combat aircraft

L

T COL JOHN ‘Clarence’ Macasek

had been in post as the 49th

Fighter Training Squadron

Commander for two months

when Combat Aircraft sat down

with him at Columbus AFB,

Mississippi. He’s a man with a series of

major tasks ahead of him. The 49th FTS

‘Black Knights’ is all about the Introduction

to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course — it’s

the final, eight-week hurdle that completes

the transition of a young student aviator

into a hungry fighter pilot.

With this being something of a pinch-

point in the path to a specific frontline

fighter, the ‘Black Knights’ boss is perfectly

With US Air Force fighter pilot training

under scrutiny amid a manning crisis,

Combat Aircraft meets Lt Col John

‘Clarence’ Macasek, commander of

the 49th Fighter Training Squadron,

responsible for the Introduction to

Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course,

for the inside story at this

important time.

REPORT AND PHOTOS

Rich Cooper/COAP Media

28 July 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

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