Conduct of the Flight

AIR FORCE T-38 TRACK INTERMEDIATES

CHAPTER 3

On the Ground

When flying into any military base they close out your flight plan automatically, but it is a

good idea to check; all you have to do is ask the Base Ops personnel to check if your flight plan

is closed out in the computer. "Transient Alert" is usually going to park you, sometimes they

will greet you during taxi in with a "follow me" truck, which you will follow to parking. Keep

the airfield diagram in the instrument approach procedure book open to use as a "road map" for

finding your way around the airfield. If there is no "follow me" available, request "progressive

taxi instructions" from ground to help you get to the parking ramp. Base Operations is where

you go to file and get your weather. If you want to get something to eat you can call the "base

taxi" and they will give you a ride anywhere on base. If you are going to be there overnight, you

can call the base motor pool to get an Air Force van or truck so that you at least have a way to

get around on base.

305.

CONDUCT OF THE FLIGHT

The conduct of the T-38 INAV flights will be in accordance with what you are taught in INAV

flight procedures, but there are some memory aids that will be mentioned in Air Force training

that you should be familiar with because they are still being taught today. Memory aids in IFR

flying are numerous and it seems that every IP has their own that they were taught at an early

age. Here are a few you may adopt in the Air Force world.

Before stepping out to the aircraft to go fly, make sure you have done the "WANTS" check:

W Check the weather. Note cloud tops/ceilings; ensure circling mins or higher for

formation ops; think about your weather game plan.

A Activate the flight plan.

N Check all applicable NOTAMS.

T Compute TOLD, (TOLD is takeoff and landing data, something you will become very

familiar with in the T-38, e.g., Decision Speed, Takeoff Speed, Single Engine Takeoff

Speed, etc.) Check takeoff procedures (trouble T).

S (SID) Is there an applicable Departure Procedure (DP) from this field that I should look

at, since I am probably going to have to fly it anyway, even if I did not file it?

Before taking off, do your "NEWS" check:

N NAVAIDs set up for the departure.

E Emergency return; what if I had to immediately recover due to an EP after takeoff?

W Do I have the weather to take off/shoot an approach back to this field?

Winds. Check crosswind limits; plan formation lineup.

S SID, review the Departure Procedure one last time before takeoff.

T-38 INSTRUMENT NAVIGATION 3-3