in -38s. A very important part of being a fighter pilot is learning how to maximize your energy (altitude and airspeed) to take advantage of any situation. This concept is a bit tough for me to get down, but practicing these maneuvers helps improve that skill.
The T-38 solo flight is much sooner, in comparison, to the -37 one. After only 11 flights it is time to solo. The IPs emphasize in the early phase that landings must be "safe" not "pretty," and that's about where most of us stand. My solo ride was this past Friday. I'll admit that going into the flight I was a bit nervous, but considered that my IP would not have cleared me to fly if he didn't think I was capable of success. The flight was AWESOME!!! In the -37 your initial solo is only a takeoff and then staying at Sheppard to practice landings...not in the -38! The initial solo is a full-up mission to go out and fly aerobatics and then come back and land a few times. Not having an instructor in the back seat seems to slow everything down a bit and the lack of commentary is great ;) Everything was without incident and I proceeded to be escorted to the solo tank...
Graduation is under 4 months away...wow! In that time I have about 90 more flights and 5 check rides to complete...overwhelming to think about...
Andrea and Gavin are doing well. In the last week or so Gavin has become an awesome walker. Literally 10 days ago the most he had done was 5 steps or so, and he just decided to kick it up a notch now walking from one end of the house to the other...unbelievable! As always, Andrea keeps the house running while I'm consumed with class and studying for 12+ hours a day...she's awesome!
Hope all is well with you guys!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Tweet Complete
Obviously, I am not very good at maintaining this blog every week...leaves me more to write I suppose...
Since my last post I completed my final two checkrides, Advanced Contact (aerobatics) and Formation. During the Advanced Contact phase it is expected that you master all different kinds of loops, rolls, and combinations of the two. Additionally, you must demonstrate all the different types of landings that we do to simulate emergency procedures. Leading up to my checkride I unfortunately had very poor continuity, meaning I flew with a different instructor for almost every flight. The negative thing about this is that the instructor doesn't get a chance to learn what problems you have and address them in future flights. For example, I had been using my rudder pedals improperly during 15 of my 16 flights, and finally on the last flight the IP figured out what I was doing wrong. Good that we figured it out...but no time left to practice. My checkride didn't go as well as I had hoped, but was a pass nonetheless.
The final section left for me to complete was formation. The first few flights were definitely an eye-opener because it was all new material and suddenly there was another jet to consider in all the maneuvering. The entire formation phase is 14 flights and a checkride, so obviously we aren't Thunderbird material once we're done, however a lot is expected after that short time. The first nine flights allowed me to develop the visual cues for what it's like to fly with 3-foot wingtip spacing at up to 90 degrees of bank (wings perpendicular to the ground). After that we incorporate maneuvers that are an introduction to aerial maneuvering, kinda like dogfighting, so that we can learn the different angles to use in 3-dimensional space. For the most part we are each matched up with another student so that we get to practice formation flying with them (in the other jet) and then we have our checkride at the same time. I was fortunate to be paired up with one of the more skilled flyers in the class, so it was my goal to do my best to not mess him up. We did pretty well throughout...until the day we'll call "Black Friday." We had 6 people in my class check on "Black Friday," and 5 of 6 failed with the other person getting an incomplete and failing the next day. This is pretty unheard of...especially because my Flight has had above average performance the entire program. Anyhow, I failed (busted) for something very out of the ordinary. After the entire formation profile we were returning to base for our formation landing when the "perfect storm" developed. Without going into too much detail a lot of pieces came together which led to me losing my situational awareness (SA) in the traffic pattern and I went 150 feet above the altitude I was supposed to be at. Frustrating to make it all the way through and then bust at the very end. Anyhow, my IPC (make-up checkride) was a single-ship pattern only sortie, which means I just had to takeoff and do several landings to prove I had good SA skills...very low-threat. I passed with flying colors...and am TWEET COMPLETE!!!
