VT - 10 Training Squadron TEN ( VT - 10 ) is a training squadron of the United States Navy . The squadron is homebased at NAS Pensacola , Florida . Awards . Training Squadron TEN has been awarded five Meritorious Unit Commendations and four Chief of Naval Education and Training “ Shore / Technical Training Excellence Awards " , the most recent in 2005 . “ Wildcat " safety initiatives have earned the squadron twenty one Chief of Naval Operations Safety Awards including one in 2005 . The squadron was awarded the Towers Award for safety in 1978 and the Grandpaw Pettibone Safety Award in 2004 and 2005 . VT - 10 ' s extensive energy conservation efforts and improved efficiency enabled the squadron to receive the 1995 and 1996 Secretary of the Navy Energy Conservation Awards . In 2005 , VT - 10 was presented with the VADM Robert Goldthwaite Award for Training Excellence , the squadrons fourth such award . VT - 10 ' s resourceful use of “ Self Help ” to significantly improve facilities resulted in the squadron being awarded the Chief of Naval Operations Bronze Hammer Award for 2000 . History . In 1960 , Training Squadron TEN ( VT - 10 ) was established as a division of the Training Department of NAS Pensacola and was known as the Basic Naval Aviation Officers ( BNAO ) School . BNAO was developed in response to ( 1 ) the increasing importance of navigator and radar operator - type flying officers in the latest generation of multi - seat naval aircraft such as the A - 3 Skywarrior , A - 5 Vigilante , A - 6 Intruder , F - 4 Phantom II and P - 2 Neptune and ( 2 ) in order to create a more standardized training program that better approximated that given to Student Naval Aviator s . Until early 1962 , BNAO was strictly a ground training operation for prospective Naval Aviation Observers who would receive follow on training at a Fleet Replacement Air Group ( RAG ) in an operational Fleet combat aircraft and would then receive their NAO wings following conclusion of a training syallbus . Evaluating the lack of training aircraft in the BNAO syllabus as in adequate , the school was assigned nine UC - 45J " Navigators " and six T - 2A " Buckeyes " in February 1962 . The T - 2As were soon replaced with nine T - 1A “ Sea Star " aircraft . In 1965 , Naval Aviation Observers were re - designated as Naval Flight Officer s ( NFOs ) , and in 1968 , BNAO School was officially commissioned as Training Squadron TEN ( VT - 10 ) . By November 1970 , Training Squadron TEN had trained over 6 , 000 student NFOs . In 1971 , Training Squadron TEN transitioned to the T - 39D “ Sabreliner " jet trainer and the TF - 9J “ Cougar " which was replaced two years later by the newer T - 2C “ Buckeye . " The squadron doubled in size between 1972 and 1974 to accommodate an increased training requirement , maintaining 40 aircraft : ten T - 39Ds and thirty T - 2Cs . During the 1970s several flight ground trainers were introduced to the syllabus , including the 1D23 NAV / comm trainer , the 2F90 instrument trainer , and the 2F101 flight simulator . In 1981 , a reassignment of aircraft within NATRACOM replaced VT - 10 ' s T - 2C aircraft with T - 2Bs . The squadron revised its training in 1984 and acquired twenty T - 34C " Turbo Mentors " ; and the Cessna T - 47A s replaced the T - 39Ds in 1985 . During 1991 , revolutionary changes were made to the NFO syllabus . To improve NFO air sense and situational awareness , forty additional flight hours were placed in the curriculum allowing instruction in basic piloting skills including aerobatics , takeoffs , and landings . The same year , the squadron replaced the T - 47A with the T - 39N which had upgraded avionics and radar . The T - 2Bs and the air combat maneuvering syllabus were transferred to Training Squadron EIGHTY - SIX ( VT - 86 ) . At the same time VT - 10 acquired twenty additional T - 34Cs and two new 2B37 instrument trainers for primary and intermediate training . In 1994 , the first U . S . Air Force instructors and student navigators ( NAVs ) reported to Training Squadron TEN under a joint memorandum of agreement between the services . The agreement included the 1996 transition from the T - 39N to the Air Force T - 1A “ Jayhawk " as the training platform for the Intermediate syllabus events . In April 1996 , VT - 10 split instructor and student assets to assist in the establishment of Training Squadron FOUR ( VT - 4 ) as a second NFO / NAV Primary / Intermediate Training Squadron . In 1999 the T - 39G / N was re - integrated into the NFO intermediate training syllabus as the training platform for Navy and International Students with the T - 1 remaining as the training platform for Air Force and Marine Corps Students . In April 2004 VT - 10 flew its last T - 39G / N sortie with the T - 1 taking over as the primary training platform for all VT - 10 student NFO intermediate training syllabus flights . In October 2010 , the T - 39G / N replaced the T - 1 in the NFO intermediate syllabus . On December 3 , 2010 , VT - 4 will be placed in cadre status , and VT - 10 will be the sole NFO primary and intermediate training squadron . VT - 10 has a 60 member Navy and Marine Corps instructor staff that currently trains over 300 NFOs annually . In 1997 , command of VT - 10 began alternating between Navy and Air Force Officers . Upon graduation from the Primary or Intermediate phases of flight training , students proceed to follow - on training according to branch of service and ultimate operational aircraft : In January 2003 , VT - 10 initiated instructor orientation flights in the T - 6A “ Texan II ” , the joint Air Force / Navy platform slated to replace the T - 34C “ Turbomentor ” as the primary phase syllabus trainer . The T - 6A “ Texan II ” , is a single engine , two - seat trainer , which is fully aerobatic . It features a pressurized cockpit , a G - tolerance enhancement system and dual zero - zero ejection seats . The T - 6A utilizes a state - of - the - art digital cockpit , to help familiarize students with what they will encounter in their fleet tours . In August 2003 , VT - 10 marked its first training flight in the T - 6A Texan II . The first student class consisted of 4 Navy , 1 Marine and 1 Air Force students who received over 180 hours of academic training , 27 hours of simulator training , and 60 hours of actual flight time . In April 2005 , VT - 10 completed the transition to the T - 6 and flew its last T - 34C “ Turbomentor ” student sortie . VT - 10 conducted two detachments to Key West NAS , one detachment to Randolph AFB , TX , as well as two separate hurricane evacuations when hurricanes Dennis and Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast . The squadron implemented the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System ( JPATS ) format for training and rewrote T - 6A course - ware to reflect the first major change in Naval Aviation grading philosophy in a generation ; the Multi - Service Navigator Training System ( MNTS ) . During 2013 , students at VT - 10 started following a new curriculum , the Undergraduate Military Flight Officer ( UMFO ) program . Students who began training in the MNTS pipeline , referred to as " Legacy students " , will complete training on that curriculum .