Mission Complete

Graduation. Finally. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This year of UPT has been both the slowest and fastest year of our lives. Slow because sometimes the obstacles have felt insurmountable and the days have crawled by. But fast because I can’t believe it’s already over.

UPT Graduation is not just a single event – it’s more like a festival. We began with the arrival of family on Wednesday afternoon. The following day was “Red Carpet Day” – a day for family. We started bright and early at the squadron breakfast, where we enjoyed a feast of donuts and coffee, followed by a presentation by the squadron commander and flight commander. Here, the family learned a bit about the ins and outs of daily life and we were thrilled to learn that C had been selected for the Flight Commander’s Award for outstanding performance, attitude, and dedication.

C with his proud parents

From there, we were able to tour the base, including the squadron, RAPCON, and sim building. We learned a new perspective from the air traffic controller students and even had a chance for all of us to fly the T-1 sim.

C & his dad in the T-1 sim

On Thursday afternoon, we had a huge surprise when C’s squadron flew in for an unannounced visit. Our friends and family were able to tour his future plane and meet his crewmates.

KC-135

That evening, we all piled into cars and headed to the class party at our favorite BBQ place. It was a great chance to meet the students’ families and let off a little steam.

Blowing off steam

Friday morning welcomed the winging ceremony – probably the most awaited event, short of Assignment Night. We enjoyed a short and sweet guest speaker, followed by the presentation of awards. Once again, the proud family applauded as C was called up for the Distinguished Graduate award and the AETC Commander’s Trophy – the two most prestigious awards in UPT.  Finally, H & I joined C at the front for the anticipated pinning of the wings. My husband officially became a United States Air Force pilot.

Wing pinning

C's Bling

Proud family

After a bit of downtime to primp and preen, we may our way to the formal graduation banquet. Even mediocre food could not dampen the electricity of the night. The students, dressed in their spiffy mess dress, were thrilled to be students no more and the glamorized, beaming guests provided testament to the trials and triumphs of the past year. C rounded out his trophy case with the receipt of the T-1 Leadership Award and even I was recognized for my contributions as a spouse during this difficult program.

I couldn't be more proud!

When the feast was cleared, the ties came off for a late night of frivolity – a much-needed release and a true celebration.

C and our dads at the post-party

Graduation has felt much like a wedding: endless planning, the joy and chaos of visiting family, and an event that is over before it has even hit you. It’s hard to believe that we are done – that the routine will be broken and the people who have been like family to us for so many months will be leaving. The urge to rejoice the end is tempered by the reality-shaking acceptance that we must all move on. But one thing I know: though the class of 12-01 may never be reunited, the bond that they (and we as spouses) have formed is eternal. You can’t go through the worst and the best together without coming out stronger and united. 

The Stuff of Which Dreams Are Made

Assignment Night: Big event 1 of 2 that marks the end of UPT. Anxious faces, shaking hands, nervous laughs. What does the future hold for the students and spouses of Class 12-01?

For all of the tension leading up to the big night, the final product was extraordinary. Date change and facility obstacles were completely forgotten as the decked out hangar filled with supporters and food. 

The night was truly a celebration. Never have I seen so many happy faces, so many dreams realized. 

The assignments (known as “the drop”) were cream of the crop and at the top of nearly every student’s wish list. The excitement was contagious, even for those of us who already had our assignment. C and I rejoiced with his classmates – these people, who have become like a family over the past year, have a career of adventures ahead of them and we could not be more thrilled.  

No Room at the Inn

The day has finally come. As I write, C is sitting next to me studying for his LAST, FINAL, ULTIMATE checkride in UPT.

Not only does this week conclude the flying portion of C’s UPT journey, but we have also arrived at Assignment Night for his classmates. No more wondering about the future – as of Friday, the students of C’s class will know what their airborne destinies hold.

