So we finally hit the flight line……I am utterly stunned at what I am doing. This past week we hit the flight line…i.e. we all start flying or better yet learning to fly the T-6. Before we get to fly, each morning we go through ‘the morning brief’ first, it’s a briefing done by the students that informs that class of the projected weather for the day, informs everyone of the current NOTAMS (notice to airmen, notes on items that have changed in the area and are not in our current publications; i.e. out of service runways or navigation aids etc), and we also go over the previous days 355 comments (records of previous days flights and anyone who had messed up radio calls). Usually the brief last a half hour and are very professional. Our first formal brief, however, was one for the record books. A few days before we hit the flight line the previous class decided to give us a brief on how to be successful throughout the program and also gave us some insight on how to prepare the morning brief. It helped us out tremendously….or so we thought. Running through all the slides needed in the morning brief, one came up that said Air Force Song. They told us that “at this point everyone just stands up and begins singing,”….. “I know it sounds weird but its just one of those hazing things you have to do until your mid-phase check rides,”…..we all thought it was weird at first but we all wanted to perform and be prepared so we inevitably trusted them and fell for it; That’s right! The Air Force Song is NOT supposed to be sung during morning brief! Well the first day on the flight line comes and we begin our morning brief, everything goes well except for a few minor details and of course the one slide. The one slide comes up and all 29 of us come to attention and begin singing! We are quickly interrupted by the flight commander though, “What are you doing!! Sit down!! Sit Down!! Formal brief is no time to be cute!!”…..We all stop immediately and do as we are told, in total disbelief of what is going on. As I sat down I took a glance around the room to see the confusion in everyone else’s eyes. Best put by a previous cadet commander of mine “you know that sound a gun makes when its empty” “CLICK!”…..It only took me a few seconds, we had just been fooled!!! How could we be so gullible! I couldn’t help but say in my head “oh you bastards!!” and then I laughed a little inside. Well played my friends, well played! After we were well reamed for our actions we finished the brief and gathered around each other to share our disbelief. It didn’t even take to the end of the day to make it around to all the squadrons, 09-04 had become infamous…….and we hadn’t even touched a T-6 yet.
Well once the morning chaos came to an end everyone began planning for their first flights. I was overly excited because I was in the first go of the day. I had a brief time of 0950 for an 1120 take of time. The first ride is called your dollar ride, it’s called that because it’s a freebee….you can’t do anything wrong to mess up your gradebook. The ride is set aside to motivate you and acclimate you to the flying environment; It did just that! During my briefing all I could think about was getting to strap on the aircraft….I kept thinking….ok ok…got it ORM (operational risk management), blah blah blah….lets go fly! Of course that is the total wrong idea but none the less I still wanted to get to the aircraft. So my briefing finally finishes and we get to go get suited up. As we walk to the aircraft I couldn’t help but think back to when Justin and I went to Enid, Ok to go check out the pilot training base there and we got a tour of the flight line; we saw several students stepping to and from their jets…..its weird….now I am actually the one in their place. It didn’t truly hit me about what I was doing until I went through my checklist to start the engine. Up to that point I had been through all the checklist and worked on getting the aircraft started as quickly as I possible could. I was going through the motions and then I finally looked up and was in awe when I saw the propeller spinning in front of me. I couldn’t believe I was about to fly my first Air Force Aircraft!
Of course this was only for a split moment because I needed to get the aircraft out of the chocks as quickly as possible. With the engine started I went through the finishing touches on turning everything on and I then motioned to the crew chief that I was ready to go. Once that happened my IP took the aircraft (boo!!) he was a demo/do kind of guy….meaning that he wanted to show me once how everything was done and then it would be up to me to perform it the next time because I saw it once. Either way we got rolling and got to the end of the runway…made our call “Texan 17, number one, static” ….”Texan 17, winds one three zero at one zero, cleared for take off”….”Texan 17 cleared for takeoff.” Rolling onto the runway for the first time in the T-6 was another surreal moment, the runway was huge; and I was about to fly in my first Air Force Aircraft! Once again I did not get control, my IP did a demo takeoff for me; none the less it was still cool. The T-6 has so much more power than I ever thought. Once we were airborne we flew out to one of the MOA’s (military operating areas) and we went through a few maneuvers, starting with the G-EX (just a slight descending turn pulling 4G’s, it’s a warm up for the following maneuvers and has to be done every flight). I went up not knowing what to think about how my body would react to G’s and how I would like them; I had a flight in a T-38 before but it was so long ago and I was not at the controls. Nor worries though, I love them; 4G’s is actually not as much of a strain as I thought it would be. We were holding conversations about how my breathing technique needed to be fixed…..all while pulling 4G’s. Once that was finished he gave me the aircraft and said he wanted me to do some turns to some headings, I know it sounds pretty boring but you throw 60 degrees of bank in, 2G’s, and a student that is totally on the top of the world…..it was awesome! With that maneuver done he showed me one last one, a power on stall. Pretty straight forward, pull up and let the aircraft lose its lift. After that he said “well that’s all I have right now, is there anything else you want to see?” ……..Never ask a dude that now is positive he loves pulling G’s and knows there is so much more the aircraft could do, if there is anything else he wants to see. On dollar rides the IP’s are not allowed to demo aerobatic maneuvers but the day before my roommate told me to ask about clearing maneuvers (turns to clear your area of other traffic), Vertical ones to be specific. “Sir, Think I am supposed to ask you about vertical clearing maneuvers,” I asked…..”haha….vertical clearing maneuvers” He responds. After a moment of pondering he comes back “how are you feeling” (he was notorious for asking that, I guess a lot of students usually get sick on their first ride). “I feel great, sir”. I then feel a slight drop in the nose to gain airspeed and then he comes back “get your strain maneuver ready” (AGSM – Anti-G strain maneuver, a way to tense your body to keep the blood in your head). YES!!. After which we began to pull a loop, then a split S, then a barrel roll. The whole time I am just near laughing at the top of my lungs because I am so excited! I can’t believe they pay me to do this shit!
