The first week of pilot training had little to do with flying. We began the week with 2 days of briefings that covered everything from not cheating on tests to sexual assault prevention. Also, our leadership gave us briefings on their expectations and other required items. On Wednesday we started our Physiological Training. We started off with some academics, addressing issues such as the atmosphere, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) while flying, and how the body processes oxygen under different pressure (altitude) conditions. The rest of the afternoon we learned and practiced (over and over and over) how to "land" if required to eject from the aircraft. First, we practiced just standing on the ground and falling properly...about 50 times. Then we moved to a 2 foot platform and a 4 foot platform to practice jumping and falling properly. Next, we moved onto an 8 foot platform where we would attach our harness and jump and hang for a few seconds before being dropped the last couple feet to practice some more. The final part of this training was to practice releasing our parachute if we were being dragged on the ground. This required us to lay on our back and have 4 people drag us across the grass (about 30 yards) until we could release. I felt bad for the people who had to drag me around!
All of this training culminated Thursday when we went para sailing. Not the type of para sailing you might think...out on a lake with a boat...but being dragged behind an F-150 in a grass field! We got 2 different tries...1 where they would bring you down slowly by continuing to drive the truck until you came down, and another where they'd get us up to about 300 feet and release the rope. I was pretty nervous because I've heard stories of people breaking ankles and things while trying to land...pushing them a few months back in training. However, I have nothing but a few bruises to report.
We finished the week off with more academics on how alcohol/drugs affect the body, how to properly manage your crew (people you're flying with), and a pretty neat vision lab on how the eyes adapt to seeing in the dark.
Next week we will be continuing Physiological Training until Friday when we will start learning about T-37 aircraft systems.
These first few days of training they are giving us a false sense of hope by making our schedules pretty relaxed. We are usually there from about 8-4, but that will soon be a thing of the past. Once we "hit the flight line" in mid-August we will have mandatory 12-hour days for the first couple months...sounds like a regular day in aircraft maintenance to me!
2 comments:
You forgot to add that in addition the onslaught of beginning training, you had to buy and move into a new house too! Holy work!!
You change any dirty diapers this week? Thats sounds worse than anything you wrote about.
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