Dustin Barbour

The first phase of training in the T-1 is called Transition. Its goal is to get the new student spun up on how to fly the T-1 and to squash/forget all of the “T-6isms” that were learned in the previous four months of UPT. There are new systems, techniques and procedures that need to be learned in a very short amount of time. Ground operations, crew resource management, TOLD, flying with multiple engines… all of these are different or new and more complex when compared to the relatively simple T-6. The learning curve is STEEP and daunting, but certainly not impossible.

There are only twelve flights before the first checkride and the majority of the class is about halfway there. I’ve been on seven flights thus far and have had weather conspire against me on three of those forcing the sortie to end before the training was complete. An incomplete ride goes into your gradebook as a “No Grade” and does not count for anything. That means free training! I’m currently resting on four complete rides and have eight to go before going to the Check Flight chopping block.

Daily flightroom operations suck. 0430 showtimes, standup, shotgun questions, TOLD definitions, PFPS, morning briefs, a wretched computer system, EPQs and NNTs together make it far more stressful than it ever was in the T-6, but my class was graced with a good collection of instructors who have great personalities and a genuine interest in our progression. We have a few FAIPs, a number of Captains with at least one tour in an MWS, a group of Reservists at our disposal and Major Eylander who shows immense interest in educating us without kicking our balls in. There is a lot of experience for us to draw upon and a lot less flightroom immaturity to deal with which is greatly welcomed.

This coming week I expect to get a minimum of three complete rides which should get me through the first half of Transition and that much closer to my checkride. I was stood up on Friday so I should be safe from that for the week and I’m expecting a couple tests… an EPQ and an NNT. But the showtime is going to be around 7:00 AM all week! It’s crazy that two years ago I wasn’t using an alarm clock, making twice what the Air Force is paying me and now I’m praising a 7 AM start to an intensely stressful workday. Shouldn’t things be going the other direction as I get older? Haha.