UPT: "The Big Picture"

This entry is to give people interested in UPT a general summary of what each phase is like here. As with everything on this web site, it is from my perspective and may not reflect precisely what you experience. Regardless of who you are, however, I am certain that you are in for an intense year.

PHASE I (Academics)

I was pretty intimidated by the whole process before I started. So much had gone into getting here and I had heard so many stories that I wasn't sure what to expect. I distinctly remember taking my first drive up the road and through the gates here. It was pretty surreal.

When asking for information on UPT, you get all sorts of different opinions. Having just been commissioned, I was expecting the program to start pretty hard-core right from the beginning. Instead, you have a week (or much longer, if you are "casual" here) to run around and in-process to the base before you start. The list of things you need to accomplish is not too tasking, and you have more than enough time to get everything done. Generally speaking, I found all the people to be very helpful and I was treated pretty well.

Finally, the big day arrived. The first day of UPT. Twenty-some people showed up, everyone measuring everyone else up, and each wondering how the next year of their lives were going to go. Instead of intimidation, it started with a jovial Major who greeted us and welcomed us to the program. He was very relaxed, and we had nothing but in-processing type presentations and information about the base for the first few days. We then started easing into academics.

The pile of books you get during in-processing is pretty overwhelming. Checklists, aircraft manuals, study guides, and a number of other publications. You receive an academic schedule which details all you are supposed to read prior to each day's class. Some read much more than others, but everyone generally scored pretty high. Busting an academic test is not the way to start off. Overall, the instructors are very good and did a lot of "foot-stomping" when they were on an especially important point. Despite all the reading, we actually had quite a bit of time off.

There were seven tests in six weeks of academics, if I remember correctly. Two of those come in Physiology, where students get introduced to the altitude chamber, life-support equipment, and the "PLF" (parachute landing fall).

Just about the time you're feeling pretty good about yourself and think you're getting somewhere, the Phase II IP's (instructor pilots) come to have a chat to you. They give you a small taste of what the next five months will be like on the flight line and introduce you to an "EP stand-up," where a student will stand at attention in front of the IPs and his/her classmates and take a hypothetical emergency to it's conclusion successfully. The mood changes after that as the students try to prepare for a whole new environment.

PHASE II (T-37 or T-6)

Flight line takes the students from the classroom to the jet. You are suddenly and deliberately taken from the comfort of the books you are becoming familiar with to an airplane that you know much less about than you'd like with an instructor who knows nothing about you but seems to dislike you immensely. It was a very rough period for myself and many others, with many of the class getting airsick and having a difficult time adjusting.

In addition to flying, you also have to conduct a morning brief, which includes weather, NOTAMs, wind analysis, and the EP (emergency procedure). The days will be twelve hours, and you are eligible for three events a day (simulators or jets). You can't know enough to please the instructors initially, and you are beat from the flying and constant scrutiny. It was without question the most difficult period in UPT, both physically and emotionally.

As you grow accustomed to how the flight line operates and you become more comfortable with the airplane, however, things gradually begin to improve. You get to know your IPs, you learn more about the jet every day, and you begin to see that you are succeeding and making progress. Each jet or sim you accomplish takes you one event closer to being complete and builds your confidence just a little bit more. Before you know it, you are taking the jet solo. This was a big milestone and is celebrated with a trip to the dunk tank.

There are four check-rides in Phase II. They are "Contact," "Final Contact," "Instruments," and "Formation." Contact and Final Contact emphasize visual maneuvers and take place mostly at your home base and in the local MOAs (military operating areas). In these phases, you learn to fly the aircraft and eventually find yourself doing advanced aerobatics in the areas by yourself. That was a rush! Instruments is pretty self-explanatory, focusing on instrument approaches and procedures. This is the first time you'll leave the base and head to another airport for something other than landings. The flying is easier, but the procedures and general knowledge (GK) required make it very challenging. The last phase is Formation, which is probably the most rewarding. At this stage, you have finished everything else so are not opted for multiple types of flights like you would have been earlier in the program; you can focus strictly on formation. It was fun working with multiple crews and pretty interesting being ten feet from your buddy in another aircraft while you are both in 90 degrees of bank at 12,000 feet. Formation was certainly the right note to finish on.

