Download or read book Absorbing Air Force Fighter Pilots written by William W. Taylor and published by Minnesota Historical Society. This book was released on 2002 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The US Air Force is facing unprecedented problems in its efforts to provide adequate training for new and inexperienced pilots in its operational fighter units. This report assesses the Air Force's training dilemma with a view to finding ways to remedy it in both the short and long term.
Download or read book Absorbing Air Force Fighter Pilots Parameters Problems and Policy Options written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Air Force is currently confronting unprecedented problems in managing fighter aircrews. There are too few pilots in the active component, yet so many new pilots are entering the force that operational units cannot absorb them without jeopardizing readiness and safety. The 1990s saw sizable cuts in force structure, increased tasking, and fewer training sorties in all remaining active operational units. These factors are the genesis of today's absorption problems. During site visits, we observed the adverse training environment that can result when the number of new pilots arriving at operational units exceeds the units' capacity to absorb them. At an active A/OA-10 combat unit located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, for example, we found the following: (1) Sixty percent (47 of 78) of assigned primary mission pilots were decertified from combat mission-ready (CMR) status. (2) Pilots averaged too few sorties monthly, exhibited degraded performance in primary bombing events, and performed poorly on check rides. (3) All instructor pilot (IP) and supervisor survey respondents cited problems with both the quantity and the quality of training available to inexperienced pilots. Many also expressed concern that wingmen in their units were flying advanced missions without a fundamental foundation in certain basic skills. (4) Manning and experience levels exacerbated these problems. Available training sorties had to be distributed among an aircrew position indicator-1 (API-1) pilot population that was 16.7 percent overmanned and only 36.9 percent experienced even though the reported experience level was 48.6 percent.
Download or read book Absorbing and Developing Qualified Fighter Pilots written by Richard S. Marken and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2007-10-03 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What qualifications determine whether a fighter pilot is experienced? Surveys of expert pilots revealed that, while flying time is an element of the experience needed for both combat and staff jobs, other things are also important. The Air Force needs to measure and credit different types of experience-including time spent in advanced simulator systems-when revising its definitions of pilot experience.
Download or read book Fighter Drawdown Dynamics written by William W. Taylor and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2009 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The number of fighter aircraft in the Air Force inventory is decreasing, but the demand for experienced fighter pilots is increasing. The authors use a dynamic mathematical model to show that, to keep from damaging fighter unit readiness, fighter pilot production in the active Air Force must be reduced and new approaches to developing and managing personnel with fighter pilot-like skills must be adopted.
Download or read book Absorbing and Developing Qualified Fighter Pilots The Role of the Advanced Simulator written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the main responsibilities of an operational fighter unit is to turn inexperienced pilots entering the unit into experienced pilots who are able to carry out the unit's operational mission effectively. The process of turning inexperienced pilots into experienced pilots is called absorption. The Air Force must manage pilot absorption to achieve two goals. First, it must ensure that operational units have enough experienced pilots to perform the unit's mission and to sustain the development of pilots for supervisory flying positions in the unit. Second, it must ensure that pilots gain the experience they will need to perform duties in nonflying positions that require rated officers.
Download or read book Life as an Air Force Fighter Pilot written by Robert C. Kennedy and published by Children's Press(CT). This book was released on 2000 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The On Duty series celebrates the exciting and rewarding life in the armed forces. Each book offers readers a panoramic view of the work, responsibilities, and opportunities to be expected by a member of the army, navy, marine, and air force branches of the military.
Download or read book Once A Fighter Pilot written by Jerry W. Cook and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2002-05-17 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * The true adventure tales of a U.S. Air Force fighter who flew more than 400 combat hours while on duty in Vietnam * Provides a rare insider's glimpse into the world of the flying elite, detailing their education, training, emotions, and day to day experiences * Poignant, sometimes funny, brutally honest, always exciting, and an eye-opening look at one of the most tumultuous eras in U.S. history.
