Week 3 & 4

Week 3

I had two big tests this week on aerospace physiology and aircraft systems 1. Between the two tests I only missed one question, but because its me, I was still disappointed. I spent a lot of my free time looking for a way that our family could come to Utah. Also this week I had to do the Fighter Aircrew Strength Test. This is basically a weight lifting (six events) and endurance test (three events). It goes off of body weight to give numbers. Such as, I weigh 184 and my event weights were (all in lbs): arm curls – 105, bench press – 170, lat pull – 145, leg press – 325, leg curl – 135, leg extension – 140. The endurance test consisted of how many pushups, sit ups and another similar test to the leg press you could do in a minute. The minimums were 10 repititions for the strength test and 30 for the endurance. These reps were not the hard part, it was the count you had to maintain. For instance, 1,2,3,4,5,6 – 1, 1,2,3,4,5,6 – 2, and so forth. It was a hard test I have been training for since before we left. Luckily I passed with an outstanding. The rest of the week was just filled with classes. On Friday we attended the graduating class’s graduation. It was a neat experience, I can not wait until that is me.

One other thing I forgot to include was a comment a guy in my class made. We were discussing scenarios that could happen in flight, I think it was involving some emergency situation. Anyway, it was a serious question and the instructor asked us what we would do in response. The class was silent for a while, then one guy raised his hand and said, "well the first thing I would do is (he paused for a second and continued) I would take out my good buddy's dog tags and rub them while asking him for his help." The whole class erupted in laughter and even the instructor was laughing. It was one of those situations where you had to have been there to really fully appreciate it. For those of you who did not put it together, that is from Top Gun.

Week 4

Well another week down the pooper. This one seemed to go by really quickly. That is probably because it was only 4 days long thanks to Columbus. I had a SIM every day this week along with my flying fundamentals classes and the test. We also had a couple of aircraft procedures classes. I can not believe how entailed flying here is and how much you have to know. It ranges from pattern altitudes to frequencies to arrivals and departures, radials, VORTAC, TACAN, VOR, IFR and a million other things that boggle my mind. Today we got the brief on what to expect during Phase II also called the flightine. I start this on Monday. I am so nervous. They do something called EPQ’s which are weekly tests that have to be memorized and recited exactly correct and also STAND UP’s which are very formal. There are 14 chairs, seven on either side of the room, and the IP’s take turns drilling the students (who all must be at attention) with question about pretty much everything related to flight. If you get it wrong you have to sit down and get humiliated with hazing and “motivational correction.” This is not something I am looking forward too, but hey, I get to start flying on Monday! Larissa had her spouses SIM on Tuesday, which she enjoyed. She ran the plane off the runway a few times but once she got airborne she flew like a bird, unfortunately that bird happened to be an ostrich.

My last weekend before I enter into a zero free time for a year, state. I am not really sure if I should feel excited or sorry for myself. I am pretty nervous right now. My first flight is on Monday, my takeoff time is at 1007 hrs. I have been doing a SIM every day this week along with operation and emergency procedure classes on top of contact classes and the contact test. It has been an off and on busy week, with some down time in the middle of the day, however, the stress of the SIM’s and the test and with studying for what is to come makes it go by very quickly. This week just flew by. I hope I do well with the STANDUP, because if you get what they ask you wrong they sit you down and take you off the flying schedule for that day. We were briefed by our class leader that they expect you to know everything on day 1 of the flightline and they know we will know nothing, so expect to get yelled at and belittled and hazed. What a comforting thought. I am just glad I have a supportive family in my corner and a strong faith to fall back on.