24 May 2003,

I don’t even remember the last time that I wrote.  It seems that for all my planning on not being like other online journals, I too, have fallen a bit on my duties to write often enough to get the main events of UPT recorded.  I do apologize to any reader, and as always will field any and all questions, if you’d like to email me.  Enough with the whining, I will try to hit the highlights over the last month.

We did indeed hit the flight-line, and the 4:30am shows were hellish.  We have just finished with them, for now.  During the weeks, I would joke that “there is no reason to get up at 3:30, unless you are going fishing”, well it appears that in addition to fishing, UPT also happens at the butt-crack of dawn.  I was remarking to my wife that in college, an 8:00am class was pure torture, and I was so excited to be out of college so I could show up at my work at a decent hour.  I was an idiot.  Oh well, it’s just simple complaining, and it really wasn’t that bad.         

Typically, my alarm would go off at 3:30am, and I would roll out of bed, and into the shower.  After a quick shave, and getting ready, I would log onto the internet, to get the TAF’s (Forecasts) for the upcoming day.  We have a few “transition bases” (airfields we fly too in order to do overhead pattern work) and I would get the weather and notams that applied.   I would fill out a tentative flight-plan to go to one of the bases.  After saying goodbye to the lump of covers that was my wife, I would go to the squadron, where we would prepare the morning brief (to start at 4:30am).  Everyday, one of us would have to get up and discuss the weather across Texas & New Mexico.   After the brief, we usually had about 10 minutes to get everything in order and then start the pre-flight brief with the IP.   A difference from tweets is that you actually brief 2 hours prior to your scheduled takeoff, rather than just an hour. 

The brief with the IP usually lasts about an hour, and you discuss your overall plan, as well as the weather.   After that, usually, the IP will ask questions about the T-1.  There is so much material to know that most of the first few weeks, I just felt stupid, because it seemed to me that I didn’t know anything.  Then you step to fly, go to base ops, and get a weather briefing from the weather shop.   After that, it’s out to the jet to go fly.   The sorties are 2 students, and an IP.  The guy or gal who is in the jump seat first usually does the walk around and checks the jet out, while the other student will start the ground ops and run through the appropriate checklists in order to get the beast started.   Ground ops are a huge deal in the T-1 and the quicker you can do all of the checks inside, the better everything works out for you.

Written:  7 June, 2003

Okay, to finish the “Daily ride” description.   After you get the ground ops done and the flight plan entered, you taxi out to the active runway and takeoff.  Takeoffs are fun, because we climb out with plenty of thrust (compared to the tweet, which had none) and for the most part, the T-1 is pretty stable to fly.  Without the Yaw Damper on, it sucks (especially on final approach) but since I do most of my flying with it on, it’s a very enjoyable jet to fly.  One word to prospective T-1 pilots, the Trim in this jet is a real pain in the ass to get used to because it is real easy to be out of trim if you don’t know what you are doing, which of course, as a new pilot to the T-1, like me, you do suck at trimming.  Anyway, you’ll get used to it, but probably not until you develop mighty forearms, because you will try to hold the jet up with just your own strength, especially on final.   There is a really good reference on the trim gauge to keep the thing trim, but only some instructors teach the technique, so if you’re headed to T-1s and you are having trouble, ask the instructor for a trim reference. 

Typically, we will fly to an “out-base” to conduct our pattern work, which consists of straight-in approaches, Instrument approaches, Tactical overheads, and closed pull-up patterns (don’t worry about it, you’ll learn if you go to UPT, and if your not, you’d just be bored).  Our “out-bases” are Midland, Laredo, Dyess AFB, and Waco.  But since the weather is often crappy, we also go to Roswell, Lubbock, Corpus Christy, San Angelo, Kelly AFB, and Hobbs.   When I take my check-ride in 2 weeks, the 1^st 4 bases I listed will be our primary plan.   Oops, I forgot, we typically will go to an area first (before we go to an out-base) and practice steep turns, vertical S’s, stalls, slow flight, and unusual attitudes.  Area work is boring (compared to the aerobatics done in the tweet), but you’d be surprised how easy it is to screw it up at first.

Okay, fast forward, after our pattern work, we pick up our clearance back to Laughlin, and hit the road.  This is by far my favorite part of flying.  I love being in the air, able to glance out of the window at the world below.  I used to ask pilots “Isn’t it just like looking out the window in an airliner?” and they would reply that it made all the difference in the world to be up front.  I never understood that until now.  I can’t describe it, and I think maybe a lot of pilots take it for granted or never consider it.  When you are flying, YOU are the one who is soaring over the country, not the plane.  Yes you are on a clearance and yes, you must be at a certain altitude and airspeed, but there is something more.  I find it becomes quiet, if even just for a few moments, because you are appreciating that you are doing something that not everyone can do.  You are flying.  It is something that people dream about.  It is something that makes all the sacrifice worth while.  Sometimes, I get sad when we have to descend back home, because I just wanna fly up there all day long.  Some people might think its boring, flying up there all day, even some people in my UPT class, but I think it’s awesome. 

            So, then we get home, and debrief the sortie.  Usually the IP knows that by that time you are just about wiped out and can’t retain anything they are saying, so you’ll do a quick EP and some general knowledge questions and then you’re done with the sortie.  All in all it takes about 6-8 hours including planning, briefing, ground ops, flying, and debriefing.  It helps to bring something to eat while you are sitting in the jump seat, or you might be pretty hungry by the time it’s all over.  Well’ that’s a typical transition sortie for you.  Fun stuff.