Download or read book The Spirit of Attack written by Bruce Gordon and published by Author House. This book was released on 2014 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SCRAMBLE! In a couple of minutes my wingman and I would be airborne on another adventure. Sometimes we intercepted an airliner, sometimes a misplaced B-52 bomber, and sometimes Russian bombers probing our defenses; Russian warships; MIG fighters; or "troops in contact" in Vietnam, calling for napalm only yards from their positions. Twice it was UFOs - Unidentified Flying Objects! This book is a series of short stories, supported by more than 90 photographs. The first part has my own stories; later stories were contributed by my fellow pilots. The last story is from WW II of our P-38 fighters attacking the Romanian oil fields and getting badly mauled by defending Romanian fighters - and a Romanian pilot's view of the battle! "Only the spirit of attack borne in a brave heart will bring success to any fighter aircraft, to matter how highly developed the aircraft may be." That quote from Adolf Galland, an Ace of the German Luftwaffe in WW II, was the motto of our 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Alaska. The fighter pilot is a hunter, and his quarry is the most dangerous in the world - men who want to kill him! The best defense is a good offense - ATTACK! The US Air Force had a program called "Every Man a Tiger". A tiger does not kill impulsively or in anger, but plans his attack carefully and strikes with cool ferocity. We were tigers! Fighter pilots tell stories around the bar, but they seldom write them down. These stories were written by the fighter pilots themselves! Come with me and hear of the beauty of flight, the mortal danger of electrical power failure at night in a snowstorm, and the thrill of attack with 20mm cannons firing right under your feet!
Download or read book A Total Force Solution for an Active Duty Fighter Pilot Shortage written by David W. Walker and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Active Duty (AD) Air Force has a shortage of fighter pilots and cannot recover until fiscal year 2013. Producing more fighter pilots is problematic given post Cold War fighter force structure. Only 12.6 fighter wing equivalents (FWE) are currently in the AD force, while 7.6 FWE are in the Air Reserve Component (ARC). This research analyzed the proposition of assigning 80 fighter pilots per year to ARC fighter units for absorption. The researcher gathered flying hour metrics including sorties, hours, and utilization rates (UTE) from AD, Air National Guard (ANG), and Air Force Reserve (AFR). The researcher next calculated annual sortie and hour requirements for AD fighter pilots. After comparing these two sets of data, the researcher concluded 80 fighter pilots could be absorbed per year by the ARC. The ARC would have to increase UTE rate by slightly more than three sorties per month across the entire operational fighter fleet. This equated to a 25 percent increase in flying hours. Given the extreme cost to the ARC in terms of airframe lifespan, the researcher recommended absorbing some number fewer than 80 in the ARC to balance the benefit of reducing the fighter pilot shortage with the costs."--Abstract.
Download or read book From F 4 Phantom to A 10 Warthog written by Steven K Ladd and published by Air World. This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fighter pilots! Images of Baron Manfred von Richthofen and Eddie Rickenbacker in the Great War, Johnnie Johnson, Robert Stanford Tuck and Richard Bong in the Second World War, or Robin Olds in Vietnam, all spring to mind. Volumes have been written about them, past and present. Understandably, most of these revolve around the skill, cunning and bravery that characterizes this distinctive band of brothers, but there are other dimensions to those who take to the skies to do battle that have not been given the emphasis they deserve – until now. You do not have to be an aviation aficionado to enjoy Colonel Steve Ladd’s fascinating personal tale, woven around his 28-year career as a fighter pilot. This extremely engaging account follows a young man from basic pilot training to senior command through the narratives that define a unique ethos. From the United States to Southeast Asia; Europe to the Middle East; linking the amusing and tongue-in-cheek to the deadly serious and poignant, this is the lifelong journey of a fighter pilot. The anecdotes provided are absorbing, providing an insight into life as an Air Force pilot, but, in this book, as Colonel Ladd stresses, the focus is not on fireworks or stirring tales of derring-do. Instead, this is an articulate and absorbing account of what life is really like among a rare breed of arrogant, cocky, boisterous and fun-loving young men who readily transform into steely professionals at the controls of a fighter aircraft. From F-4 Phantom to A-10 Warthog is a terrific read: the legacy of a fighter pilot.