Before starting T-38s we are required to go through Centrifuge training. This is where they put us in a small capsule attached to an arm that spins in a circle to simulate pulling Gs. The purpose of this is to make sure you don't pass out while pulling Gs in the jet. It is about 10 minutes of pain. The analogy we came up with is that it's like losing the race in a prison shower, because when you're done you're exhausted and your ass hurts. To combat Gs you have to tighten all your lower body muscles so the blood doesn't pool in your feet, and breathe in a specific way so that the air isn't forced our of your lungs. Here is a link to what it looks like...Centrifuge. Fortunately we all did well and didn't pass out and do the "funky chicken" like a few of the folks in the video...
This week I'll start 3 weeks of academics for the T-38C. It's like starting all over again. The good thing is that now it is easier to know what to focus on when studying...the bad thing is there is about 2x as much material, if not more. I'm really looking forward to flying the T-38 because it actually looks like a fighter and the IP sits in the back of the jet instead of right next to you...oh yea, and we go twice as fast as the Tweet. Less than 5 months until assignment night...unbelievable!
Gavin turns 1 in a little less than 2 weeks! He's an amazing little guy. Andrea does a good job reading to him and keeping him active during the day. You should see how strong his little legs are...I'm sure he'll be walking in no time!
Since my last post I completed my final two checkrides, Advanced Contact (aerobatics) and Formation. During the Advanced Contact phase it is expected that you master all different kinds of loops, rolls, and combinations of the two. Additionally, you must demonstrate all the different types of landings that we do to simulate emergency procedures. Leading up to my checkride I unfortunately had very poor continuity, meaning I flew with a different instructor for almost every flight. The negative thing about this is that the instructor doesn't get a chance to learn what problems you have and address them in future flights. For example, I had been using my rudder pedals improperly during 15 of my 16 flights, and finally on the last flight the IP figured out what I was doing wrong. Good that we figured it out...but no time left to practice. My checkride didn't go as well as I had hoped, but was a pass nonetheless.
The final section left for me to complete was formation. The first few flights were definitely an eye-opener because it was all new material and suddenly there was another jet to consider in all the maneuvering. The entire formation phase is 14 flights and a checkride, so obviously we aren't Thunderbird material once we're done, however a lot is expected after that short time. The first nine flights allowed me to develop the visual cues for what it's like to fly with 3-foot wingtip spacing at up to 90 degrees of bank (wings perpendicular to the ground). After that we incorporate maneuvers that are an introduction to aerial maneuvering, kinda like dogfighting, so that we can learn the different angles to use in 3-dimensional space. For the most part we are each matched up with another student so that we get to practice formation flying with them (in the other jet) and then we have our checkride at the same time. I was fortunate to be paired up with one of the more skilled flyers in the class, so it was my goal to do my best to not mess him up. We did pretty well throughout...until the day we'll call "Black Friday." We had 6 people in my class check on "Black Friday," and 5 of 6 failed with the other person getting an incomplete and failing the next day. This is pretty unheard of...especially because my Flight has had above average performance the entire program. Anyhow, I failed (busted) for something very out of the ordinary. After the entire formation profile we were returning to base for our formation landing when the "perfect storm" developed. Without going into too much detail a lot of pieces came together which led to me losing my situational awareness (SA) in the traffic pattern and I went 150 feet above the altitude I was supposed to be at. Frustrating to make it all the way through and then bust at the very end. Anyhow, my IPC (make-up checkride) was a single-ship pattern only sortie, which means I just had to takeoff and do several landings to prove I had good SA skills...very low-threat. I passed with flying colors...and am TWEET COMPLETE!!!
Before starting T-38s we are required to go through Centrifuge training. This is where they put us in a small capsule attached to an arm that spins in a circle to simulate pulling Gs. The purpose of this is to make sure you don't pass out while pulling Gs in the jet. It is about 10 minutes of pain. The analogy we came up with is that it's like losing the race in a prison shower, because when you're done you're exhausted and your ass hurts. To combat Gs you have to tighten all your lower body muscles so the blood doesn't pool in your feet, and breathe in a specific way so that the air isn't forced our of your lungs. Here is a link to what it looks like...Centrifuge. Fortunately we all did well and didn't pass out and do the "funky chicken" like a few of the folks in the video...