Phase II will have some very hard times and some very good times. When you do something poorly, try to learn from it, but don't beat yourself up. Give yourself credit when you do something good as well. You will work hard, but you'll probably play hard as well. You develop a pretty tight bond with your fellow students and with your IPs. I wasn't sure I'd make it through in the beginning, but I stuck with it and finished very strong. Take it one day at a time and try to realize how cool it is to be doing what you're doing for a living whenever you can.

Phase II ends with "Track Select," where the active duty students find out which direction their future will take. Tracks are given out based on performance and desire. The desired aircraft in our class was the T-38, which leads to fighters. The T-1 students go on to heavies; UH-1 students to helicopters; and the T-44/C-12 students to C-130s after training with the Navy. Unfortunately, not everyone gets their first choice.

PHASE III (T-1, T-38, UH-1, T-44/C-12)

T-1 training puts you back into academics for five weeks prior to your first flight, though you interact with the flight room frequently. There is a great deal to learn, as the T-1 is much more complicated than the Tweet (the T-6 students will be happy to know there are many similarities in avionics). Academics, however, is still academics and is a very nice break from the flight line. We tried to make the most of our "time off."

There are three phases in the T-1 program. "Transition" is just that, transition training from your initial aircraft to the T-1. You will repeat all the basics (takeoffs, landings, stalls, etc) to get the hang of the new aircraft. You also start to assume much more responsibility for mission-planning and ensuring you are getting the training you need and continuity for your maneuvers. Whereas your destinations were very limited in Tweets, you can now go a variety of places. You show up and tell your IP where you're going that day. Quite a change. The second Phase is "Navigation," which is what T-1's are all about. The emphasis in this phase is en route navigation, instrument approaches, and low-level flight. The flying in this phase is easy, but the mission-planning is initially very challenging and always very time-consuming. You decide where to go, what approaches you will do (based on continuity on your grade sheets), and how to deal with any weather or NOTAMs. The check ride consists of a navigation ride to an outbase, a low-level on the way home, then a Q & A session with your IP. Twelve hours of bliss. The final phase is "Mission-Familiarization," and consists of basic formation (two-ship), simulated aerial refueling, and air drop. Basic formation is just gets you used to the formation procedures in the T-1 and allows you to have a little fun in the jet. It's nowhere near what form was in Phase II and lasts only three rides, but it's not bad. Air refueling involves meeting up with the other aircraft at a predetermined time and place and making a "rendezvous." Basically, you fly real close and simulate air refueling. The challenge here is mastering the radio calls and successfully managing the autopilot. Lastly, there is air drop, which is a formation low-level. On the route, there are two "drop zones" where the aircraft slow down and then simulate a drop over a geographic point. The checkride will be either refueling or air drop, and is typically an out-and-back with four students with two IPs. You are allowed to use a computer-generated fuel/time log, plus all the bells and whistles on the aircraft, so planning and navigating is much easier.

The end of Phase III also brings assignment night and graduation. Each of these events are planned by the students, which is a small miracle given the daily flight schedule.

UPT Journal - Phase III

UPT Journal - Phase I

Phase I is comprised entirely of academic events for six weeks. Classes include aircraft systems, flying fundamentals, weather, and physiology, among others. Many speakers will visit during this time to give you all the mandatory briefings required for your training. Although there is a tremendous amount of reading and studying during this phase, you have a lot more freedom than in the ensuing training. Take this time for any weekend getaways you need to get out of your system. Once academics are complete, you report to the flight line and begin phase II of your training.

19 Jul 2002 Off to Columbus!

29 Jul 2002 Tomorrow is, as they say, the first day of the rest of my life. I am starting over a year of training to become a pilot with the United States Air Force. Beyond merely being "cool," the reality had yet to set in until now. The routines, the rigors, ,the arduous schedule will all soon turn a fantasy into stark reality. The speculation, brewing for the past year, is about to be replaced by class work and studies. I am anxious, excited, terrified, and at ease all at once. It's a strange place to be. I know I want it, and I have only to prove to myself I actually deserve it.

