A few UPT questions for those who know..

[T1bubba]

Spur,

You'll get no arguement from me that occasionally students who probably shouldn't get wings make it through, but I think that's more a function of the experience level of the IP's they fly with than anything specific to the T-1. New IP's tend to think "I'll give him a break" when a student has a bad flight, what they don't realize is that everyone else is doing the same thing. Next thing you know the guy is going to a PC or an EC but there's no documentation of any earlier problems, so no basis to start the CR process. If the IP's are doing their job the students that make it to graduation are the right ones.

The flip side of the coin is that the T-38 eliminates good pilots because they can't perform tasks that they would never have to do in a heavy/crew aircraft (i.e. fly fingertip). I've seen plenty of guys who did extremely well in T-37's or T-34's, then did well in the T-38 up until formation. Next thing you know, they're flying career is over because they couldn't hang on the wing. Of course, that's extremely important for someone who's going to fighters but pretty much irrelevent for heavy pilots.

The IP's who trained our grads in their follow-on aircraft were always happy with the product, which in the end is what it's all about...

T1bubba

 

[Vandal]

supposedly now a lot of c-130 pilots fly king air's as opposed to the t-1.

 

[T1bubba]

Vandal,

Sorry for taking your thread off on a tangent.

You're right, out of each T-37 class of about 30 students there are usually 3 or 4 slots for guaranteed C-130's. Those 3 or 4 people PCS to Corpus Christi, TX and fly the T-44 or the TC-12 with the Navy and Marine prop pilots. The Navy training is much less structered than the Air Force, which can be good or bad depending on how you learn.

Out of T-1's each class usually has one or two more C-130 slots. The reason for this is that the Navy can't train enough C-130 pilots for the needs of the Air Force.

The guard still sends all their Herc pilots through T-1's, at least as of last fall when I left. I don't remember whether the USAFR herc pilots still fly T-1's...

BTW, the number of slots changes from class to class based on the needs of the Air Force, that may also have changed some since I left.

Let me know if you have any more questions...

T1bubba

 

[RichO]

UPT...etc

Vandal,

The Reserves, as far as I know are pretty much sending the pilots to Corpus. I went through UPT a couple of years ago and went through T-44's. The program down there is pretty good, they have a "god" box on the IP side where they can kill your instruments which gives you some great experience. Also, you actually do shut one of the engines down and practice single engine stuff.......and probably the best thing, the solo.......unlike mother duck and her chicks in the airforce flying a solo x-c....you show up, plan a flight with another student, tell the SOF(I forget what the navy called the guy on watch) where your going....he says, "cool have fun.....see you tonight...." At this point you walk out to your plane and off you go , just you and another student....pretty cool......

Oh, as for the check ride nerves, they are there and you do do stupid stuff....like blasting through your level off altitude on your mid-phase (the most busted checkride the -37).....but, for a guard/reserve guy, the previous post concerning overall nerves is right on. You aren't too concerned about being #1 so you can get that -15...you already know what your going to fly.....so you can actually do real well to the point where they try to recruit you into the active duty with a -38 slot from -37's...of course you might end up a FAIP, or you might fly a -15 or -16.

and don't get me started on the -38 issue.....I'm still trying to get over the fact I wasn't able to fly it.....(Ok, this is where I advertise for a ride in any fighter........I see those back seats empty all the time...........)

Now that I'm off my soap box about the -38, I do have to say some stuff about the herc since that's soon to be your plane I believe.....hey, it actually is a blast to fly......it's big, ugly, and slow, but there's nothing like going through the Rockies low level......the first couple of times, you sware your going to hit a wing tip......oh, and if you have to shut an engine down, no problem you still have 3 more....oh, and at airshows you don't have to worry about having all the women hanging around...you can sit on top and watch the show...(ok, so this isn't such a good thing....lol...ok, I must admit this is where I went over to my buddies F-15 and hung out....)

