Got my UPT date - Columbus it is...

[MarineGrunt]

Just got notified that I'm being bumped up to the UPT class starting July 30th at Columbus. Anyone else gonna be there?

If you've been there in the past, please share all the info you think may be useful!

While I'm at it, how should I prepare? Should I draw as much gear as I can at my unit, or wait until I get to UPT? Are they still flying the T-37 at Columbus?

 

[GumbyDarnit]

Grunt,

There is no such thing as UPT anymore. Okay I'm being a wiseazz, but it is SUPT now days. In anycase check out this address, it's got info for newcomers (STS). http://www.columbus.af.mil/new.htm . Columbus flys T-37's until October of 06, but they do have T-38C's if you make that grade. Good luck.

 

[MarineGrunt]

Can you get T-38s even if you're on the T-1 track?

 

[GumbyDarnit]

In a word. No

 

[MarineGrunt]

In a word. No

Thought so, I think I just misunderstood you...

 

[GumbyDarnit]

Check PM's

 

[talondriver]

Can you get T-38s even if you're on the T-1 track?

I know of two students who were going to heavy reserve/guard units that went T-38 track. It's up to your unit and whether the reserve/guard command has a T-38 slot for you. I believe both studs were going to states that have a fighter unit as well as their heavy one. This would give them the option of moving over if a slot were to open up.
Columbus still has tweets. We're the last base to get the T-6. We ARE getting sunshades getting put up over all the jets! ala Luke, New Orleans, Ft Worth. They're just finishing the third set over the '38s.
The C model is good. We just got our tacan back.

There are websites out there created by different classes. If you enter "SUPT Columbus" in a search engine, you'll see some. Good Luck and don't bring it weak .

 

[F16TJ]

MarineGrunt...

Looking back at it, just relax and enjoy your final weeks before the firehose opens. You'll probably be busy moving or getting settled prior to class start, anyway.

Congratulations BTW. This post took me back 21 years and I started to feel that excitement for you that I felt back then. Good Luck and keep us updated during the year.!

 

[dtfl]

stuff

Get your unit to give you what you need now. Even a nice helmet with that gel liner. The Life Support folks at CBM will inspect and maintain it. it will be less headache the first week if you have all of your gear. Youa re going to fly 135s? So T37s the T1s. Our new 2lts go through T1s now even though they are coming to the 130 - because we fly J models...so nothing is set in stone, but no 38s for anyone but fighter and bomber (?!?!?! Don't understand why Buff guys don't fly the T1) guys.
You will get lots of hours in the clouds at Columbus - which is good. A coworker of mine used to be a 38 IP there. He went to Willy in Phoenix, when it was open, then on to 737s at Mather then to CBM - he told me he was a little nervous since he hadn't flown 38s in formation in bad weather before - since Willy never had anything but sunny skies.
Make sure you visit Prophet's Porch - on the lake - for some good sandwiches. Go to Old HIckory Steakhouse for some good steaks. You are 45 min from Tuscaloosa - for Bama games. 20 min from Starkville - Miss State.
A couple hours from Jackson - nice place - they have a festival each year with some good bands and a reservoir with some clubs.
Reason I am telling you all this is - don't study ALL the time. Find time to have fun and you won't explode.

 

[talondriver]

but no 38s for anyone but fighter and bomber (?!?!?! Don't understand why Buff guys don't fly the T1) guys.

Like I said in an earlier post--Some "heavy" guard/reserve units prefer to send their candidates through the T-38 track. It doesn't happen all the time but it does happen.

 

[MarineGrunt]

One more question regarding logging flight time...

Once you solo in the T-37, and are "rated" in the aircraft, can you log PIC from that point on (per FARs)? I assume you can't for your military records, but what about your own logbook?

How much solo time is there in the T-37?

 

[Tweetdrvr]

PIC time at JSUPT, it depends...

As always there is no clear answer. I would say by Part 61 rules that you as a multi engine pilot could log time as PIC/Dual Received in your personal log book after solo. Your systems training academics and emergency procedures simulators and the 15 syllabus sorties before solo would probably meet the experience to qualify you for a warbird authorization letter from the FAA to own and operate a T-37 if you had the means to purchase one. I base this answer on the way that almost all civilians log time when getting BFRs, rental checkouts, Instrument Proficiency checks and so on. The CFI signs the log book and put you down as PIC and recorded the instruction he or she gave in the dual received column.

Now for all the reasons not to log it:
1. We brief on every ride the Instructor is the PIC
2. You are never really qualified as rated in any aircraft as a student as far as the AF is concerned
3. Unless you are independently wealthy or win the lotto/powerball/megamillions jackpot, you will probably never own a T-37/A-37 type aircraft
4. When it comes time for an interview the safest PIC is purely Part 1, that makes it no questions asked if you can show those numbers

Would I still log time at JSUPT? Yes, definitely!! And for the rest of your military flying career. A logbook can be a great source of stories when it comes time for an interview. It can show a love of flying especially if you do a lot of civilian flying and continue to do so after you are a rated military pilot. That log book is also a training record and a good way to keep track of flight records to make sure they don't suddenly short you for 100 hours or miss key training events that would otherwise ground you. For that reason, I would only log the exact time for each sortie and not put any military conversions into your log book. Those can come later when you fill out an application because each company is different some allow 0.3 per hour, some allow 0.3 per sortie, and some only allow a 0.2 addition. On a more serious note, Part 61 allows for instruction received from military flight instructors in a program to award military pilot ratings to count for the experience requirements for civilian ratings. God forbid it, but if you became disqualified or failed to complete JSUPT for any multitude of reasons, the instruction received at UPT can count for your experience requirements for additional ratings on your civilian ticket. I know personally of two people who have been medically disqualified from military flying (one was completely disqualified from military service) and hold unrestricted FAA Class I medical certificates. Student time is treated as only student time in your military flight records and doesn't amount to much. As such any night time or instrument time you receive as a student is not reflected in your flight records. The syllabus required night time and simulated or actual instrument times are recorded in your gradebook and not your flight records, so in your personal log book, I would record any night, instrument or time with a vision restricting device in the appropriate places as well as keep track of what instrument approaches you flew.