30 Jul 2002 (Phase I - First day of academics) My first day has come and gone. The day was filled with guest speakers, lectures, briefings, some class work, computer-aided programs, and finally a full night of reading. Despite the work, which I knew was coming, they also gave us hope and encouragement. Try hard and have a good attitude and you will succeed. Take things a day at a time and learn those things well. They want us to be successful. I am more excited today than I was yesterday. I knew quite a bit of what we talked about today... granted, it was basic, but it was something. And perhaps most surprising of all, everyone has been very civil so far. I imagine that will change somewhat when I hit the flight line in six weeks.

05 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Second week of academics) One week down and 52 to go! Ouch. Actually, the first week was not too bad. More relaxed than I'd thought it would be. We were in our flight suits Wednesday, which required the whole class (28) passing our "bold face" test. The "bold face" is a series of emergency items that must be memorized and written verbatim. We had our first test Today, which I'm told is the hardest during academics. I scored 100% (with nine others), so I was pretty happy. Everything we do here is graded, however, so that's a drop in the bucket. The study habits are paying off I guess.

09 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Second week of academics) Just got our second test completed after three days of "fundamentals," which included performance charts, navigation charts, maintenance forms, and numerous other items that do not fit anywhere else in the curriculum. I was able to keep the 100% average along with seven of my classmates. No one has failed anything yet. I can't remember what we start out with next week, but we get into Physiology Thursday, which lasts several weeks. There, we'll learn about the effects of flying on one's body, how to wear all the gear in the aircraft, how to eject, and how to land with a parachute if we do eject. Should be kind of fun as far as the blocks of instruction go.

14 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Third week of academics) I got to enjoy my 100% average for a little over a week before missing a question on the Aerodynamics test. Oh well. It's better to have the pressure off anyway, right? We start Physiology tomorrow. I'm not sure what the exact schedule is, but it's a lot more hands-on than the classroom. I'll describe it more after I've been over there a few days. Our helmets were issued to us today as well. They do a fit-test in the shop, which was interesting. One of my classmates said using the oxygen mask was like "breathing through four pillows." My experience was similar. I hope it's less restrictive in the aircraft [we use the oxygen in the T-37 continuously since it is unpressurized, and we will routinely operate over 20,000 feet].

15 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Third week of academics) We started Physiology today, which seems quite a bit more disorganized than our previous classroom environment. We are told that the schedule must remain more fluid, as many of the activities are outdoors and depend on the weather. Today, we received more "death by Powerpoint," as they call it, then rode on the "spatial disorientation" chair. Basically, it's a chair with a ring surrounding it that is used to spin you. They have you move in certain positions to simulate feelings you might have in the aircraft. I did not get to see everyone, but the chair left at least a couple people feeling under the weather. Tonight we have a dinner sponsored by the Air Force Association (they're hoping we'll all get involved). It's not all work down here (yet).

19 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fourth week of academics) We reported at 0545 this morning for what turned out to be PLF training (parachute landing fall). We practiced landing techniques from the ground, a two-foot platform, a four-foot platform, and finally on a harness from a fifteen or twenty-foot tower. When we had completed the PLFs, we headed over to the ejection simulator, where each of us had a turn pulling the triggers on the chair and going for a short ride (about eight feet up a track). The real thing is a lot hairier we're told.

20 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fourth week of academics) Today we had mostly academics, but also got to step into the altitude chamber to test out our masks and become familiar with the oxygen regulators we'll be using on the T-37. We do not actually go up to altitude until this Friday, which is pretty humorous by all accounts. People have some pretty strange reactions to hypoxia. We also had a night vision demonstration, in which they showed us the limitations of our eyes in low-light conditions.

