Combat aircraft

‘Currently, pilots from 11 nations

are running the program, but all the

positions rotate between the nations. The

operations group commander rotates

between the US, Germany and Italy, but

besides that all the positions are up for

grabs by any nation that is involved.’

New flock at Sheppard

Student pilots arriving at ENJJPT have

already completed initial basic  ying

training and will have been assessed

as being capable of graduating from

the course. The shared cost basis adds

considerable e ciency to the program.

‘[We have a] great success rate’, says

Roeine. ‘[We are] very e cient and

cost-wise, yes, it’s expensive, but if you

look around in the world you cannot

get anything near this program at the

same cost, with the same result. For us

it’s a great success. We have been a part

of ENJJPT since it started in 1981 and we

don’t have anywhere else in the world

where we can produce our pilots up to

our required standards. We outsource

everything and totally rely on ENJJPT as

being our basic  ghter training program

— and it works.’

The  ying training at Sheppard comes

under the 80th FTW and the US Air Force’s

Air Education and Training Command

(AETC). The wing has more than 200

aircraft, which are divided into  ve  ight

training squadrons (FTS), two of them

 ying the T-6A Texan II, and the other

three the T-38C Talon.

The Beechcraft T-6A Texan II, based on

the Swiss Pilatus PC-9, is used for basic

 ight training for new students arriving at

Sheppard. It was introduced into service

with the USAF in 2001, replacing the

Cessna T-37B ‘Tweet’. The advanced phase

sees a step up to the popular, but aged,

Above: A young

ENJJPT student

performs

pre-fl ight

external checks

on a T-6A on

the covered

Sheppard

fl ightline.

Left: The basic

fl ying training

phase at

ENJJPT involves

the USAF’s T-6A

Texan II.

Below: A 469th

FTS ‘Fighting

Bulls’ T-38C

taxies with a

Belgian student

in the front and

instructor in

the back, both

with canopies

cranked open in

typical style.

http://www.combataircraft.net // March 2018 33

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