ah the good ol' days

A video from the class behind mine in pilot training. We shared a flight room and I saw these guys almost every day for six months, and still work with one of the dudes (the canopy guy). Yours truely even makes an appearance. I miss this stuff, those guys. It was hard, but it was worth every moment. Sorry its on myspace video. I'll try to get the real thing.




Ok, video is not working for me. Here's the link to a good video.

turn the heat off!

This is hilarious T-38 HUD video. This flight took place over a year ago involving a Japanese student and an IP who I believe is known as callsign Satan. It made the rounds of every other instructor desk on base, and even though I was a student not too long ago, it still gives me a chuckle.

Just for background, you cannot hear much when the afterburners are cookin in a Talon, not even your own radios. When the heat is on, it is even louder. Plus the heat comes straight from the bleed air, so it gets hot quick. Warning for bad language. Turn the heat OFF! O-F-F! What?

Thanks to Paulie for the link.

canadian student ejects

The Canadians decided to buy a variant of the newest Air Force trainer, what I'm currently flying. They call it the Harvard II, we call it the T-6 Texan II. It has a great ejection seat, 0/0, which basically means the pilot(s) are able to eject at zero feet, zero knots. Let me tell you that's nice when you've only got one engine. Well, last week, a Canadian student ejected, and not on purpose.

Ejection shock for first-time student
The Canadian Press
Published: Thursday, April 05, 2007

MOOSE JAW, Sask. -- An instructor and a first-time student pilot at an air force base were slightly injured yesterday when an ejection seat on a Harvard II accidentally deployed during a training session while the plane was still on the ground.

A spokesman for the base said the two, who were not seriously hurt, were treated and released from hospital.

"The ejection occurred, [the] seat worked as advertised, parachute opened and the student landed on the ramp," said Lt. Paul Goddard, acting commander for 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

This is not the first time this has happened, and its a pretty big deal. The seats themselves cost about a million dollars apiece, and the whole rest of the aircraft costs about the same as the seats. I'm sure this guy is on the hot seat for screwing up something fairly basic, but then that's what students do best, right?

On a lighter note, she's a fun jet to fly, and she gets great gas milage. The Texan II can go about 800 miles on 160 gallons of good ol' jet-a. And let me tell you, its nice knowing you got that rocket under you.... so to speak.

sweet... totally

This thing just looks fierce.

All of the pilots who have flown the F-22 up to this point are experienced in some other fighter, mostly the F-15C or F-16. but very soon, there will be a lucky pilot training student and FAIP (first assignment instructor pilot) that will go straight to the Raptor. The AF's newest jet has been a dangling carrot for about a year or so, but has always been taken off the list of possible assignments a few months before they were officially doled out. I for one would not want to be the first lieutenant to fly this sucker and be the focus of the big brass, or be so nervous about making a mistake that I did not really get the best training. Personally, when my time comes, I'm gonna ask for my Viper and then maybe move on to the JSF when it comes online.

Source Noah Shachtman at Wired and OPFOR. Photos are from the air show at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, Ca.