22 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fourth week of academics) We put our PLF training to work today during the parasailing exercise. In this exercise, students are hooked up to a parasail and towed by a truck across a very long field to simulate a parachute landing. The first ride is a short up-and-down, and the student is "towed down" (softer landing). The second ride is up to a higher altitude, and the student is on his or her own during the descent. Though no one in the class broke anything, we did have two "casualties," including an ankle "stinger" and a very hard landing that resulted in a number of maladies. Neither individual should miss any training as a result, fortunately. We also took our first of two physiology tests. There was a lot of controversy over the exam, as the teaching method was quite different than our previous classes. We were told very specifically what to study for this exam, and perhaps let our guard down. Many felt the test was more difficult than the instructors led us to believe. I was happy with one wrong, having no one to blame but myself on that particular question.

26 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fifth week of academics) Today was our "ride" in the altitude chamber. During this ride, we were taken from sea level to 35,000 feet, then reduced to 25,000 for hypoxia demonstrations. We were then taken to 18,000 for a night vision demonstration and finally returned to sea level. During the initial ascent, the pressure in your ears equalizes on its own. They had a vial of liquid that was visibly "boiling" as all the gasses escaped into the surrounding air. Unfortunately, the same things happen to the body, making for a rather unpleasant odor when your mask is removed. Upon reaching 25,000 feet, the students on one side of the chamber take their masks off to experience their unique symptoms of the onset of hypoxia. Once we recognized 2-3 symptoms, we were to turn our oxygen back on and don our masks. When it came to me, I quickly felt light-headed and noticed that my lips became very cold. I began working on some math problems as instructed, and awoke a short time later to the instructor telling me to turn on my air and put my mask on (both of which had been done for me when I passed out). I came to and did as they told me, my vision going from black, to black and gray, and finally back to color. My head gradually cleared, and I was back to normal. I apparently lost "useful consciousness" and remained sitting there smiling well past when I should have returned to oxygen. My classmates were happy that someone had put on a show for them. My fee was to purchase alcohol of choice for the Major that put my mask on for me.

27 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fifth week of academics) Physiology came to an end today with the FACT test (fitness measure) and a second round of egress (practicing both air and ground egresses from the aircraft). Though Physiology was a nice change of pace, I think we were all happy to get back to the more rigorous classroom environment to get us in the right mind-set for flight line. In the next two weeks, we are covering weather (test this Friday) and instruments. We are also being visited by the class that is just wrapping up T-37s. They are supposed to tell us everything we need to know prior to hitting the flight line.

28 Aug 2002 (Phase I - Fifth week of academics) We were in our second day of weather today. I am very glad I had a good weather background prior to coming here, because the rate and depth of the lessons here is less than optimal. Their aim, as they have said however, is to provide a framework and let the IPs fill in the blanks. To coin a phrase from AMS, "trust the process." Our Flight Commander for flight line, Captain Zihmer, came to speak to us today and introduce us to our soon-to-be home. He was very solemn, and said if anyone did not want to be there, they should leave now (we didn't lose anyone). He then laid down the ground rules for the program, and what his expectations would be of us during our stay there. The days will be 12 hours, followed by several hours of homework and preparation for the coming day. We work Monday through Friday, but can be called in on Saturdays if necessary. He said those with "thin skins" should find a cure, because we will be absorbing almost nothing but criticism in the early stages of the program. He and Lt Corrigan (safety guy) then demonstrated an emergency procedure stand-up. The EP stand-up is where a student is randomly called on and stands at attention in the middle of the room. The student is given an emergency situation and then "handed the aircraft." The student must talk through analyzing the problem, resolving the problem, and getting safely back to base. In the example, Capt Zihmer included everything from how fast he was flying to what radio calls he made to what references he was looking for on the ground. In total, it lasted for about ten minutes. It's quite hard to imagine one of us doing that on September 9th. This will be a whole different world.