One last thing, if you are indeed going 130's.....have fun in the tweet (if you get to fly it rather than the new texan)...it actually is a blast to fly.......and it will be your only jet experience......

 

[FastCargo]

UPT...

Vandal,

Just to add my two cents here...

I'm a current/qualified T-38 Instructor at Laughlin AFB as a reservist, so I can speak to the T-38 side of the house.

Most everything posted to the forum is correct except for a few things. None of the checkrides are Form 8 checkrides anymore (ie none of them go on your permanent record after UPT). Also, the syllabus is way changed! You get your final assignment (assuming you aren't Guard/Reserve) only 2 weeks prior to graduation, with all checkrides complete beforehand. The order is different now too, with Contact, Instrument/Nav, Low-Level, THEN formation (I'm just getting used to it as well...it's changed a lot in the 2 years I was instructing in ACC instead of AETC).

Having instructed guys from both T-38 and T-1 backgrounds into the T-38 again (guys going to the U-2) I'll weigh in on the T-1/T-38 debate. The T-1 only guys tended to have great crew concept/CRM, but their performance suffered when doing single seat stuff, mainly with workload. Instrument wise, I found not that much difference with either product, other than the workload stuff I mentioned before. There were exceptions of course! The very first T-1 FAIP and most of the T-37 FAIPs (T-1 grads) we hired into the U-2 did great!
For those who don't know, the T-38 has a 'hood' which can be placed inside the rear cockpit for instrument rides. Unlike 'foggles', etc, this hood covers ALL of the outside view (unless the student cheats...which is usually noticed by the IP). The T-38 was a great instrument trainer with that hood (I know, I use it myself every once in a while...it's a little humbling...). I lean toward the T-38 as far as overall product is concerned, but I will be the first to admit that I am biased!!!!

Finally, there are a few students right now that are in the T-38 but are going to C-130 reserves...seems weird to me...but that's cool! Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

FastCargo

 

[xhercdriver]

Not much to add to this except to say that "attitude" can to some extent "override" your actual performance (both positively and negatively). In other words, if you really, really, really want to be a military pilot, and you demonstrate that you are a "team player" with the rest of your class, and have the bare minimum "skills," they will probably get you through the program somehow (voice of experience talking) Conversely, the best stick-and-rudder man in the class may find himself on the street if he is just looking out for number one trying to build time for an airline seat down the road.

One other thing: if they tell you to memorize something, they aren't kidding. And just to be safe, that doesn't mean memorize like in the civilian world, where they mean memorize what to do with your hands, but don't worry too much about what comes out of your mouth; it means memorize every period, quotation mark, dash, slash, and comma. They're probably going to expect you to know all the "numbers" associated with the plane as well. That's a kind of "baseline." They figure, if this guy can't be bothered to spend a few nights memorizing the ops limits "cold," then how do we know whether he'll spend the time to learn the stuff that actually IS difficult? Do not, under any circumstances, take the tests lightly. We had a guy fail the first three tests (84% was a fail, at least back then) and he never even got to set foot in the sim, let alone an airplane. Also, if someone in your class is doing poorly, it's up to the class to get him through. If you don't take care of your buds, the IPs WILL figure out some ways to make your lives miserable...

Basic rule: if you can't decide whether to study or drink beer, then you didn't study enough that week, and you should skip the beer until next time (and study better the next week so the decision will be easier), and if you can't decide whether or not you're having fun at UPT, you're probably doing OK. (If you're sure it's NOT fun, you're in the wrong place, and if you're sure it IS fun, then you probably should be in the Marines instead)

 

[RichO]

continue

The previous post is right on about memorizing.....they're called Boldface, and in UPT you do it frequently once out in your squadron you'll do them once a month. It involves correctly writting down your boldface, to include every period, slash, etc.......They were right one with that, and as for the team work.......just keep this in mind while you navigate UPT...........Cooperate, Graduate!!!!