Download or read book Fighter Pilots written by David West and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2008-01-15 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This graphic nonfiction career book provides the unique challenges of flying fighter aircraft and how pilots work with crews in combat. This thrilling volume explains how three fighter pilots obtained their extensive background in flight theory, air navigation, meteorology, and aircraft operations and preparation for combat missions.
Download or read book Call Sign KLUSO written by Rick Tollini and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2021-04-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A US Air Force Captain tells the story of his life and service during Operation Desert Storm in this thrilling military memoir. A pilot all his life, Rick “Kluso” Tollini turned his childhood dream into a reality when he became a fighter pilot for the US Air Force. In Call Sign KLUSO, Rick “Kluso” Tollini puts the fraught minutes above the Iraqi desert that made him an ace into the context of a full life; exploring how he came to be flying a F-15C in Desert Storm, and how that day became a pivotal moment in his life. He recounts his training, preparation, and missions, as well as the life of a fighter pilot in a combat zone. He also explores life as an air force veteran, and his turn to Buddhism as he comes to terms with his actions in combat. Rick’s first experience of flying was in a Piper PA-18 over 1960s’ California as a small boy, and his love of flying through his teenage years was fostered by his pilot father, eventually blossoming into a decision to join the Air Force as a pilot in his late twenties. Having trained to fly jets he was assigned to fly the F-15 Eagle with the “Dirty Dozen,” the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron, at Kadena AB, Japan, before returning Stateside to the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron “The Gorillas.” Throughout training, Reagan’s fighter pilots expected to face the Soviet Union, but Rick’s first combat deployment was Desert Storm.
Download or read book Fighter Pilots written by Tim Ripley and published by Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Military careers are full of interesting opportunities. Fighter pilots are among the most selective careers in the military. This book tells what its like to be a fighter pilot, outlines the training you will need, and determines what it takes for someone to get to the top of this fighting force.
Download or read book The 3rd Greatest Fighter Pilot written by William T. Creech and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2005 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Book is a story of the life and times of a professional Fighter pilot. Where did he come from? What are the early life experiences that effected his abilities and capabilities to be a Great Fighter Pilot? What characteristics of a person and his experiences are important in becoming a leader of men and of becoming a superb fighter pilot? Why does this fighter pilot relegate himself to being the Third Best Fighter Pilot, rather than the first best? What is it like to be shot down in the jungles of North Burma, alone and with no help toward survival other than his own will? And later in that combat tour, how does one manage survival in the unending expanse of the Gobi Desert? What are the pressures that are forced upon the leader of a combat fighter squadron? How does he maintain a high morale in a unit when there are few positive factors available to assist? How are political pressures dealt with on a day to day basis? This book is a MUST READ for any young commander of fighter pilots. It's also a great read for those who are just interested in the subject of flying. The author's answers to all these questions are studies in perseverance, loyalty, dedication, and intense desire to do what many others would find impossible.