And, I am happy to report, we will not be holding this important rite of passage in a cornfield like I had feared throughout the past two weeks. You see, about two weeks ago, the date was changed. Not such a big deal (unless you were a family member with plane tickets or requested time off). But, of course, the changes couldn’t end with a simple switcheroo of the calendar. Instead, the scheduled facility was already booked for the new date, sending the class members into a tailspin of brainstorming (no pun intended). Every suggested venue was shot down by booking, personnel, or other logistics, so that as of last week, the poor lieutenants were all ready to receive their assignments, with no place to do so. But hooray! A venue has finally emerged and promises to hold a night of much rejoicing and the potential to create an Assignment Night for the record books.

And so the countdown begins (or continues)…4 days until Assignment Night; 18 days until graduation. Life is sweet.

Innocence

Despite living and breathing all things pilot training for the last year, our lives have continued to progress in other arenas as well. We’ve all celebrated birthdays, gotten haircuts, had the flu…normal stuff. Today, however, was a big milestone in the life of our family: the first day of kindergarten.

These days, it seems that the beginning of school is routinely associated with a certain loss of innocence; parents are no longer the most influential people in a child’s life and friends take on a much greater significance. As a teacher (on hiatus), I’ve witnessed firsthand the “mature” experiences of today’s child and the rapid progression from baby to teenager – kids seem to be in such a hurry to grow up. I’ll never forget the day one of my sixth grade students asked me what brand of mascara I use.

This short-lived childhood and the inevitable loss of control (someone else is responsible for keeping my kid safe during the day) are the things that scare me the most as a mother. But, as I looked into the eager (and slightly scared) eyes of my little girl this morning, I knew she was ready, even if I was not. The rational side of me knows that this is the turning point not where I lose my little girl, but where the foundation that C and I have laid for her is put to the test.

The Tortoise and the Hare

Blood is pumping a little faster; nerves are jumpy; palms are getting sweaty. Yes folks, we are officially 72 days away from graduation. While this may seem like quite a few days, for those of us who have been at this for almost a year, it’s more like the blink of an eye.  At this point, C has remaining 2 checkrides (one next week), 17 flights, and 1 sim.

So, what happens next?

Coming up in less than 8 weeks is the night that most of our active duty pals await even more than graduation: Assignment Night. This is the event where each student finds out their first assignment – aircraft and location. Some people say that first assignment makes or breaks a career; others say it’s simply the first step in a long journey. Either way, it’s a pretty exciting deal. Personally, it’s a little anticlimactic for us (much like track select), since we already have our assignment, but we are thrilled to discover the fates of the rest of our UPT family.

Two weeks later, the real celebrating begins during the graduation festivities – concluding with the much-anticipated pinning of the wings.

But wait! The voyage doesn’t stop there. After graduation, our journey continues almost immediately. Before returning to our home base, C will attend three follow-on trainings. As we have just received our dates, we learned the C will leave for SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape – Combat Survival Training) and Water Survival five days after graduation. During these, he will learn survival techniques in a classroom setting and then actually survive in the wilderness.  Upon his return, he immediately leaves for Pilot Initial Qualification training. Another training? Basically, pilot training works like this: First, they teach you how to fly a plane (the Air Force way); then, they teach you how to fly a plane similar to your assignment; and finally, they teach you how to fly your actual designated plane. The upside is that C will only be about three hours away for the 4-6 months of PIQ.

It all seems like such a whirlwind. Here at UPT, we all seem to be trapped in a dichotomy of time: while some days/weeks/months seem to crawl by, it’s hard to fathom that a whole year has gone by since we began this process. It’s coming to an end, and yet, it’s not.

Groundhog Day

It’s come to my attention that my posts have been rather sparse lately. This is largely due to the fact that very little has changed in UPT-land. In fact, I’m feeling a bit like Bill Murray these days…

C is about halfway through the T-1 program, in the Navigation block (the second of three blocks). He passed his first checkride and has begun flying to outbases. We received the fantastic news on Friday afternoon that the class is no longer on formal release! The flight room has now become less of a prison and more of a refuge.