You will get a minimum of 7.5 hours of solo time in the mighty Tweet under the current syllabus. Your first solo will be on your 15th lesson and your instructor will see you through three landings one of which can be the full stop, a go around and something called a pattern breakout and re-entry, the IP will get out with the right engine shut down, tie up the ejection seat and be your crew chief while you restart the right engine and marshall you out for your first solo. You'll have anywhere from 1600 to 1000lbs of gas to get as many patterns and landings as you can, and you will have to plan to be on the ground with 500lbs. Your next solo will be in three or four more rides and will be a local pattern only for you to practice normal pattern procedures in preparation for your mid-phase checkride. After mid-phase you get four solos out of eleven rides to go to the area or stay in the pattern to practice your aerobatics (aileron roll, cuban 8, split-s, cloverleaf, chandelle, immelman, barrel roll, lazy 8, and loops) and normal patterns to get ready for your final contact check. Your final solo will be in formation as soon as you are safe after your 8th lesson and you will fly on the wing of another T-37 with 10 feet of lateral seperation between wingtips at speeds between 240 and 120 Kts and bank angles up to 90 degrees inside and outside the turns.

You can fly the Tweet with only 7 power settings (military, 90%, 82%, 74%, 70%, 57% and Idle), you just have to figure when it is appropriate to use each one of them. Good luck, chairfly and have fun.

For all you nitpickers reading UPT which became JSUPT is about to become JPPT which is the new speak for our new love of the T-6 and means Joint Primary Pilot Training. I wonder if we will pronounce the acronym as as "Jipped". Does anyone remember when Undergraduate Navigator Training almost became Combined Undergraduate Navigator Training before it became Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training? That was only stopped when someone figured out what that acronym was going to be.

 

[HairOnFire!]

Good luck, Marine. I saw you asking some questions a month or so ago. Good to hear you've got a class date. Enjoy your summer, then hit it hard when you get there. About all you can study before hand is the BOLDFACE. Memorize them, and all the rest will be taught when you get there. At least you won't see the hot months, since academics will take you to Labor Day. The tweet's a classic, but at least you'll know what steam gauges do before you see all the new stuff.

 

[skyride56]

Tweet Driver, Outstand post, very informative
Marinegrunt, congrates and see you in Columbus on july 30th.

SR

 

[coexint]

MarineGrunt:

I'll be in your 05-13, 30 Jul class. Cya there!

 

[AlbieF15]

Here are a few truths my 89-05 brethren and I smashed years ago....

There are no good looking girls at the W

Waterskiing on the Tombigbee s*cks.

You cannot get a good meal in this town.

Go ahead and step on your classmates...you'll never need their help.

If you date a FAIP's little sister you are marked for death.

Going to jail means automatic elimination from UPT.

There are no good music clubs anywhere in Columbus, Starkville, or Tuscaloosa.

Captains ALWAYS get their first choice of fighters. Lts NEVER do...

Now the other memories....

Cram sessions on the base...with booze. Watch 2 classmates boozing so hard in early pre flightline academics I was mentally ready for their elimination (both did great and became FAIPs). Stand ups! Working out as a class at the gym. Finally figuring out I wasn't going to wash out after 3-4 flights and starting to ENJOY and SAVOR flying jets instead of just trying to accomplish tasks. Girls. Great grill outs. Parasailing (..."umpf...OW!"...) Girls. "Crew bus crew bus crew bus!". Patio parties at JC Garcias (alas..now gone). Red Beans at Proffits porch. Little kitchen pushes. Girls! Solo! SEC ball games. Study sessions and more booze. Gunshy ops. Warrior River weekend ski getaways. T-38s! Girls! SEC football! More time at Little K. Paychecks! (I never made more money for ME than when I was a 2Lt!). Pizza and beer and philosphy with a great bro (now gone to cancer) at 0200. Busted checkride. No girls, no beer, no parties. Pass re-check. Girls, beer, party... FAR qual boards! Dreamsheets! GIRL! (no S anymore! this is the G-I-R-L!). Form checks, assignment night, graduation hoopla! Wow...where did the year go?

On reflection...Marine Grunt...can I go WITH you? That was...absolutely no kidding, about the funnest 365 consecutive days of my life. There will be long and hard days, but if you keep your "$hit in one sock" and stay up with the program you are going to have a blast. As for Columbus...well...I found my bride and left a good bit of my youth there. No place is perfect, but GEEZ I had a blast. BTW...my best bro from UPT is also going to be crashpad partner for our 727 classes a week apart. We are hoping our second trip through training together (or third if you count survival) is as successful and as much fun as the previous trips. We might even just roll South out of Memphis to the CAFB O Club one night for a hospitality check.

Matter of fact...if you CAFB types are planning a good party or too, send us a PM. We'll be in MEM late July-late Sep, and I'll bet we would be good for a round or two if you don't mind drinking with an old LTC type.... I did fighters, my bro did C-141s, Gulfstreams, and C-17s, and we both LOVED what we did. We'll share all the good/bad/ugly we can remember, and throw in a few lies too.