Forum: Future F-16 crew

What are differences in training between the 56FW, 149FW and the 178FW? I assume that they are all teaching the same training syllabus, but I'm not exactly sure. Also, why do certain students learn to fly at a certain wing? What is the base selection based off of?

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I'm pretty sure that student pilots do not have a choice of which base they go to. They are prolly assigned to one base or the other (but I'm not a pilot so I'm not sure). I think the 56th though would stack up against any of the other two (I might be bias though since I'm at Luke). The pilots that fly these jets are very professional (most of them) and will usually take the time to talk shop with you and are generally pretty nice guys. I almost caused a Lt Col to miss a sortie the other day cause I was carrying on a great conversation with him on how to get commisioned and become a viper driver Laughing

He was a great guy and every time i see him wee have a good laugh. The training is very thourough and the young pilots that graduate are very capable viper pilots.

Well, I cant tell you what training is like at the 178th; but I can tell you what living there is like. Hell! Ohio sux. Proof in the pudding, we've had rain the last 12 days. Imagine how much flying youd get done in that weather!? Here if it's not rainy, its balls @$$ cold. And if its not balls @$$ cold then its really foxtrotting hawt!

Yeah; if you get the choice, stay the foxtrot away from Ohio man. Other than that, I love the 178th. They bless our campus with a flyover almost every day. (At Wright State; before I went to Toledo and saw the 180th do the same thing. Didn't want any confusion here) Also; I know they have at least 2 completley seperate airfields to practice TO/L with at the 178th because a driver once told me WPAFB allows them to use their runways routinly.

-Aaron

Typically guard pilots attend a guard RTU and active pilots go to Luke. There virtually no brand new Lieutenants in the Reserve Viper units. I assume the F-16 syllabus for a given block is the same no matter where its taught.

Arctus has it pretty much right in as much as the new AD guys and gals (and some ANG folks like Des Moines, Toledo, or McEntire) flying Block 40/42 and higher would go to Luke while the Guard trainees flying older blocks would go to either Kelly or Springfield depending on what slots were available where. And although it may not be done much, it's also theoretically do-able for a Block 40/42 ANG guy/gal to qual in the Block 30 at Kelly then attend a C-course (or equivalent) at Luke to upgrade to the new jet.

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I assume the F-16 syllabus for a given block is the same no matter where its taught.

Not sure exactly if the syllabi are uniform across units. Each wing kinda has its own way of doing things. So what's taught and how at Luke may not be done the same way at Kelly. But in either case there are AF training standards that must be met for the kid to be certified.

Off Topic

Hey Tengu: Are you kiddin'? As a native Buckeye, I can tell ya I'd gladly swap any Ohio summer or winter for what's here in Tennessee. Try routinely ridin' out the remnants of Gulf hurricanes (like Katrina) or multiple ice storms. It ain't fun. So the occasional heat wave or cold snap is a walk in the park where I'm concerned. Wink

I'm in the 150FW which is a Guard unit. We fly block 30's, but almost every single one of our guys went to Luke as I am planning on going there as well. For our unit, it doesn't matter that we're Guard or that we fly older models, we get assigned to whatever training sqaudron fits our schedule or is available.

Not to sound critical, but some things in this post are wrong. First, its not dominant guard students at Guard RTU's, its all random on when you finish pilot training. Secondly, in my opinion, Ohio doesnt suck, yeah its hot, but not nearly as hot as Phoenix, and while weather may cloud your day, its valuable training to new guys flying the Viper in the weather, something you wont see at luke. The syllabus is different as well. The Luke guys graduate rtu then the future block 30/40 guys go through night systems as a follow on which includes tgp and nvgs. The tgp and nvgs are incorporated into the b-course syllabus at the guard bases, so no follow on training. And lastly, the average number of Viper hours the instructors have at the guard bases is typically over 2000 as compared to 800-900 at Luke. Lastly again, the jets at Kelly and Springfield are better than Lukes, bm block 30's with sadl, full up combat ready aircraft. I'm not dogging luke by any stretch, just clarifying some things...

OOOOkay then....disregard my last post.... Embarassed

clown_shoes,

Thanks for your input! I'm still not changing my mind about Ohio though! Living here sucks! Wink

But if anyone ever does hit 178th hit me up. I'll reccommend you all the best bars, night clubs, restraunts and of course strip clubs Wink

around the area. I'd call those the essentials to passing B-Course Viper training.

-Aaron

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Gaurd guys and gals also go to the 944th at Luke (the reserve unit). All the guys I know did'nt have a choice. The powers that be at Randolph cranked out the orders and out of 3 guard guys I know, one went to Kelly, and two went to Luke, one in the 302nd and one in the 308th.

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Here if it's not rainy, its balls @$$ cold. And if its not balls @$$ cold then its really foxtrotting hawt!

Come on man, you got it nice. Balls a$$ cold is North Dakota. I have been out on the ramp transloading a/c in -42 below. I have preflighted in -44 windchill, and then flown. You don't get none of that in OH. Hot? Try working the ramp in Memphis TN in the summer when its about 115 degrees on the concrete with about 75% humidity.
You will see crewmembers get really pissed when the APU is'nt running or an aircart is'nt hooked up.

You think it's hot in Ohio?!?! Please!! Come to out here to Phoenix in the summer time and tell me how hot it is in Ohio. I'm from the midwest and it doesn't get very hot there. It's been in the triple digits here in Phoenix for the last month........AND IT'S ONLY MAY!!! I'd take midwest climit over this hellishly hot weather any day of the week.

Haha, Raptor_DCTR is right. I'm goin out to college in AZ next year, and go out there all the time. Only difference is the humidity i'd take 115 with low humidity over 90's and high humidity, just my opinion. Thanks again for the replies guys.

i was at Luke for MRA training in july and august. pretty much like turning on the oven and sticking your head in. the thing about luke is that it will be about 115 degrees, then add the heat the pavement is kicking up at you, and if your lucky with the way the jets are parked at luke youll get the exhaust of the jet blowing across the way making it atleast 130 degrees with all those factors added to the heat. the only saving grace at luke is the sunshades. thank the higherups that put those things in there

cchief16, don't forget the JFS exaust (1175 degrees) and the ECS exaust from the heat exchanger (325 degrees) when you're doing B-man in addition to the enge exaust. Great in the winter to warm up, but as we've stated, not to fun when the ambient temp is already 115 degrees.

Forum: Future F-16 crew

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