To help out our very busy men, two of the other class spouses and I have taken on a bit of class fundraising to help cover the costs of assignment night and graduation events. Students are responsible for footing the bill for these events, which can get pretty costly in the end. We have been working with local restaurants to set up fundraising nights to earn a portion of the proceeds.

As it is summer, H and I have been enjoying a lot of quality time together. Most of our days are spent like this:

We love spending evenings and weekends with C, though since the poor guy has been flying like a mad man lately, his evenings sometimes look a lot like this:

Life keeps rolling, even in UPT when it sometimes feels like time has stopped. Actually, it’s amazing how quickly the time has flown as graduation draws nearer and nearer…

A Day in the Life

Recently I’ve reported on the return of the 12-hour day (perhaps complained is more accurate – sorry about that), but often I am asked: What does he do all day? Straight from the horse’s mouth, here’s a run-down of the average day of a T-1 student: 

·         0520 – Report to the flight room for mission planning

·         Sometime between 0545-0615 – Begin flight briefs with the IP (go over everything pertinent to the flight – weather, NOTAMS, flight plan, etc.)

·         1 hour after flight brief, pilots and IP “step” to the jet – Visit the operations desk to receive aircraft assignment and tail number, a weather briefing, and any pertinent information for operations

·         Proceed to the aircraft for pre-flight – take-off is 1 hour after step

·         The flight lasts approximately 3.3 hours and typically involves traveling to the MOA (Military Operations Area) to practice basic maneuvers like steep turns, traffic pattern stalls, vertical s maneuvers, and slow flight. They proceed to an out-base (out of the local area, often out of state), fly the traffic pattern, and return home. About half-way through the flight, the students switch seats, with the non-flying student sitting in the jumpseat to observe.

·         Upon return, the students and IP debrief the flight for approximately 1 hour

·         Formal Brief (1 hour to 1 hour, 45 minutes) – Led by the USEM (Unit Standardization and Evaluation Monitor) the students engage in “Stand-up”, an emergency procedures evaluation of sorts, and may be given an EPQ (Emergency Procedures Quiz) or boldface test.

·         When still in the academic rotation, students then proceed to an academic class, lasting approximately 1-2 hours

·         1720 – Released to go home, eat dinner, study for the next day’s activities, and go to bed early

·         Repeat, 5 days per week (more or less)

The T-1: C's home away from home

The Ultimate in Gated Communities

Among the many choices an incoming UPT family has to make is the decision about where to live: on base or off. I’ve heard this dilemma so many times, I thought I’d devote a blog to it. Honestly, I had no intention of living anywhere but on base, seeing as we are only here for a year, but after being here for about 9 months, I can see why some struggle with the decision.

Pros of Base Living:

• C  Convenience – Even on a small base, we have pretty much everything we need here, without having to ever leave the gates. Actually, there have been weeks where I haven’t left base at all (though those weeks made me a bit stir-crazy). Plus, I get a lot of exercise because everything is within walking distance. Not to mention, we save a ton of money on gas!
• C  Security – Some neighborhoods boast a “gated community”. Mine boasts a gate and guards who carry M-16s. Somehow, I feel pretty safe here.
• C  Instant friends – At first I was a bit bothered by my new home’s proximity to its neighbors, but I soon learned that being so close space-wise, builds relationships much more quickly. The faces become very familiar, the children like another of your own. Whether poolside, at the park, or grilling in the backyard, it’s pretty difficult to feel secluded for long.
• C  Maintenance – On most bases, housing is now contracted out to companies who build, rent, and maintain the homes. This means that if my drain clogs or a tree falls in my yard, maintenance is just a phone call away. With a husband who is preoccupied with all things UPT, it’s pretty nice not to have to worry about those sorts of problems. Even my yard is mowed for me once a week. (Note: Are things necessarily done the way I want them all the time? No. But at least it’s one less thing to worry about.)
• C  Utilities are Included – At least for now, all utilities are included with our BAH. It’s especially nice during the winter and summer, not having to worry about elevated heated and cooling costs, though we do try not to abuse the resources.
• C  Feeling of Community – Even having only been here less than a year, I am amazed at the camaraderie I’ve witnessed here. From fun base events and opportunities for kids, to coming together during times of tragedy, there are few places that can claim the true spirit of community that exists on a base.

