Typical Training Day in Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training...
Phase 1 - Academic Classes and Pre-Flight Training
Academic
instruction generally begins the day of your class start date, so plan to hit
the ground running!
Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training is challenging, exciting, and very
rewarding. In order to complete the program, you must be committed. It will
not be an easy process, but at the end of training you will be extremely proud
of your accomplishments. Expect to spend approximately 3
weeks in Academics.
During this time, you will be attending various classes about aerospace physiology, egress procedures, and T-37 systems. When you first show up for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT), you will report to the 80th Operations Support Squadron (OSS). At ENJJPT, the OSS owns you during your entire year of pilot training. They will schedule you and your classmates for all of your activities and training.
Use this
time to get familiar with the 12-hour training day. The Air Force aviation
training world operates under a 12-hour training day - that is, if you show up
at 0600, expect to be busy until 1800 (12 hours later). Expect a minimum of
12-hours of crew rest before your next event and then the cycle starts all
over.
You can expect long days starting in academics. Classes, training, and tests will fill your day. A lot of time will be spent in the computer lab doing CBTs and even taking quizzes or tests on the computers.
Expect to be studying and preparing for class at night. Physical Training (PT) will be intermixed in the daily schedule as well. Don't forget to factor in class events such as class meetings, social events, group study sessions, etc.
Remember, class unity is important. Your classes will encompass aircraft systems, & aerospace physiology. Unlike JSUPT, classes on instrument flying, navigation, flight planning, and aviation weather will be done in Phase 2, running concurrently with flying the T-37. At the end of Phase 1 you will be ready to "hit the flight line". You will stay with the OSS, but will be moving into your flight rooms that you will be assigned to during phase 2.
Phase 2 & 3 - The Flight line
Once
you hit the flight line, the intensity picks up. You can expect at least one
training event each day, in addition to additional flight duties. A training
event can be either a flight simulator event or an aircraft sortie. The action
is fast paced and it is likely to be scheduled for more than one event (flight
and/or simulator) in a day.
Your flight line day starts each day with the morning briefing. This is a formal briefing held in each flight room and attended by all students and IPs. Your flight commander will run the briefing and you will cover such topics as weather, student trends, safety topics, threat briefs, landing pattern tendencies, general knowledge questions, and Emergency Procedures (EPs). The EPs are done in a "stand-up" format that is designed to recreate a stressful environment similar to what is experienced during an actual in-flight EP.
Students are given certain EP scenarios and stand at attention reciting what they would do in that situation, taking the EP to its logical conclusion. If you answer incorrectly or do not know your knowledge, you could be grounded for that day. Students also brief the flight on the day's weather, landing pattern, and other items. The formal briefing is a stressful way to start each day.
Following
the briefing, your flight will execute its flight schedule. If you are not
scheduled to fly an aircraft or simulator, you are expected to sit in the flight
room and study. All students will remain in the flight room until the last
student is done with his/her flight or simulator, then, at the 12-hour point of
the day, or when academics are scheduled, all students are dismissed.
At that point, by USAF regulation, you will be given 12 hours of crew rest and start the cycle all over again the next day. As you can see, days are much longer than the typical "banker's hours" job.
Flying several sorties - especially pulling Gs and aerobatic maneuvers can prove to be very fatiguing. In addition to the flights and simulator events, you will be taking weekly written exams. All your academics, weekly tests, daily maneuver grades, check ride scores, and flight commander's ranking make up your final grade. With everything that you do counting as a grade, you want attention to detail.
At the end of Phase 2, while your MASS scores are ran, they don’t mean anything yet at ENJJPT. There is no track select; everyone goes to the T-38 regardless of class ranking. T-37s will count as 25% and T-38s will count as 75% of your overall score when it comes time to run your final MASS at the end of Phase 3. At the end of Phase 3, you will again be ranked in order of merit and at that time pick your specific aircraft, either fighter, bomber, or remain at ENJJPT and become a First Assignment Instructor Pilot (FAIP).
Former Bulldog Coach 2nd Lt. Miles Newsome with the T-38 Supersonic Fighter Training Jet
