Beginnings
I wish I could write that my love of aviation began at a very early age. Such a tale might begin with, “I had many toys, all of which were abandoned as soon as I got my hands on that … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Aviating
Buzz Job
Got this from a fellow USAF aviator, who served in Vietnam on an exchange tour with the Navy and survived 100 night traps aboard the USS Oriskany. He retired as an O-6 Wing Commander of the 67th TRW at Bergstrom. … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – The First Checkride
During the initial portion of my USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) known as the “Contact” Phase, each student was paired with a primary instructor pilot (IP). This provided continuity in procedures and techniques, especially important when learning new skills requiring … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – When an Engine Says, “I Quit”
All the students of USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) Class 66-D at Reese AFB, Texas, had private pilot’s licenses obtained with civilian instructors. The airplanes we flew had only one internal combustion engine (just like in your car) and a … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – When an Airplane Says, “I Quit.”
In the three-dimensional world of flight, the word “normal” (conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected) is defined in relation to both procedures (a series of actions conducted in a certain order or manner) and maneuvers (a movement or … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – A Post-Solo Hiccup
Following my first solo flight in the T-37, I flew a combination of solo and dual sorties. Initially, solo flights were conducted within the traffic pattern, kind of like keeping the chicks close to home. Once cleared for solo flight … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – Initial Solo
Initial: existing or occurring at the beginning. Solo: an unaccompanied flight by a pilot in an aircraft. These dictionary definitions do little to illustrate the significance of the words to a budding aviator. On February 3rd, 1964, I flew a … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – Time to Re-Tire
Prior to our first flights in the T-37, we had already spent many hours in the classroom. As described in a previous post titled, “Split Schedules,” academics would continue in conjunction with flight training to cover in detail subjects like … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – Dollar Rides and Sick Sacks
To say that USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) shoved me and the other students of Class 66-D headlong into a brand-new world is a gross understatement. One day we were green-bean 2nd Lieutenants on an extended summer vacation. But after … Continue reading →
Undergraduate Pilot Training – Split Schedules
After the initial academics-only period, we began a split schedule with classroom instruction in the morning and flying training in the afternoon, or vice versa. All military time is expressed in a 24-hour clock, so AM and PM had no … Continue reading →
