From: thughes@lonestar.utsa.edu (Toby . Hughes)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Pilot Training Advice
Keywords: Pilot Training
Date: 29 Sep 92 13:04:12 GMT
Organization: University of Texas at San Antonio


From thughes@lonestar.utsa.edu (Toby . Hughes)

In article <BvAs1y.9tq@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> jcw@sysdiv.sdl.usu.edu (JC Wilkinson) writes:
>
>From jcw@sysdiv.sdl.usu.edu (JC Wilkinson)
>
>	I was recently commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force and am now
>waiting to go to UPT.

Congrats!  It's the ONLY way to fly!

 I completed the Flight Screening Program at Hondo and
>ended up being #1 in my flight, even though I entered the program with only
>six hours in a Cessna 152.

Put this behind you.  Your UPT base will be aware of it, but it will not be
relevant to how you perform there.  It MAY even cause them to expect more out
of you.


 This tells me that I have the potential to do
>well at pilot trainig, but I want to do all I can in the future to prepare
>myself as well as possible for T-37's and T-38's. I am about 12 hours away
>from getting my private pilot license but wonder if that is a wise goal to
>pursue. Will 20 or 30 hours of civilian flying teach me habits that I will
>only have to unlearn at pilot training, or will that experience with TCA's,
>patterns, landings etc. be benificial?


If you want to get your private ticket, do so.  The primary value of it in
UPT is that you will be more comfortable in the airplane during the first
few rides.  Once everyone else catches up, it won't help much, but its nice
to have.  But yes, you will have to unlearn civilian flying, and the biggest
mistake you can make will be to give the impression that you already know
how to fly.


>	I suppose that their will be a few student pilots report for
>training with standard T-37 manual-type-info engrained in their heads.

EXCELLENT planning.  You will be flying the T-37, and the more you know about
it, the better off you will be.



It
>seems that it would also be benificial to know local procedures. I have
>requested Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas as my first choice for UPT, Does
>anyone have or know the local procedures for that base? If not, who could I
>contact that might?

Local procedures probably would not mean much to you at this point.  You
really need an introduction to the military flying environment to understand
much of what they say.  But if you can get your hands on a T-37 Dash One
(Flight Manual), do it.  Pay particular attention to General Description,
Normal Procedures, and Emergency Procedures.



>
>Thanks in advance for your response,
>JC Wilkinson
>
>    <No Pain No Gain, No Sweat No Jet!!      F-16!!!>
>


I spent two tours as an instructor and check pilot at Laughlin.  If I were
to generalize on student abilities, I would say that the most important single
factor in successful completion of the program was Attitude.  If a stud
REALLY wanted it, I found I could usually teach it to him, even if he was a
little short on stick and rudder ability.  But I've seen more than one
natural born pilot wash out because he (a) thought he knew more than the
instructors or (b) didn't think he had to work at it.  It's not an easy
program, but if you are willing to put yourself back to square one and into
the hands of some guy just a couple of years older than you, but one who has
been where you are yet to go, and are willing to put up with a lot of trivial
bullshit and to do it THEIR WAY to attain a significant goal, it's all worth it.

Good Luck,

William F. "Toby" Hughes
LtCol, USAF (Ret)
thughes@lonestar.utsa.edu
Newsgroups: sci.military