oicur12

usmc - thanks again.

Yeah when I had 140 hours I was chugging around in a cessna landing on runways of 6000' plus. Really difficult stuff.

USMCFLYR

I know what you mean.
It is impressive the training they can cram into that amount of time in the military world.
When I went through I had 60 hours in the T-34C (single engine turboprop)
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1) In that time you started with Basic Instruments (think S/L, constant rate climbs/descents, and these awful patterns called S-1,2,3) from the backseat with the canopy covered.
2) Then you went through Familiarization. Actually flying from the front seat - obviously aircraft handling, emergencies, stalls, spins(?) other forms of basic airwork. 13 flights with a checkride and you soloed on the 14th flight.
3) Some aerobatics - this is where the spins might have been along with precision landings introducing pilot to using AoA.
4) Formation (only two-plane/section)
5) Radio Instruments (basically your instrument rating just like in the civilian world) again from the backseat with the canopy covered up. No cheating under the foggles and very vertigo inducing in my opinion.
6) Night flying (more instrument work and night time pattern work)

---- Former VT IPs ----- did I miss anything?

Then you went to T-2Cs in my case the North American T-2 Buckeye - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and did the entire syllabus over again in a jet but,
with the addition of the Gun Pattern (a fairly complex, high speed, and constanly maneuvering pattern making simulated gun runs against another aircraft towing a banner.)

So....at the end of the 60 hrs in the mentor and 80 hrs (including the FCLP flights and the actual CQ) I graduated that phase of training with 140 total hours. I got about another 120 in the TA-4J before winging (all the same items in the syllabus as before but including a strike det to drop bombs, a basic BFM syllaabus, an inverted spin hop back in the T-2C, and going back to the baot a second time around.

Enter the T-45A/C aircraft and the amount of time to winging was suppose to go DOWN because you cut out an entire aircraft (the T-2C) between beginning and end and they planned to use a much better simulator system - but I personally don't know how that worked out, but it was approximately 260 hrs from beginning of training to winging for me.

mpilot153

It's not that much higher. I had a hair over 200 military hours when I went. The T-45 syllabus is broken into phase 1 + 2. Right now studs select E2/C2 out of phase 1, and all they have left is the boat. Studs that move onto phase 2, will generally do some advanced phases before the boat. But it comes down to how the OPSO wants to flow them.

USMCFLYR

It is intensive training - and it is meant to be such.
I mean 140 hrs and you find yourself behind the boat - solo as mentioned - for the first time; it is more of a gut check than anything else!

It is very structured training though. You don't step out of the boundaries very often. I guess it is much like some P141 schools that won't let you wander too far off the reservation or let you touch a cloud for an instant of actual IMC.

A guy at that level can get all briefed up, find his way out to the jet, start up, takeoff, join up, and fly out to a working area; but throw in some unusual circumstances and you'll often see a big blank stare. It doesn't go away until quite a bit of experience later in the fleet is gained in my opinion (one reason why I'm not a fan of the reduced hours for ATP).
Even after many years of that type of flying, I always say that I feel like a MUCH better, and well rounded, pilot now that I've been flying professionally for a few years out in the civilian world.

brianb

Well done Sir, well done. Kudos to the guys and gals who actually had the sack ( excuse me ladies) to see it through. I wasn't quite BRITE enough to be a Military Flyer plus I had my fill of moving around the world. My Dad was an Air Force flyer who started in 1958 in the ole KC-97 and I could tell the constant deployments were starting to wear on his soul, and ours.

JoeyMeatballs

Amazing. Even more amazing how young they are. Really impressive!

Toonces

The times are a bit higher for these guys now. I graduated primary in the T-34C with 100 hours, and the jet bubbas will then spend about another 100 hours before heading out to the boat (with the exception of the E-2/C-2 guys).

As a helo guy (SH-60B/F/H/R), I LOVED my job. Truly memorable. But I frequently went up to the flight deck and stood by the foul line in my flight gear, watching each and every pass from the tail hook cadre. In my last job as a staff officer for the strike group commander, I was lucky enough to get a backseat ride from my boss, an F/A-18F pilot with 22 years experience. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience. It made me remember why I specifically chose not to go the fighter route. (Almost needed that plastic bag!)

One thing I learned from my side of the aisle: the helo guys will always envy the jet guys on those CAVU days with zero sea state, and the jet guys will never envy the helo guys on those 200 ft visibility nights on goggles or using a "smoke light" approach to a destroyer.

USMCFLYR

That is quite a few more hours than I remember.
Has the syllabus changed that much or did you have gaps in training, weather delays, med down, or downs?
What was your boss' callsign? Good chance I might know him.

mpilot153 -
I miss your previous response
Correct - same way in the Hornet, but that was my point. If I remember - out at the carrier you had the switch in the 'carrier' position so that your hook up passes would have the blinking AoA indexers (inside and out).

Toonces

No delays, a few incompletes, but it probably only accounted for 5 hours or so. They added a "cruise form" syllabus that approximates BFM and the form syllabus is more intense.

I worked for Francis and Nasty, Commander and Rear Admiral types, respectively.

showmepilot

Nice video. Thanks for posting.