IFS

So it’s been some time since my last entry. That is simply due to the nature of IFS (Initial Flight Screening). Its been about two weeks since I have been here I have been through one full week of academics followed by a week on the flight line (i.e. flying). To tell the truth I underestimated the place; don’t get me wrong I am excited as hell to be selected for the program but my expectations on the level of intensity were wrong to say the least. As arrogant as it sounds I thought the little bit of flight time I accumulated would give me an edge on the program and I would be able to get a handle of the aircraft on the first flight; man was I wrong.
But I am getting ahead of myself….lets start at the beginning – academics. The first week of IFS is summed up best by a 12 hour day full of power point academics. Academics included topics such as aircraft systems, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations, airport operations, radio communications, etc. It is the hardest to explain to someone that you are at a point of emotion where you are miserable but at the same time ecstatic to be in the situation you are in. You are told to step in front of a fire hose and collect all the water that comes out….ok go! So the hose is on and you are learning 3 – 4 subjects a day and are studying them throughout the evening. Sucks huh….not really it’s actually very interesting to look around the room and find everyone just as interested in the subjects as you are. Hell most of us have been waiting for this training to start since we were kids. Well as hard as the week went the test was not nearly as hard as the week was; it was on the contrary very easy. Most scored 100% and none scored below 90%. I got a 100%.

We were very fortunate to get our dollar rides before the weeks end too. (Dollar ride = First ride – no penalty to grade on how you fly…whew!). 90% of the students got their rides on Friday…sweet! I had a morning flight and it was the single most fun/humbling experience I have had since I have been here. It was great, we briefed upstairs on what we were going to do in the air and then after we were clear on what was going to go on during the flight we ‘stepped’; term used meaning walked to the plane. I pre-flighted the plane and we were taxiing in no time. Taxiing was just as it was in the Cessna I flew back in Kansas just maybe a little more sensitive but none the less I had it in a few hundred feet. So at this point I’m thinking (excuse the language but it’s exact verbage) ‘I got this shit!’ …………and that’s about the time the flight went down hill; at that point I had control of the aircraft and was with it stride for stride but in just a few short moments I would be holding on as the aircraft took me for a ride and I was behind it the whole time. So we make our clearance call and say to tower “Pueblo Tower,Tiger 30, ready for take off, 26L (two-six-left)” – tower responds “Tiger 30, cleared for takeoff, runway 26L.” So I roll on to the runway center line as happy as a kid who just got his first kiss. I start thinking ‘Ok Mike, with my infinite wisdom and skill I am going to impress the hell out of this IP and show him the next greatest Air Force pilot in the making.’ So I throttle forward and she roars down the runway……ok…not quite roaring….but whatever the 125hp engine is putting out. At that point all the hours of preparation in studying departure procedures, radio calls, throttle settings, area procedures…..they all went out the window! Hell just on the take-off roll I was struggling to keep it on center line and then I go to pull this thing off the ground and she pops right up….as a matter of fact too fast! The IP starts saying calm down…”ease the stick back”. Once in the air the only thing I was able to do was hold my altitude and everything else was holding on to the plane. Every input I made was exaggerated by the plane. I began to learn very quickly that it is very different flying yoke controlled aircraft to flying a stick controlled aircraft. Control sticks are far more sensitive and require less movement to tell it where to go. So the end of flight comes and I am fighting this thing to the ground, in reality I was fighting my IP because he was correcting all my wrong inputs on my glide path (descent path to touchdown on the runway). In summary the flight was great for the first one; and at the end of the day we all got to hang out in the bar and tell each others stories on their first flight; great time.

So the week went on and I was able to catch more and more up with the aircraft. I am now at a point where I am able to focus on my maneuvers rather than my flying and trying to get a hold of where I am. It is really an amazing thing, you are exhausted and pushing your limit on information retention because you are constantly studying and prepping for your next flight but yet you can’t wait till you wake up and get to do it again. I love my job!

This weekend we went to blow off some steam at pikes peak, the Coors Brewery, and finished it off with a Rockies game. There are some pictures below: ok well I am having difficulties posting pictures so I will edit once its fixed. Sorry.

The Lake and IFS

So lately Del Rio has been nothing short exciting and surprising. Even at that level though we still need a weekend get away. The lake has come to be a favorite spot for everyone. For roughly a hundred bucks five people can rent a ski boat for about 4 hours; runs about 20 bucks a person including their choice beverages. I have attempted water skiing somewhat successfully but just can’t get wake boarding for the life of me. I have been out three times and I still can’t pick it up or get up for that matter….I have labeled it as one of my worst enemies right now. I vow to defeat it before I leave Del Rio though; Fun is not even in the equation on this one…I will get up on that board whether I like it or not! …..well other than that the lake is one of the greatest places to go around here. I don’t know how the temp is during the winter so I better get as much time out there as I can. Below are a few pics:

But all fun comes to an end……well not really. I am currently on my way to IFS (Initial Flight Screening) where I finally get to start the first official training to becoming an Air Force Pilot. I will miss the lake during the six weeks that I am in Pueblo but that will be quickly rectified with the flying time I will get and the many different people I will get to meet. I am overwhelmed that I am actually going to do this! The only down sides are the 0430 show times and the long days of studying…..but who cares…I am flying! A quick rundown of what I will be doing: It’s a six week program where I will learn about the basics of aviation as well as learning how to fly, maneuver, and land the DA-20 Katana. The program takes place in Pueblo, CO and is based around a UPT (undergraduate pilot training) training syllabus. Which means it will not be like learning to fly with a normal civilian instructor. I will be pressed to learn all the systems of the aircraft as well as the maneuvers in the syllabus in a relatively short period of time; if I don’t I fail…no extra time. The bar for passing is much higher than that of our civilian counter parts. I don’t know the exact numbers but basically you can’t score below an 90% or 95% on all your tests; don’t quote me. We will have daily stand-ups; where the class stands up and each individual is quizzed on a subject and whether or not he or she gets it right they have to sit down or stay standing respectively; standing is bad. Summed up: lots of learning in a short period of time. Its interesting to see how the Air Force trains their pilots. It reminds me of a movie I watch a long time ago, Robot Jox (look it up). The way the facility is set up is very similar to how the movie does it. Its one facility with everything under one roof: Our Dorms, gym, dining hall, flight rooms, classrooms, ground trainers, and even the hangar. The facility is a renovated storage facility that is now a state of the art training facility for the Air Force. We are groomed and taken care of during the time we are there the only expectation is that we stay physically fit, learn, and perform while we are there. I love it!.....Thanks goes out to all the tax payers I will be enjoying the next six weeks; I think.