Airforces

reduced, so now we try to fly as much as

we can solo. The student flies the event in

the simulator to prepare for what’s needed

airborne and as a solo check, then they fly it

live. It works really well, and we haven’t seen

many fail, which means the process works.”

Historically, as much as three-quarters

of the OCU course was flown in a T-bird.

The RAF had ordered more of these in

Tranche 1 and as a result there were

more two-seaters around early on.

“Some students spent the entire OCU flying

dual in the T-birds in the past,” explains

Stu. “Back then a solo trip in a fighter

[FGR4] was the exception. The trouble

was that we were trying to create a single-

seat pilot who could think for themselves,

whereas now they learn faster because

they have to make their own decisions.”

“I went through a test case in 2012 called

Pandora’s Buzzard Lite, where I flew the

fighter as my first live flight,” adds Chisholm.

“It was very well handled, and the Typhoon

is extremely easy to fly. That’s the way this

course is going and it’s not an area that worries

me – our simulators are so good these days.”

A new period of growth

As the RAF began its centenary year, a new

set of challenges lay ahead for Chisholm

and his team. What was a four-and-a-half-

month course is now a far more complex six-

month course to accommodate a much wider

syllabus. This is coupled with the fact that

the RAF is again looking to rapidly grow the

Typhoon Force. The expanded course, while

beneficial for the front line by increasing the

output standard, has ultimately slowed pilot

production. The OCU staff must therefore

find ways of pushing the required number

of students through, while ensuring the

standard doesn’t drop and return to the days

of storing up problems for the front line.

Chisholm is tasked with finding these

Above: An instructor prepares for an upgrade fl ight that will involve him landing the jet from the back
seat. The squadron’s instructors now have to be ‘swing-role’ masters, able to teach their charges how to
defeat SAMs and operate in dense electronic attack environments while prosecuting aerial and ground
targets. Above left: The busy fl ight line at No 29 Squadron’s Coningsby base. With the arrival of a truly
multirole Typhoon and the rapidly developing pace of potential threats, the squadron is now producing
frontline pilots in just three to four months. Below: A briefi ng at the ops desk prior to the fi rst mission.
The day begins with a morning ‘met brief’ that will discuss the day’s weather, available aircraft and any
important admin.

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 81