Test Update

Three for three. 100% on the aerodynamics test, now on to weather for Thursday. 3 tests down, 4 to go.

Phugoid Oscillations, Dutch Rolls, L/D max...

Can't wait to take this test and get past all this aerodynamic theory stuff. Last time I checked, pushing the throttle forward made the plane go faster, pulling it back made it go slower, everything else was common sense and hand eye coordination. It makes it even more funny, as a class, because none of us in the class has a degree that would have covered this type of stuff. The closest is a civil engineer, then there's me, who took a year's worth of engineering classes before switching majors. Who knew that there were separate equations for lift, drag, take off speed, landing speed, etc. Somehow, I think I would have done just fine without knowing these topic to this in-depth of a level. But the test is tomorrow afternoon, after a couple of classes on weather, our next subject. I'm guessing I'll be able to compete with the local TV weatherman by the end of the week.

This week should be more interesting than last since we have our bold face/ops limits test this Thursday. Assuming we all pass, we should be able to wear our flightsuits and get out of these blues once and for all. Then we should also start doing our sims on Friday. I can only assume, anyways, because our academic schedule only goes up through Thursday with nothing scheduled so far for Friday.

Other than that, it's nice to be somewhere where Spring is actually Spring, and not just an extension of Winter. Everything is nice and green, partly sunny, and temps in the 80s. The only thing missing is thunderstorms.

Another Quick Update

Second test down, got another 100%. Got to sit in the simulator a couple of times so far to get familiar with all the switches and how things work. Had some extra time with today's familiarization time and got to play around with actually flying it. It's definitely different when you don't physically feel the changing directional forces when you turn and such and you're just looking at a screen. Good news is that I took off and landed without crashing, bad news is that I have no idea how! Here's what the sims sort of look like (photos taken from T6driver.com)

 simulated cockpit on the left, simulator control station on the right

Next up...Aerodynamics, which is basically a crash course in physics/fluid dynamics/aeronautical engineering. Test is on Monday.

Continuation From This Morning

Test #1 complete, got a perfect score. Class average was a 93%, with one guy "failing" it (passing is 85%, he got an 81). Next up, fuel, electrical, and propulsion systems with the test being Wednesday. Game on...

Weekly Excuse Post

Seems to be a theme now on Sundays, but this weekend was spent studying for this test later today and watching the NCAA tournament (and consequently the latest horrible game from Purdue). The first test in any class is always the most stressful for me, because you don't know what to expect. Today's test is over hydraulics, communications equipment, flight instruments, GPS, flight controls, and...ummmm...some of the other gadgets in the cockpit. Our next test is Wednesday, over the fuel system, the engine, and the electrical system. Still trying to learn all the switches and buttons. Here's a picture of what the cockpit looks like:

It's really not that complicated, once you know what everything does

I don't think I ever mentioned it, but the entire time that we're doing nothing but academics, we have to wear our blues (our uncomfortable dress pants and button up shirt). Sure, they make us look good, but I highly dislike them.

one week down, nine more to go!

New Class

After a couple of days of this new class, I still haven't decided how I feel about it. On the positive side, it's not Pueblo and the overall attitude is one of a training environment and not one of a screening environment. Our first couple weeks are purely academics, covering how to fly the T-6 as well as going into more depth on topics we covered at IFS. However, here's a picture of all the materials we were given for the duration of this class (known as publications, or pubs):

Use my laptop as a scale.

Basically, they've taken the traditional pilot training course (which takes about a year to complete), took out all the stuff that doesn't apply to flying RPAs, and this 10 week course is what they came up with. So far, it's a little overwhelming with the amount of detailed information that we're going to have to know, but the way we're going about it makes it feel do-able. These first two weeks of academics mostly involve us sitting in front of computers clicking through lessons covering everything in the pubs above. After we go through the computer lessons on our own, we have a review session with an instructor to go over everything and make sure we get any questions answered and that we're pointed in the right direction. After every section covered (such as systems, instruments, or navigation) we have a test. Our first test is this coming Monday. Overall, it's kind of like IFS, but different. A lot more reading and detail involved in this course...along with not having a cafeteria or housekeeping, which was kind of nice to have...

In other news, the class behind us has now been reduced to 1 person, out of an original 8. The next class is scheduled to start here shortly, but they have a lot more flight experience among them so they should do a lot better as far as getting people through. Still, as of now, there's a 31% pass rate for the first two classes. It has a lot of attention from some top Air Force brass...the Chief of Staff of the Air Force came to visit the squadron here last week...

