combat aircraft

I’ve got 104 per cent manning right now

— so we can handle a few extras. This is

thanks in part to the fact that IFF is only

eight weeks long — we can be versatile

and spontaneous — while the other

squadrons that might have a student for

six months to a year are probably not as

flexible.’

Looking at the bigger picture, Macasek

says: ‘If I had a 19-year-old sitting in front

of me right now, asking why he or she

should become a pilot, I would say that it is

the greatest job in the world. It’s dynamic

— even though you might fly the same

exact mission from one day to the next

it’s never identical. The people that you

work with are some of the best people in

the world; you’ll not find people in this

line of work who are slackers because

we can’t afford that. It’s very professional

and guys take a lot of pride in what they

do. Because you have a red button or

a red trigger in a fast jet there’s a huge

responsibility and you have great power,

so you have to be able to manage not

only that power but also understand

the seriousness of the situation. I don’t

think there are many other professions,

especially outside the medical world,

where you make one wrong move and

you can end somebody’s life.

‘You’re outside on a beautiful day, in

blue skies, pulling g like an exercise

program. You become at one with the

aeroplane and nature and yet, at the

same time, you’re also a steely-eyed

killer and you have a huge effect on the

outcomes of your given mission. That’s

what I would tell a young guy in front of

me, and I can’t wait to train them... Line

them up!’

‘We are still very much in the

brainstorming phase. They’re asking

commanders like myself to think

outside the container and come up

with creative solutions.

‘Of course, retention of the pilots that

we have is a priority in the mix. When

the airlines are hiring we always lose

pilots. When there are no jobs on the

outside that’s when everybody wants

to be back in the air force.

‘Here at the 49th, it’s not too much

of a headache to react to the ebb and

flow of the pilot quota demands. I

can simply pick up the phone and call

the Air Force Personnel Center and

tell them that our jets are doing well,

that the course is healthy and that

Left: The T-38

has proven to

be a fabulous

performer for the

USAF, however

it is showing its

age and is in

desperate need of

replacement.

Below: While the

T-38 simulator is

effective, the T-X

solution will be

an evolution in

the way the USAF

trains.

28-35 Black Knights.indd 35 20/05/2018 11:23