Cons of Base Living:

• D  Security – Yes, this is both a pro and a con. Fortunately I value safety more than I value the ease and timeliness of getting home, but I admit, the occasional delay and random searches are a bit irksome at times. Probably, this is why I avoid leaving base some days.
• D  HOA on Steroids – If you live in a covenanced community, you know what I mean. Everything is regulated – holiday decorations, wall-hangings, pet restrictions – you name it.
• D  What happens to one, happens to all – Much like in an apartment building, if power is lost to one apartment, typically it affects them all. If water is shut down for maintenance, it’s off in the whole community – for as long as it takes to fix it. (This happens surprisingly often!)
• D  Quality of Accommodations – Could we get a nicer home for the same money? Probably. But again, the temporary nature of this assignment really devalues this in my mind. The houses are renovated and fine, at least for the short term.

All in all, minor annoyances included, I would not change our decision to live on base. I feel like the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and regardless, we can do anything for a year!

Delusions of Grandeur

Remember waaayyy back in November when I told you about the 15-day program? (If not, refresh your memory here) It’s back! I’m not sure if I was just deluding myself, but I somehow had it in my mind that Phase 3 might be a little easier on the family life. I thought that maybe a big-boy aircraft meant big-boy treatment. I was mistaken.

C in the T-1 sim - Part of a very full schedule

Don’t get me wrong, hitting the flightline is exciting! C is back in the cockpit where he belongs and flying an aircraft that he really enjoys. But learning a new aircraft, no matter how many you’ve flown, is never an easy task. The T-1 is bigger, has more systems to learn, new checklists, new procedures – it’s basically starting from square one again. Plus, the T-1 is a crew aircraft, meaning a pilot and co-pilot are required for flight, adding an additional teamwork component that they didn’t experience in T-6s. With all of the “newness” comes the need for hours upon hours of studying, which means we are back to that familiar schedule of seeing C only for dinner and the much-cherished Friday nights and Saturdays.

Rumor has it that the schedule starts to even out once the students are more comfortable with the plane and the proper amount of “hazing” has been accomplished. Only time will tell…

Déjà vu

So much has changed since C began Phase 3 in UPT! He works long days, comes home only to study for hours, lugs huge binders and texts around with him everywhere…wait…that sounds…EXACTLY THE SAME! From the family perspective, not much has changed at all. It may be a bit different for him, reading about a new aircraft and all, but the environment remains status quo.

The sun may be shining, but the studying persists

Like in the T-6 program, he will go through academics and sim training before getting into the aircraft for his dollar ride. Since the T-1 is a crew aircraft, he will be paired with another student for both his sims and flights (like an airliner, there is a captain and co-pilot who split the duties) – likely, his partner will remain the same through all or most of the program.  

The benefit of moving onto the final phase of training is that the students are now considered “big boys” (and girls) and are given a bit more freedom. C is, once again, able to come home for lunch (schedule permitting) and, though his schedule is somewhat irregular at present, he is no longer working 12-hour days (at least for now). In a way, starting Phase 3 is like going back to the beginning, complete with the itch to be airborne. 

Let's Hear it for the Boys (and Girls)

The Air Force likes to celebrate. Celebrate becoming an officer, getting a promotion, getting a new assignment, leaving an old assignment, retiring, and, in our case, finishing UPT Phase 2.  Last Monday C’s class went through the ritual called Track Select. As I mentioned before, this is when each member of the class finds out their “track” or which aircraft they’ll fly for Phase 3. Suspense was in the air for the active duty members who didn’t already know their track. After ranking aircraft choices in order of preference, each nervous person was called up individually to receive the news (in front of about 100 of their closest, er, strangers). Each had a custom slide, with their name, hometown, college, comical picture, and “most likely to” results (most of which were completely belittling and very funny). 

