Mustache March!!!

So what exactly is Mustache March? It’s where everyone, that is able, grows a mustache for the entire month of March. You have many types, small ones, big ones, bushy ones, adolescence ones, pedophile ones…etc. . It’s not necessarily the best month to be around an Air Force Base. They definitely look pretty tacky around the squadron right now! None the less Guns flight is still growing them strong. …..and yes there are regulations on mustache growth in the Air Force.

Well I can’t believe that we have been on the flight line for a month now. I am up to ten flights in the T-6 and I only have two more before I solo (scary….not really). So far everything is going well; I have not encountered any big obstacles to overcome. Flying is amazing and fun as hell but as the day’s progress on there is always something new to learn. Right now it is all contact stuff, which means we are just learning the basics: how to fly the traffic pattern (drastically different than a civilian traffic pattern), how to do power on stalls, slow flight, nose high [low, inverted] recoveries, spins (f’ing cool), traffic pattern stalls, ELP (emergency landing pattern) stalls, and mainly how to be safe! The cool stuff comes after solo, we get to do basic aerobatics (baby aero….as they call it) which consists of loops, aileron rolls, and a split S. But its not all fun and games in the cockpit, we are coming up on our Instruments II test which is taking most of our studying time in the flight room if we are not studying for an EPQ, Stand up, instrument sim, EP sim, or just preparing for your next flight. As for Instruments I, I pulled a 95.74. It’s a good score but overall as a class we did not do too well. It was the first test we had while on the flight line and the first test we had people fail; a humbling moment for the class.

It is very interesting to see how we are doing as a class now that we have hit the flight line. During phase I academics we pretty much mopped up; handled everything they threw at us and we did it well. But now that we have hit the flight line the class is struggling, having more failures during test, and are beginning to hook rides (get unsat for a flight). “It’s a dark time for 09-04,” so well put by our flight commander. We just need to come together more as a team and try helping one another out more often. Once everyone gets past their mid-phase checkride things begin to click a little more, so they say.

I thought I would be able to make it through the program without hooking a ride but I have already failed at that goal….for a very stupid reason too. Everything in your flight from the time you sit down to brief to the time you finish your debrief is graded, everything! It was a normal day, at least it should have been, where I was preparing for another flight. A classmate of mine, Logan, and I began talking about the days planned events….after a little conversation, a dirty joke, and some mild prodding we came to the conclusion that we had planned to go to the same auxiliary field and we were scheduled for a take off time with in three minutes of each other. Now due to the competitive nature of us, we put a small wager of an adult beverage on the line for the first man to get to Wizard (the Aux field); First mistake! Well that being said I was determined to beat him so I went and pre-flighted my gear (check the seal on your mask….before every flight usually right before you step) before I even briefed; second mistake! I then went back and briefed up my flight as quick as the IP would allow and we made our way to the suit up area. I proudly threw on my gear as quick as I could (Note: everything is not actually strapped on until you get into the plane) and stood waiting for my IP as he pre-flighted his gear; third mistake! We arrived at the plane and I did the standard ground ops to the best of my ability so as to expedite our departure. So we go to get into the plane and I begin strapping on my harness……only it fits a little snugger than usual; now at this point something should have clicked in my head but the only thing going through it was I need to beat Logan to Wizard. So, a quick adjustment and bam I am good to go; fourth mistake! I strap in and then get the helmet on (not the mask yet). And begin to get the plane started. With the canopy closed and the propeller running I finally get to the part in the checklist where I don the mask….only it fits a little weird, it felt like it was binding on something…..”Mike I need to beat Logan to Wizard, you can fix it on the way.” I thought to myself as I continued the checklist; fifth mistake! I should note that I verbalized a little of the “this doesn’t fit right,” which my IP was able to pick up on. As I continued the checklist my IP began asking me two questions: What is the last four of your social? What is your last name? I was a little thrown off but answered none the less, “my last name is written on the card you idiot” I thought to myself (data card: holds the flight profile)….then it clicked as he told me to turn my head. On our helmets is a little sticky that has, you guessed it, our last four of our social and our last name. Only the helmet I had on did not have any of the answers to the previous questions…….I was not wearing my gear! After I shut down the engine per request of the IP, I made the walk/sprint of shame across the flight line to switch the gear out for my correct gear! While suiting up I put my G-suit on but must have take a step back and when I went to grab my harness and helmet I grabbed the dudes’ next to me. The rest of the ride went great, but in the debrief he made it crystal clear that I had not passed the ride because I unsat’d the ground ops portion! Stupid mistakes that I will never make again. And yes I definitely got a lot of shit for that.



Well other than the stupid mistakes here or there I am doing pretty well. We got some new name patches which everyone is stoked about; they make us look semi professional. Check the pics. Other than that looking forward to soloing. Peace!