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