After they were introduced, a new slide revealed 3-4 aircraft options, each fading until only their assigned aircraft was left. In one case, the exposed track was, in fact, nothing more than a trick played on a very anxious lieutenant, who, heart-broken one moment, discovered that he indeed had been granted his lifelong dream to fly helicopters. (The collective gasp was brutal!) In, I believe, every case, the students were granted their first or second choice and most left the room walking noticeably lighter than when they entered.

T-1s here we come!

After each student was assigned their new track – to which, I might add, they almost all had to report the following morning – awards were presented to each flight. At track, two awards are given: “Top Stick” goes to the pilot who showed the most excellence in flight; and “Hard Charger” goes to the student who persevered through the program, while maintaining a positive attitude. It was during this part of the evening that our surprise-faces were genuine when C was honored with the “Top Stick” award for his flight. H & I couldn't be more proud!

Top Stick

Once the festivities were complete, most went home for dinner and an early night in bed. After all, the next day, they went back to the beginning.

Channeling My Inner Dora

All morning I’ve been internally humming that catchy little jingle that Dora and Boots use to celebrate another successful adventure – “We did it!”

As of this morning, C has officially completed the T-6 program. He finished up the last of his formation flights and passed his checkride.

So, what happens next? On Monday evening we all get to attend “Track Select”, the event/ceremony that determines a student’s track, or what aircraft they will train in for Phase 3. Since C is a guardsman, we actually already know what he will fly: the T-1A Jayhawk.

T-1A Jayhawk

The active duty members of C’s class do not know their track fate, but were asked to submit their top three aircraft choices. Their flight and academic performance, aircraft availability, and several other variables are weighed to determine which training option they’re granted – some of which may take them to a different base.

Why is the Phase 3 trainer so important? The aircraft they fly for the final phase, leads, ultimately, to the aircraft they will fly for their career. For example, those who train in the T-1 typically go on to fly tankers or cargo planes; the T-36 often leads to a fighter slot; T-44s go into the C-130, and so on. It’s the next step in a career that, at this point, remains very much a mystery.

While C’s track is not in question, the night will not be entirely anticlimactic. Also at the ceremony, awards are presented and a lot of fun is poked at the students, making for an entertaining celebration to conclude the program.

As we arrive at the halfway point in UPT, C’s view of the flightline will look a lot different from here on out and he can proceed with the confidence of having conquered the T-6 Texan. 

So long T-6!

The Fine Art of Multi-Tasking

So say you’re in med school and just as you’re finishing up your challenging anatomy class, preparing for the final, your professors decide to throw you into a surgical residency – something you’ve never done before, and is potentially dangerous – and expect you to complete a solo surgery after, say, 6 lessons. Are you feeling the pressure? Welcome to the last two weeks or so of UPT. While the example above would likely never happen in real life (plus, I know absolutely nothing about med school, so my examples were probably totally inaccurate, but you get the gist), pilot training is on the fast-track and certainly testing my poor husband’s ability to multi-task with the best of them.

As he was fully immersed in finishing up his last few instrument flights and pending checkride, he also began flying formation flights. H calls formation flying “the planes holding hands”, which is totally adorable, but also pretty accurate. To demonstrate, C and H modeled approximately how far apart the planes might be in the air:

Planes fly in formation in order to provide mutual support, flying about 10 feet apart in fingertip formation, and using both voice and hand signals for communication.

Photo: rides.webshots.com

C did, indeed, finish instruments with a stellar checkride, and also completed enough flights for his formation solo (yes, there is a solo in every phase, but the initial solo is the “big one”). Though formation flying was like a hard shove out of his comfort zone – as a former airline pilot, he had been trained NOT to get close to other planes – he’s getting the hang of it and feeling more comfortable. And the good news is, after today, C officially has 9 flights left until he has completed his training in the T-6 (that means we’re almost at the halfway point!). Coming up next? Track select at the end of April, but more on that to come…(Gotta create a little suspense!) 

