My first assignment as a 2nd Lieutenant was to go to Undergraduate Navigator Training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola in Florida. So I reported for duty in August, and on 25 August 2000, I started Aviation Pre-flight Indoctrination (API) in the class 00-45. API consisted of 4 weeks of academics (including aeronautical engineering and engine/systems design)and 2 weeks of physiology (consisting of an altitude chamber flight, underwater egress practice in dunker tanks, and 2 over-land parasails). I "graduated" API on the morning of 6 October and reported to Training Wing 6 that afternoon.
On 10 October 2000, I started primary ground school in the class 01-01, assigned to VT-10, the Wildcats. During these first 6 weeks, we took academic classes focusing on basic instrument navigation, communication, flight planning, and systems for the T-34. We also do a few computer simulations, as well as a couple cockpit training simulators. We finished ground school the week of Thanksgiving. I went home for the holiday, then when I returned to Pensacola, I was flight side!
We all had what is called a "Fam 0" for the T-34 Turbomentor. This basically just goes over the normal operations within the squadron and lets students get a closer look at the aircraft we were to start flying for the next 5 - 6 months. The T-34 is a single-engine turboprop with tandem cockpits (one in front of the other). Our first flights were called "Familiarization flights" or "FAMS". The purpose is just to introduce you to the aviation environment, the capabilities of the plane, and basic piloting skills. I had 8 of these flights. Then we go on to the Airway Navigation (AirNav) phase. I had 4 of these before graduating primary and moving on to intermediate. Intermediate, however, is just a continuation of primary for all practical purposes. Not much changed. 11 more AirNavs, 3 VNavs (visual navigation -- using visual features like lakes and towers and stuff instead of instruments -- good stuff), 2 introductory formation flights, and 1 checkride later, I would be done with the T-34 forever! Woo- hoo! Not that it wasn't a fun little airplane most of the time, but it gets hot in that cockpit, especially when you're wearing a helmet and survival vest and the air-conditioner isn't the best. (Remember, all military contracts are made with the lowest bidder!) Considering how long it took just to complete those flights due to poor scheduling, weather cancellations, etc, I was very glad to finally finish.
Still in intermediate, I moved on to my next training aircraft -- this one an Air Force plane: the T-1 Jayhawk. It seems silly, but we only fly in this plane for 8 flights. So we have to learn a whole airplane for a couple of weeks. It's a nice plane though. Wouldn't mind getting one for myself someday!
After completion of my intermediate training, I moved to the squadron one hanger over, VT-86, the Saberhawks. This is the advance navigator training squadron and flies T-39s and T-2s. (As an Air Force student, we didn't fly in the T-2s.) This squadron was very fast paced and the time passed quickly in the T-39s! Except for a two week hiatus after 9/11/01, I was kept pretty darn busy during this phase of training. We had multiple simulators, as well as a variety of flights, to include AirNavs, visual/low level navs, radar navs, and a combination (called a "comp"). I was selected to go be a B-1 Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) after completion of my training. I flew my final training flight on 29 Oct 2001, and was officially a winged navigator on 16 Nov 2001.
However, my training didn't end there! True, I was now a rated Air Force navigator, but before I could move on to the B-1, I had to attend the Electronic Warfare course in the 563rd FTS at Randolph AFB, in San Antonio, Texas. (Yee-haw!) I had wait almost 2 months before I got a class assignment, and then it was a rush (understatment) to get moved over. The program lasts almost 5 months and covers a broad spectrum (pun sort of intended) of EW, from radar basics, to IDing radar signals based on certain signatures and parameters, to basic jamming principles, and tying it all together at the end, it was a busy time. The course was mostly academic, with simulator applications for each block. I really enjoyed this training, even though we weren't flying. I was actually the top student in my class...I have the plaques to prove it! Plus, San Antonio is a great city!