F-16.net

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

See. I don't even know the correct name. Thats part of the reason for this post. Having seen a lot of stuff on how F-15 initial pilot training is done, I would love to see some experiences / thoughts posted here from the drivers that went through initial F-16 training and survived. I enjoy knowing about hardcore training methods that employ pure darwinism. You either have what it takes or you are gone. Hey, you went though the hard gut busting work, I want to be entertained by those stories of hardship and tough love from the instructors. Twisted Evil

I would like to learn more about the experiences of F-16 initial pilot training. Not the nuts and bolts procedure ( ::: yawn ::: ) stuff so much as the human experience of surviving tough, uncompromising intructors, the mountains of books, manuals, procedures that had to be learned, or else. You know, all the funny, cudley, loveable stuff about going through F-16 initial pilot training Twisted Evil

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In the U.S., by the time you make it to F-16 Initial Qualification Training, as it's called, you already know how to dominate and subdue a fighter type aircraft, as well as how to fly basic formation. Very little time is spent on takeoff/landing, or formation flying. Maybe a ride or two.

It's all about weapons employment. Rarely does anyone wash out. The only times I've seen it are when the prior training units have failed in their duties, and passed the buck assuming that the next course would wash them into heavies or something.

The studying isn't that hard. When it comes down to it, a fighter is a fighter. The systems are a little easier, and being more reliable they become significantly more complex, and an F-16 pilot isn't expected to draw a picture of the air conditioning system as the would be in primary training. You take a lot of systems for granted. If they don't work, the jet will let you know and you don't fly. If they do, cool.

RTU isn't a washout program, it's the first time in my training that I felt at ease to just sit and soak up instruction without fear of screwing up. Sure, I hooked a ride or two, both of which were well earned, but I never felt in danger of washing out, and I never worried about anyone I knew washing out.

The RTU's customer is the operational squadron, and the product they want is a pilot who can fly the F-16 safely without instruction, and at the same time learn how to employ the weapons in accordance with the specifics of that unit.

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

Thanks STBYGAIN !

Well that sux. I was clueless. I guess I missed the boat on that one. Surprised

Like the G.I. Joe cartoons:

Kid: "Gee thanks Joe!"

G.I. Joe: "And now you know. And kids, knowing is half the battle." Very Happy

From a wrench. I was at Luke for over 5 years. The class is phase so to speak. First portion is clean jets learning BFM/ AtoA stuff. In fact it seemed like about 5 rides before the students ever cooled a missile. Then everything gets configed for AtoG tanks up, SUUs up, TERs and tons of BDUs. At the end of each class they drop heavies. Only the top of class got live bombs. The rest got the concrete.

When the rookies first step you have to really be careful during the Launch and recovery. EPUs fire, flight controls move when they should not jets jump chocks. It can be quite the experience, those first launches. The instructors all had a little different hand on the students, we hear it all while they are on hot mic during the launch and recovery. I remember one unamed (bishop) IP that would just yell at the students in the front. I would hate to have him as an IP. Jeez the cockpit of a Viper is already a busy place and to have your teacher screaming at you over the headset had to be tough. Others would yoda the students through the whole thing. All in all I would have to say it is a well run system that teaches some really difficult things. I really enjoyed the structured life at Luke. You could plan around the classes for leave and such. Between classes tended to be IRide heaven for the better mechs. I got a ride there as did most of the guys that stayed out of trouble and did not whine to much about long hours. Luke AFB, the worlds 6th largest Air Force.

IFF (Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals) (if I may say so) does a good job of thinning the herd for RTU (Replacement Training Unit). Honestly, the new T-38C has made RTU initial sorties easier with the advanced avionics. Most of a students transition to fighter attitude starts here.
We only lost one dude in our class. He had several issues (from what I heard.....). You are right about Darwin. We don't let the weak participate. We don't have the blood / JP8 or time for it. I can honestly say that I will be the first to fly on the wing of the students I have sent to RTU....

The better question is "Do you remember your first flight in a viper..." I *KNOW* that all of use do. When is the last time you strapped on a "homesick angel" and made her do things that were "un-natural?"

All I know is...... after that first sortie...... you need a cig........

Cylon

Salute!

We must distinuish between the RTU and the so-called 'long course', designed for brand new pilots who have not qualified in any other fighter.

Not enuf time or space here to go thru it all, but I was the dude assigned to build and conduct the first "B-course" for the young LT's and a few Captains who had no previous fighter experience. Nowadays, there are no F-4's or A-7's or F-111's for folks to come out of. We also learned that the flighter lead-in course at Holloman can do a really great job. Hence, there's prolly no more "long course".

Because the basic electric jet is so easy to fly, much more of the syllabus is directed toward weapon employment and tactics than in the old days when Gums was a sprog.

Washouts are extremely rare, and I never heard of one. Remember that as we lowered our basic pilot entry-level standards over the years, we also improved the selection process for the Viper wannabes. So all we needed was to weed out 90% and the remaining folks were damned good. I flew with the best 2LT's and 1LT's out there for that first class and they were really, really good! Two became Thunderbirds and another was seen a few times on CNN during Rocky I.

Fly the mission in your head a hundred times before the real thing
Don't forget academics, as a few strange quirks will still pop up to bite you and you had better be prepared
Get with the old pharts and pick their brains
Happy hour on Friday is great, but the rest of the time it's hard to soar like an Eagle if you've howled at the moon the night before. 'nuff said.
Don't 'rub it in' if you wax sumbudy's butt
Build a crust of kevlar/titanium to deflect the criticism and good-natured kidding. Most IP's are truly attempting to help you learn the business. At the same time, remember that there's no room for a 'good loser', just a loser

later,

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

Great reading. Thanks guys.

Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2812 Status: Offline

Also something important for the Butter Bars to remember, is that the instructors are there to help. That's their job, to teach you everything you need to know, and to help you out, if you're missing something. So naturally, if someone washes out, then he has definitely fallen through the cracks. I know of folks that have washed out of Eagle RTU.

However, I have to think of the geographic area of Tyndall AFB as well. Some of the young LTs come here, and they're from BFE, Arkansas, or Dogpatch, Iowa, and they've never seen a beach or bikini in their life. They go out to Panama City Beach every chance they get, and get drunk and wild, and they start paying less attention to their academics, and boom, before you know it, they're history. Off to Little Rock to learn how to fly Hercky Turkeys I guess. I'd imagine that if F-15 training were at Minot, they'd graduate just about every dude that goes through it. Razz

LIFT is now IFF. We do it at Moody AFB and Sheppard AFB. It's not quite as long, but we take dudes that fly fingertip "well" and teach them why its only good for WX and initial. They start with dumb missiles, guns, and bombs before they ever hit the B-course.

Cylon

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USAF initial F-16 Training