Cohabitating with the Invisible Man

My husband still lives with me…I think. You see, these days it’s hard to tell. Sometimes I’ll catch a glimpse of him as he inhales his dinner or brushes his teeth. Otherwise, he’s mostly invisible.

The Invisible Man

To make up for the inclement weather last month, the students are working non-stop this month. This means long hours and weekend flying. They are double- and triple-turning (flights and sims back to back) most days, leading to late nights studying and overwhelming exhaustion.

The good news is, as of this Monday, C’s flight is on “informal release”. As previously mentioned, “formal release” means that they didn’t get to leave the flight room during the day. Now, if they are not scheduled for an event (flight, sim, class, etc.), they have the freedom to leave, as long as they are in the flight room at the beginning of each “step” (each round of flights – 3 per day, typically) and for the formal brief in the morning. While the jam-packed schedule doesn’t leave a lot of time to pursue that freedom at present, it’s nice to know that sometime soon we might get to have lunch together or he can study at home instead of in the flight room, putting us at least in the same room together.

Of course, all this hard work means that C is progressing through pilot training at lightning speed. In the past two weeks he has had (and passed) his final contact checkride, gotten about 90% of the way through instrument training (checkride next week), and completed his cross country flight and night flight requirements.

 

C’s cross country flight was this past weekend. It’s typically one of the highlights of the T-6 program, 1) because it’s something different, and 2) because usually they go some place fun. C and his instructor, along with a small group of other students and instructors, flew to Phoenix for the first night and Denver for the second. The flights went well, minus a small electrical problem, and C came home to begin another busy week.

I’d love to report that calmer waters are on the horizon, but with spring weather taking hold, it looks like our winter reprieve is over for now.

A Heart Full of Sorrow

I witnessed something both tragic and amazing this week. My neighbors on base went through the most heart-wrenching tragedy. I cannot imagine a pain more relentless than what they are facing now. While on one hand, my heart breaks for them, it also swells at the outpouring of support that instantaneously appeared from the base community.

Recently, I took on a couple of new roles on base. I have become an officer for the Student Spouse Group (a social group that empowers student spouses to come together) and, in turn, a “key spouse”. Key spouses are found on every base throughout the country and are representative of a particular population (I, with my two other comrades, represent the student spouses). Basically, we are the Yellow Pages for our community: We offer support for spouses and we can direct them to additional resources should the need arise.

Because of these new roles, when tragedy struck, I was fielding phone calls and e-mails from concerned families before the lights and sirens had left my street. People who have never met my neighbors were crying for them and offering selfless acts of kindness, from meal delivery to babysitting. People have stopped me at the commissary and the pet store asking, “What can I do?”

This community has shown its true colors this week. As someone who is still fairly new to military life, this was not what I expected, but I am so proud to be a part of it. Society at large has something to learn from this family we call the Air Force. 

Standing Still

C soloed to the area yesterday! He has only 4 flights left until his final Contact checkride.

That's it. Really. I have absolutely nothing else to report. The snow is moving in for the second week in a row and life as we know it has come to a standstill. Rumor has it the students will soon be flying weekends in order to make up for the lack of weekday flying.

Therefore, in lieu of anything exciting to share, I'd like to share this video that C says, "Is exactly what [he does] every day!" It makes me a little nauseous just watching it, which makes me all the more impressed with C's dedication and success.

It May Not Be 1999...

…But we definitely have cause to party like it is!

Winter in pilot training is an odd paradox of busy inactivity. By this I mean, when the weather is poor, the idleness is stifling. But when the sun makes its triumphant return, the rush to squeeze in as many flights as possible to get caught up and progress is enough to make your head spin. After C’s solo flight, he flew once in about 3 weeks. (This was not just due to weather, but also cancelations and various other schedule changes) Then, suddenly, he double-turned (meaning two flights or a sim and a flight, back to back) three days in one week and went up for his mid-phase check-ride during the same week. The check-ride itself was enough to get the blood pumping, with its notorious 60% failure rate.  C passed with flying colors (pun sort of intended) and this week (weather permitting) will progress to his area solo (flying by himself to the practice area to carry out aerobatic maneuvers).

