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 ;)