Prior to Starting Training at Vance

CHAPTER 1

AIR FORCE T-38 TRACK INTERMEDIATES

the entire mission. While at Whiting, start getting into the Air Force flying publications hard.

Your T-37 brethren are going to know these documents in depth and you are going to be way

behind if you are not in "chapter and verse " mode when asked about Air Force flying

publications. Many Air Force students (and Whiting Air Force Instructors) have made libraries

of hundreds of index cards picking these regulations apart sentence by sentence so they can quiz

themselves -- that is the kind of detail expected at Vance.

g. Prior to Starting Training at Vance

You will have some time between Whiting and Vance to PCS, find a place to live and get

settled, pick up publications, etc. As previously mentioned, you are going to be lumped into a

group of people (your class) who have been well indoctrinated into the Air Force training

environment, so use your time wisely before training begins.

Once you are settled in at Vance, immediately find out who your T-38 Flight Commander is

and establish contact with your flightmates. You will go through "rebluing" at Vance, which

consists of gathering your publications and attending some classes about mission planning and

Air Force aircraft maintenance forms plus two days of physiological training (ejection seat and

para-sailing). You will still have a good chunk of free time before you start. Here are some

ideas to help you use this time effectively:

Go to standups/morning briefs.

Before you go, look at the 25 FTS Stan handout on how to conduct a standup and learn!

Preferably go with another T-34 trainee and then go home and practice together. There is a very

specific way to go about this and the earlier you learn, the better; practice! practice! The penalty

for screwing up standup is public embarrassment and no flying for the day. You will not fly

again until you "clear your name" by passing another standup attempt. Fail enough standups and

you are going to find yourself on the way to washing out of the program.

Get copies of, and take as many, ops limit quizzes/boldface quizzes as you can!

The quizzes are easy, but you have to realize that any mistakes, i.e., punctuation, etc. is

grounds for failure and not flying until you "clear your name" by doing it correctly. Not flying

due to a failed boldface/ops limit quiz is especially painful because they are so easy.

Get the T-38 Checklist and go to the T-38 cockpit procedural trainers (CPTs) and start

running the checklists.

Figure out what your instrument scan may be like, and practice the Preflight, In-flight and

Post-flight Checklists, repeatedly. Ask a Senior Class T-38 student to show you the procedures.

The more familiar you are with the cockpit the better. Flights in the T-38 are typically 1.1 to 1.3

hours at the most, so the faster you can operate (while being thorough), the more time you will

have in the MOA to practice.

Go to the RSU (Runway Supervisory Unit) to watch the pattern.

First read the "T-38 Radio Procedures Guide, Vance AFB" handout and Vance AFB

Instruction 11-201, Local Procedures (their course rules book). Get familiar with the Air Force

1-8 INTRODUCTION TO USAF T-38 TRACK INTERMEDIATES