UAL T38 Phlyer

I miss this. I wasn't in the IFF squadron, but the principles are the same.
The music blows....watch on mute, or put on "Summer Song" by Joe Satriani.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Fmh7PL3vI

(If you haven't flown a T-38, the views where the camera is shaking is "normal" airframe buffet when working the jet as hard as it will go).

Hacker15e

My tour as an IFF IP was the best of my whole career.

jimf15e

Totally agree, Hacker. I loved every minute of that job - once the IPUG was done! I recommend it to every good fighter pilot. Awesome time and it makes you an even better pilot.
-Monkey

USMCFLYR

I've never seen a T-38 with anything hanging from the wings.
I'm assuming those A/G runs were all simulated? No BDUs actually coming off right?
Also....is that a planned 20 deg pattern or were they just steep?
We only trained to 15/30/and 45 deg patterns.

UAL T38 Phlyer

I went through LIFT (previous name for IFF) in the AT-38B. B-models had a centerline pylon, and we would carry a BDU dispenser (SUU-20, I think it was) that could carry 6 BDU-33s (Mk-76 for you, USMC ), and 4 Willy Pete rockets.

These days, to save money, and get worse training, they are simulated. I say worse because there was nothing like turning crosswind from a pass and seeing your smoke and saying "YES!!!" or "Holy @#$%!" Instantaneous critique and feedback, not reviewing a tape 1.69 hours later in debrief.

I have carried a 7.62mm gun pod on the B-model. I managed to hit New Mexico.

Standard passes were 10, 20, and 30. I have done 45s a time or two.

hindsight2020

Care to expand on what made it so? IFF seemed to be a mixed bag amongst the peanut gallery, especially during the few days where it was incorporated at UPT bases...

USMCFLYR

You should be impressed that I didn't ask you if they carried Mk-76s! I knew there was a difference
Matter of fact - - there was even a time when the Mk-76s were running low/out and we even used BDU-33s in the RAG for a short time period.

We trained with a gun (if I remember that right) and with Mk-76s and 2.75 in rockets on the TA-4J in my day. I know they are dropping the -76s still with the T-45A/Cs but I don't know what else they are dropping/firing.
We ran a nasty gun pattern in the T-2Cs actually which was the bane of many a student with a MILES type of laser/gun combination for scoring. I'm not sure if they are still doing that pattern in the Goshawks.

Any former/present T-45 IPs care to share current training programs?

Hacker15e

It was everything that was great about being a fighter pilot in a fighter squadron but with few of the shortcomings.

The minimum experience and qualification of every pilot in the unit was 4-ship FL in their MWS, and most were previous IPs -- a highly experienced group of pilots. Great to fly with, great to have roll call with, great to learn from across previous MWS experience. I took a number of techniques back to the Strike Eagle with me afterward.

There were no night flights in the syllabus, and outside of TDYs and voluntary X-Cs, there were no weekends.

There were no deployments, outside of the ones to Nellis, Luke, etc, to be bandits that guys volunteered for (and fought each other...) to go on.

I could double-turn BFM every day, or go to the range 10 times a week to drop e-bombs, or take a T-38 cross-country on the weekends to just about anywhere in the country.

It was AETC, so there were no ORIs, NSIs, MOPP 4, or "ACC guilt" about staying at work for 17-hours a day.

Flying tac/BFM/range with low-experience student wingmen made me a drastically better flight lead back in the ops world.

When my assignment to blue jets originally dropped, I was pretty ****ed about it. In less than a year, though, I realized that I was in fighter pilot heaven, right in good ol' southern Georgia.

BDGERJMN

Well....I guess there's always this as well! Its still funny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VCV_z52GU

T45Heinous

We do not do the air-air gun pattern anymore in T-45s...towing the banner died with the T-2. (I believe they actually used .50 cal back in the day too, for extra pucker factor for the tractor pilot)!
We only drop mk-76s (10-20-30deg patterns) and no rockets, but do a simulated gun strafing pass in the 10 deg pattern that is blown off more than actually trained to, mostly because it is the cause of a lot of over stresses when coming off with a "jink" (usually by the IP demo'ing it!)
I really hope that the Navy doesn't follow the AF lead and go to "e-bombing"....nothing beats watching that bomb come off the rack, rolling up on your wing and watching for that puff of smoke after impact...shack!!!!