Combat aircraft

of approximately 135  ying hours

and skills learning with instruments

and navigation, basic and advanced

formation  ying as a pair or a four-ship,

and low-level.

It’s at the completion of this part of the

course that students are awarded their

coveted wings. Most  ghter pilots will

continue on to IFF before they head for

their respective operational conversion

courses for the front line. However, others

may be invited to remain at Sheppard

for a follow-on tour as an instructor.

Luftwa e senior national representative

Lt Col Schumann says, ‘The best of

the best graduates can be selected to

become instructors and train the new

pilots here at Sheppard if they want to.’

ENJJPT future

With a well-publicized shortage of

pilots in many air forces, the training

system in the US is seeing a spike in

requirements. ‘We have an important

mission right now,’ says Themely, ‘as we

have a  ghter pilot crisis in the US where

we don’t have enough pilots to  ll up

all of our airframes. The other nations

in the program are also experiencing

the same kind of crisis. Some of them

haven’t experienced it to the level we

have — that’s just because our air force is

so much bigger, but they are a ected just

as we are. We know our role is going to

be critical in the years ahead to continue

to build back up from that loss of pilots

we have right now, and to continue to

train the best  ghter pilots possible while

doing that.’

Above right:

A three-ship of

Talons breaks

into the landing

pattern.

Below:

As well as training

new ab initio

pilots, instructor

upgrades are

performed at

Sheppard, to

create a new

generation of

tutors.

http://www.combataircraft.net // March 2018 39

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