Despite the insanity of the week, everyone – C and I included – had an event to look forward to on Friday night. The night of the celebratory “Solo Party” had finally arrived. The party, of course, is meant to commemorate the achievement of the students on accomplishing their initial solo, but also provides a much-needed opportunity for students and instructors to come together in an informal environment. The (root)beer flowed and jokes abounded in anticipation of the “tie-cutting” ceremony – an Air Force tradition wherein the instructor and student who soloed together have a chance to tell the story of the solo, often including funny anecdotes and frequent embellishments, followed by the instructor hacking away at the student’s tie based on his performance (the lower the cut, the better the flight). 

Just the tip - Way to go, C!

It was nice to see the tension eased with laughter over past mistakes and the amplified camaraderie that success seemed to harbor in the students. 

Bird on a Wire

Birds migrate. This is certainly no big secret. What I didn’t fully comprehend was that, in moving to the southern regions of the U.S., birds migrate HERE. They’re everywhere! From the power lines, to the plentiful harvested fields, and of course, in the air.  The presence of so many feathered creatures not only provides endless entertainment/angst for my dog,

but also causeed the Air Force to develop such terms as: Bird Severe. Naturally, birds and jet engines are not the best combination, but the migration effect is so out of control that the phenomenon has been titled as an actual flight condition (much like weather) that halts or redirects flights.

"Bird Severe"

So, during the winter months of pilot training, not only do students contend with snow, ice, and bone-freezing temperatures, they also are on constant alert for flocks so large they more resemble a black storm cloud. 

It Takes a Trio to Make a Solo

After 12 training flights (plus a post-Christmas “refresher” called an 86-ride) and approximately 5 sim sessions, my husband has finally climbed mountain #1 in UPT: the T-6 initial solo. It was an exciting day for all of us! H & I met our escort (C’s flightmate) in the flight room while C was briefing with his instructor.

C & his IP

After his briefing, he went to “step” for his flight – check in with the SUP, get a weather brief, airfield status, and any other pertinent information, then receive an aircraft assignment.  From there, we followed him over to Life Support, where he donned all of his gear (g-suit, helmet, etc.) to prepare for his flight.

Suiting up

For the first part of the flight, his instructor joined him for 3 normal landings, a go-around, and a break-out and reentry of the pattern, to ensure proficiency before he took off on his own. Upon landing, the instructor hopped out and C was ready to “fly solo”. (Pun completely intended)

Duel to Solo

Before heading out, the IPs have a fun tradition in which they switch name tags with the student to signify “handing over” their wings. This is followed by some sort of pep talk. (In this case, "Have fun. Don't kill yourself.")

Switching name tags

During the initial solo, the student stays in the pattern and practices as many landings as possible before returning, lasting about 30-45 minutes.

Signaling for engine start

After the flight, we had a chance for a few photo ops and congratulatory hugs, 

Our trio

but then C had to prepare to enter stealth mode. Per Air Force tradition, the student is subjected to being tossed in the “dunk tank” after their first solo. (Which, the day before, was covered in ice and has a perpetual layer of muck resting on the bottom)

The dunk tank

If the student is able to sneak past his classmates and make it to the flight room without being caught and dunked, each flight member owes him/her a case of their favorite beverage. C (and his instructor, who was eligible for dunking since it was his first solo as an IP) managed to make it back. So, while he will be enjoying a plethora of beverages, he got drenched anyway, just to honor tradition.

H and I were so proud, watching C take off in an Air Force jet all on his own! There may be more to come, but: Hurdle #1 complete.  

T-6 Initial Solo: Complete

“It’s pretty cool when you’re doing 230 knots at 500 feet, in a 60-degree bank, pulling 4 G’s.”  ~ C