5 Sep 2002 (Phase I - Final week of academics) Today marked the completion of Phase I of UPT for us. We took our instrument test this morning (finished good, 100%). Aside from wrapping up in academics this week, we've met several more times with our flight line commander (Capt Zihmer) and students from the class we are replacing in the "T-Bolt" flight. There is a wealth of information that we are expected to know for the coming days. We actually report tomorrow, and will experience our first simulator flight. From what I understand, it's simply going over the initial checklists that we run to pre-flight and start the aircraft, but that should be plenty for now. Most of the class has been practicing pretty diligently, so it should go okay. We also get to do a "formal brief" in the morning, which ought to be interesting. The outbound class ran through it VERY briefly for a couple of us, but there is no doubt a lot that was left out. Our instructors told us to expect "a lot of criticism" tomorrow. Fun. Despite all the negative, I am very excited to finally be starting. The anticipation and anxiety are probably worse than the real thing. We'll see.



If you have specific questions, please contact me at scot_wilcox@hotmail.com.

Academy of Military Science

March 18th to April 26th, 2002

The Academy of Military Science is the primary source of commissioning for future officers in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. It is located at McGhee Tyson ANGB in Knoxville, Tennessee.

AMS is a challenging six-week course that teaches its participants about leadership, both through academics and participation. Though much of your time is spent in a classroom, academics is far from all you will be tasked with while in attendance. There are student leadership positions that change weekly, dormitory maintenance (inspection-ready quarters), and lots of extras that those of you that went through basic training got to "enjoy."

You will invariably hear ten different opinions from ten different people if you ask what it was like, but I'll give you my opinion anyway. Having been prior enlisted, I had the "pleasure" of visiting Lackland AFB for basic training. I disliked it while I was there, and still can't come up with a lot of positive things to say about it. I would rate AMS as more difficult, but for different reasons. In basic, you are spoon-fed a monotonous routine and have instructions for every second you are there. At AMS, much is left to the imagination, though you are tasked with far more. The rules are left to you to invent, but the repercussions are ever-present if your tasks are not completed. You have plenty to do, and very little time to do it. Sleep was hard to come by, averaging five hours per night. This quickly added to the stress of a difficult situation.

Despite the negative, the reasons for their processes become clear either during or following the program. Much of what they are teaching is readily apparent in everyday life. By setting the standards very high, they prepare you for just about anything. It certainly was not all bad, and you will find time to enjoy yourself on occasion. I am proud to have completed it.

If you have specific questions, please contact me at scot_wilcox@hotmail.com.

Pre-UPT Journal

14 May 2002
Passed the tests at MFS (they say the psychological tests don't count against you). I also received my dates for UPT! July 30th in Columbus, MS.

12 May to 14 May 2002
I flew down to Brooks AFB in San Antonio for Medical Flight Screening. They perform further medical testing to ensure candidates are okay to proceed to UPT.

18 Mar to 26 Apr 2002
Six weeks at the Academy of Military Science for commissioning.

26 Feb 2002
Dates for AMS! Sooner than I thought... March 18th to April 26th. Here we go!

18 Dec 2001
I was advised by the medical squadron that my vision waiver went through and I was approved for a pilot position! What a load off my shoulders. It did not look (pardon the pun) good for awhile there.

17 Dec 2001
I was advised by Col. Bainbridge that I had been selected as an alternate Navigator due to my pending status as a pilot.

06 Dec 2001
I interviewed for a Navigator position with Col. Bainbridge in case my vision waiver was not approved for flying. I would have considered it an honor to serve in that role, but had reservations about the future of the Navigator with our unit (C-17 rumors are getting stronger).

19 Nov 2001
I received word from the medical squadron that Randolph AFB had received my package and was processing it. It could be another 45-60 days (of waiting to see whether I could be a pilot or not).

22 Oct 2001
My blood work and vision waiver were completed, but I had to submit several other items which were not brought to my attention initially.

15 Sep 2001
I took my physical. I was told it would be approximately one month for drug test and blood work results to be completed.

20 Aug 2001
I submitted my B.A.T. test results to Col. Cayton (the Chief Pilot). He said they were pretty good and informed me I had been selected as one of the two pilots for the year.

19 Aug 2001
Had a board interview with five pilots from the unit. I did not think it went well at all.

24 Jul 2001
Submitted my application and paperwork for an Undergraduate Pilot Trainee position.