Download or read book From Lightnings to MiGs written by Russ Peart and published by Air World. This book was released on 2021-10-30 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was supposed to be just a training flight. The two Soviet-manufactured MiG 21s, each with two practice bombs and four air-to-ground rockets, were lined up on the runway in Bangladesh at the height of the Cold War, when air traffic control suddenly reported an incursion by Indian Air Force Jaguars. Though ill-equipped for combat, the two MiGs were scrambled. One of the MiGs pilots was an RAF officer Squadron Leader Russell Peart. On a seven-month loan to the Bangladeshi Air Force, Peart suddenly found himself at the centre of the simmering hostility between two neighbouring nations. By the time they reached the area that had been threatened by the Indian pilots, the Jaguars had gone. Later, when Squadron Leader Russell Peart spoke of the incident to the British High Commissioner, he was told not to shoot down any Jaguars as the Indians had still not paid for them! Russell Peart flew many other aircraft in his varied career, including the MiG 19, and while a test pilot at Boscombe Down trialled such designs as the Tornado GR1. But it was whilst he was seconded to the Sultan of Omans Air Force, particularly during the so-called Secret War in Dhofar, that he saw the most action. In that theatre the author flew some 200 operational sorties, 180 of which involved live fire, during which he was hit many times. He was also hit and wounded by a 75mm shell. Russ Peart has written in detail of his exciting RAF career, from flying Lightnings in the Far East to winning the top prize in the International Tactical Bombing Competition against a handpicked team of United States Air Force fighter pilots and being awarded the Sultan Of Omans Distinguished Service Medal. Supplemented by a selection of previously unseen photographs, this uniquely original memoir throws new light on the operational flying undertaken by some RAF pilots during the tense years of the Cold War.
Download or read book Tiger Check written by Steven A. Fino and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2017-11-01 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did American fighter pilots respond to the challenges posed by increasing automation? Spurred by their commanders during the Korean War to be “tigers,” aggressive and tenacious American fighter pilots charged headlong into packs of fireball-spewing enemy MiGs, relying on their keen eyesight, piloting finesse, and steady trigger fingers to achieve victory. But by the 1980s, American fighter pilots vanquished their foes by focusing on a four-inch-square cockpit display, manipulating electromagnetic waves, and launching rocket-propelled guided missiles from miles away. In this new era of automated, long-range air combat, can fighter pilots still be considered tigers? Aimed at scholars of technology and airpower aficionados alike, Steven A. Fino’s Tiger Check offers a detailed study of air-to-air combat focusing on three of the US Air Force’s most famed aircraft: the F-86E Sabre, the F-4C Phantom II, and the F-15A Eagle. Fino argues that increasing fire control automation altered what fighter pilots actually did during air-to-air combat. Drawing on an array of sources, as well as his own decade of experience as an F-15C fighter pilot, Fino unpacks not just the technological black box of fighter fire control equipment, but also fighter pilots’ attitudes toward their profession and their evolving aircraft. He describes how pilots grappled with the new technologies, acutely aware that the very systems that promised to simplify their jobs while increasing their lethality in the air also threatened to rob them of the quintessential—albeit mythic—fighter pilot experience. Finally, Fino explains that these new systems often required new, unique skills that took time for the pilots to identify and then develop. Eschewing the typical “great machine” or “great pilot” perspectives that dominate aviation historiography, Tiger Check provides a richer perspective on humans and machines working and evolving together in the air. The book illuminates the complex interactions between human and machine that accompany advancing automation in the workplace.
Download or read book Officers in Flight Suits written by John Darrell Sherwood and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 1998-11 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States Air Force fought as a truly independent service for the first time during the Korean War. As a result, the fighter pilots reigned supreme. In Korea, American air power was challenged by the most advanced fighter of the time -- the Soviet MiG-15 -- and ruled the skies in many celebrated aerial battles. In addition, however, they destroyed virtually every major town and city in North Korea, demolished its entire crop irrigation system, and killed close to one million civilians. Korea, then, is the perfect laboratory for studying the culture of fighter pilots, a culture based on self-confidence and risk-taking, one which has promoted what John Darrell Sherwood calls "flight suit attitude." In Officers in Flight Suits, Sherwood explores the flight suit officer's life, drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, novels, unit records, and personal papers as well as interviews with over fifty veterans who served in the Air Force in Korea. From their training to dramatic encounters during battle, from their socio-economic backgrounds to the flight suit culture they developed, Sherwood investigates every dimension of these pilots' lives. The book provides an illuminating portrait of fighter pilot culture, demonstrating how this culture affected their performance in battle and their attitudes toward others, particularly women, in their off-duty activities - Jacket flap.