This week I'll start 3 weeks of academics for the T-38C. It's like starting all over again. The good thing is that now it is easier to know what to focus on when studying...the bad thing is there is about 2x as much material, if not more. I'm really looking forward to flying the T-38 because it actually looks like a fighter and the IP sits in the back of the jet instead of right next to you...oh yea, and we go twice as fast as the Tweet. Less than 5 months until assignment night...unbelievable!
Gavin turns 1 in a little less than 2 weeks! He's an amazing little guy. Andrea does a good job reading to him and keeping him active during the day. You should see how strong his little legs are...I'm sure he'll be walking in no time!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Hey...There's Another Jet Next To Me!
After the Holiday break I was eager to return to flying because I was about to start the phase I had been most looking forward to...formation! Our flying resumed on 4 January, but due to a shortage of instructors (still being lazy on vacation), I didn't get to fly until the following Monday. I was scheduled to fly formation a few times and the schedule kept changing, but finally I got my first flight. A majority of the first flight is a demonstration, but I did get to fly a good piece of the sortie. Formation flying is unlike anything we had done up to this point. The entire time you are flying in the #2 (wing) position, your eyes are on the lead aircraft. While watching the other aircraft you have to make constant power and directional changes to maintain position...which is only 3 feet of wing spacing! Sure, it's not the Thunderbirds...but we all start somewhere ;) Since then I have flown 2 more formation sorties and improve quite a bit each time. There have been a few situations during these first couple rides that I scared myself a bit...but that's why there's an instructor sitting next to me. Learning to maneuver in 3-dimensional space is really interesting. There are only 15 total formation rides (including the check ride) to get proficient. It's a blast so far!
In addition to formation I have 10 advanced aerobatic rides left. These flights include pretty much every kind of loop and roll you can think of. Our challenge is to get proficient at the different maneuvers and then tie them together to fly as close to a continuous profile as possible...without pausing between each maneuver. It is pretty amusing for me to thing about the flying I did to get my private pilot license compared to what I'm doing here...AND I'm getting paid to do the stuff here instead of the other way around...wow!
Hard to believe there are only 6 weeks left in T-37s.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Map Making 101
It's been a lot longer than I planned on between this post and my last...because I planned to post right after my next check ride...that was only 7 flights away. However we had an entire week of no flying due to weather, and a few other days cancelled here and there for high winds. So, it took me over 3 weeks to get through my low-level phase.
The low-level phase was awesome! There is a lot of tedious work involved with map making in the low level phase. Basically, you have to take a map and do about 2-3 hours of prep work...identifying turn point, towers, the target, etc. (As you can see in the picture above, I was tired of doing all the work myself...so I enlisted some help) Then you study the route as best you can using Google Earth or some equivalent and hope you can identify your points from the air. The first ride was at 1,000 feet above the ground...high enough to get a better view, but low enough to get an intro to the low-level. The rest of the flights were at only 500 feet above the ground...at about 200 mph. This training is the very basic intro to flying to a target and getting there at a precise time...a sim bomb run, if you will. The entire time you are flying at 500 feet you have to continuously monitor the map, look for radio towers and birds, and keep track of time, while trying to find turn points. It really is a lot of work, but is great when you hit the target right on time. Anyhow, after the long delay between flights I finally got to check yesterday. After the flight I felt like I had done pretty well...especially compared to my 2 prior flights. Once I started to debrief I found out the check pilot didn't think I did as well as I'd thought. I still passed, but with a few more downgrades than I would have liked. Of course, a pass is a pass in the end so I'll take it.
There are only 28 flights left for me in the T-37. Hard to believe that it is already Christmas time! We are now officially the "senior" T-37" class...wow! Upon returning from break we will only have 7 weeks left to finish T-37s. I have about 8 advanced aerobatic flights left and then all formation...yee haw!
Hope you all have a good Holiday Season! Andrea, Gav, Scout and I are on our way to Colorado tomorrow. It will be nice to get away from here for a bit.
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