Well once the morning chaos came to an end everyone began planning for their first flights. I was overly excited because I was in the first go of the day. I had a brief time of 0950 for an 1120 take of time. The first ride is called your dollar ride, it’s called that because it’s a freebee….you can’t do anything wrong to mess up your gradebook. The ride is set aside to motivate you and acclimate you to the flying environment; It did just that! During my briefing all I could think about was getting to strap on the aircraft….I kept thinking….ok ok…got it ORM (operational risk management), blah blah blah….lets go fly! Of course that is the total wrong idea but none the less I still wanted to get to the aircraft. So my briefing finally finishes and we get to go get suited up. As we walk to the aircraft I couldn’t help but think back to when Justin and I went to Enid, Ok to go check out the pilot training base there and we got a tour of the flight line; we saw several students stepping to and from their jets…..its weird….now I am actually the one in their place. It didn’t truly hit me about what I was doing until I went through my checklist to start the engine. Up to that point I had been through all the checklist and worked on getting the aircraft started as quickly as I possible could. I was going through the motions and then I finally looked up and was in awe when I saw the propeller spinning in front of me. I couldn’t believe I was about to fly my first Air Force Aircraft!
Of course this was only for a split moment because I needed to get the aircraft out of the chocks as quickly as possible. With the engine started I went through the finishing touches on turning everything on and I then motioned to the crew chief that I was ready to go. Once that happened my IP took the aircraft (boo!!) he was a demo/do kind of guy….meaning that he wanted to show me once how everything was done and then it would be up to me to perform it the next time because I saw it once. Either way we got rolling and got to the end of the runway…made our call “Texan 17, number one, static” ….”Texan 17, winds one three zero at one zero, cleared for take off”….”Texan 17 cleared for takeoff.” Rolling onto the runway for the first time in the T-6 was another surreal moment, the runway was huge; and I was about to fly in my first Air Force Aircraft! Once again I did not get control, my IP did a demo takeoff for me; none the less it was still cool. The T-6 has so much more power than I ever thought. Once we were airborne we flew out to one of the MOA’s (military operating areas) and we went through a few maneuvers, starting with the G-EX (just a slight descending turn pulling 4G’s, it’s a warm up for the following maneuvers and has to be done every flight). I went up not knowing what to think about how my body would react to G’s and how I would like them; I had a flight in a T-38 before but it was so long ago and I was not at the controls. Nor worries though, I love them; 4G’s is actually not as much of a strain as I thought it would be. We were holding conversations about how my breathing technique needed to be fixed…..all while pulling 4G’s. Once that was finished he gave me the aircraft and said he wanted me to do some turns to some headings, I know it sounds pretty boring but you throw 60 degrees of bank in, 2G’s, and a student that is totally on the top of the world…..it was awesome! With that maneuver done he showed me one last one, a power on stall. Pretty straight forward, pull up and let the aircraft lose its lift. After that he said “well that’s all I have right now, is there anything else you want to see?” ……..Never ask a dude that now is positive he loves pulling G’s and knows there is so much more the aircraft could do, if there is anything else he wants to see. On dollar rides the IP’s are not allowed to demo aerobatic maneuvers but the day before my roommate told me to ask about clearing maneuvers (turns to clear your area of other traffic), Vertical ones to be specific. “Sir, Think I am supposed to ask you about vertical clearing maneuvers,” I asked…..”haha….vertical clearing maneuvers” He responds. After a moment of pondering he comes back “how are you feeling” (he was notorious for asking that, I guess a lot of students usually get sick on their first ride). “I feel great, sir”. I then feel a slight drop in the nose to gain airspeed and then he comes back “get your strain maneuver ready” (AGSM – Anti-G strain maneuver, a way to tense your body to keep the blood in your head). YES!!. After which we began to pull a loop, then a split S, then a barrel roll. The whole time I am just near laughing at the top of my lungs because I am so excited! I can’t believe they pay me to do this shit!
Once the maneuvers were finished he gave me the aircraft to fly back to Laughlin. Did a few checklist and made a few calls and before I knew it we were heading back, sad at first but the traffic pattern at Laughlin is quite a busy place. The traffic pattern for you flyers are sometimes boring, or maybe they aren’t for some, but when you’re in a T-6 banking 60 degrees every time and flying 200kts, stuff happens fast and it’s hell-a-fun! On the second to last landing he gave me the aircraft from the perch point and let me take it in on my own. Whoa! Pretty sick bringing it down to the ground for the first time! I was pretty shocked he let me do it, but I know he was guarding the controls in the back. I was able to set in down on the ground on my first try…..I think it was complete luck but none the less I did it. We went around the patch one more time and brought it in for a final stop…..so sad! We taxied back and shut her down…..I just had my first flight of my Air Force Career…..unbelievable.
I would love to go on more about how the rest of the week of studying and standing at attention answering questions went but I need to get prepared for the next one. For anyone heading to pilot training reading this….its everything you’re dreaming it would be! If you’re opinion differs then you probably don’t belong here.
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