Also, I misspoke in my previous post. Apparently there were 400 ROTC cadets that applied for an RPA spot and only 40 were selected (10% selection rate, for all you math wizards), compared to the ~60% selection rate for traditional pilot spots.

Anyways, that's it for now. I have a lot of reading to do before Monday...

I Blame Daylight Savings Time

So I totally forgot about writing a post today...and I blame the time change for that one. But, I've just been sitting around not doing a whole lot since my class hasn't started yet. That'll change this week, though...we start Tuesday morning with the usual intro briefs and such. I get to pick up all my books and academic materials tomorrow to look over. Besides that, I've been partially studying for the new Boldface/Ops Limits of the T-6, reading up on house buying, and avoiding as much work as possible.

I was hoping to write more about the following, but I'll just have to save it for later but:

- The class that followed mine at IFS has now been reduced to 3 (they started with 8, also), and they haven't even gotten past the first training block.

- Apparently for this commissioning year from all the ROTC detachments across the nation, 140+ cadets applied for this new RPA Pilot career field and only 40 got selected. Traditional pilot slots had 60% of the cadets that applied get a slot. Interesting...it's apparently harder to get an RPA Pilot slot than it is to get a regular pilot slot...

That's it for now. Class starts Tuesday!

Nothing Happy About This Post

Still waiting for my next class to start, RPA Instrument Qualification (RIQ), and I guess I'll have to wait a few days longer...due to construction. So, I'm going to use this post to rant a little bit. I have nothing good to say, so proceed with caution!

So as I said before, my next class start date got pushed back from 8 March to the 14th. Normally, I wouldn't care. It would give me a few extra days to study the new Boldface and Ops limits for the T-6 (see earlier posts if that last sentence didn't make any sense to you)...BUT...the later start date usually means a later finish date, and my family had already planned a Vegas vacation to coincide with my next break between classes (19-22 May). The new projected finish date is 23 May (My cynical thought: of course it is! why wouldn't it be?) Hotel rooms are booked, plane tickets are bought, plans have been made...then a week before our class is supposed to start I get a text message from one of my classmates telling me the date's been pushed back...for construction. Are you serious?!? I get to have my plans all jacked up, $600 in plane tickets and the fact my dad had planned his 2 weeks of R&R from Balad (he's been working in Iraq since before Thanksgiving) all because some contractor can't keep a project on schedule!?!? I was on leave in Omaha when I found this out, so I couldn't do a whole lot about it. So I took my girlfriend to the local gun range and shot some rounds. I had to vent somewhere.

It worked a little bit. It probably would have been more enjoyable if I would have realized how expensive it was going to be (about 55 cents per round, for 150 rounds). I came back to Randolph the next day and explained my situation to my flight commander. He sympathized, but he doesn't run the courses, so he sent an email explaining my predicament to whoever does run the course and hopefully I'll get some good news tomorrow. If not, I'm out $600+, a chance to see my family all in one place, the chance for my parents to meet my girlfriend, and...c'mon, it's a trip to Vegas! But I'll have to wait to hear anything until after I get my passenger side window replaced in the morning...because some asshole in downtown San Antonio saw the need to bust into my car, rummage through my stuff, and only take my GPS (which was in my glovebox, not out in the open). Thankfully, I was able to find the serial number for it. Now, if this person tries to pawn it or something it should send up a red flag. I honestly don't care about the GPS, I just hope they find the person who did this (not that a whole lot will happen besides a slap on the wrist).

Exactly as I found it, with the glovebox and center console opened

Luckily I didn't have anything valuable in my car that night, which is a lesson I learned from the first time this happened (about 2 years ago in Omaha, but it was the driver's side window). In my life, I have now had my vehicle broken into 4 times, one of those times they didn't even take anything! People are scumbags. It's stuff like this that makes me want to go get a concealed carry permit and hope that I catch one of these bastards in the act. Hey, I'm in Texas now, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to shoot first and ask questions later, right? Anyways, I will credit the San Antonio Police for doing as much as they could. They even brought out a forensics guy who dusted for fingerprints. He found two, but they're most likely mine. The effort was appreciated, though. Now I have to shell out $215 for a new window (my insurance's comprehensive deductible is more than that, so I would pay regardless).

Oh, and to top it all off, my Boilermakers played the most horrendous game of basketball I've seen them play in the last four years. I was so angry while watching it, my fingers were shaking. Losing to the last place team in the Big Ten on the last regular season game of the year. Way to finish! But I shouldn't be too surprised, that's how Purdue rolls. We get right on the brink of absolute success and then just choke. After 9 years of experiencing this, you'd think I would be used to it...

Awesome finish to the week, can't wait to start another one!