Posted on Oct 30, 2022
To prepare for new international threats, the Air Force is readying pilots for the unexpected
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At Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, the scream of training aircraft overhead is constant. But students in the latest iteration of undergraduate pilot training don’t seem to notice.
On most days, they gather in a cramped room they call “the bullpen.” Rows of virtual reality simulators divide the space, while people in flight suits pack the aisles. Most of the stations are made from enhanced Windows PCs and other components like monitors, joysticks, and throttles.
Students wear VR headsets and practice maneuvers, while instructors such as Capt. Dylan Rabbitt give them directions.
“So as soon as you're at that intersection, you're going to turn to the right and you're going to fly up those power lines straight to the runway. That's where you make your initial radio call,” he told a trainee in the pre-flight stage of training.
The simulators are often linked together like a multiplayer video game so students can practice entering busy air traffic.
On most days, they gather in a cramped room they call “the bullpen.” Rows of virtual reality simulators divide the space, while people in flight suits pack the aisles. Most of the stations are made from enhanced Windows PCs and other components like monitors, joysticks, and throttles.
Students wear VR headsets and practice maneuvers, while instructors such as Capt. Dylan Rabbitt give them directions.
“So as soon as you're at that intersection, you're going to turn to the right and you're going to fly up those power lines straight to the runway. That's where you make your initial radio call,” he told a trainee in the pre-flight stage of training.
The simulators are often linked together like a multiplayer video game so students can practice entering busy air traffic.
To prepare for new international threats, the Air Force is readying pilots for the unexpected
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
Flying
Training
Laughlin AFB
Threat
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The new iteration of pilot training tries to shift students away from rote responses and toward real-world understanding. But it’s not teaching young pilots just to be more autonomous in the cockpit. The course format also is designed to give students more flexibility in how they learn.
“You kind of have to know what you're struggling with and challenge yourself to be a better pilot,” Buxton said. “Good example: yesterday I went out and was flying my training objectives, working on patterns and landings. But I still planned to go out to our area and do some fun aerobatics.”
“We plan our flights,” Ginn added. “There are certain requirements and objectives at different points in the syllabus. But if it's like basic aircraft control or something that's incorporated across the board, we always have the space to go work on that.”
The Air Force has rolled out the curriculum for all incoming undergraduate pilot trainees. The service is also exploring ways to modernize its communication systems and information networks to stop adversaries from disrupting its operations."
..."The new iteration of pilot training tries to shift students away from rote responses and toward real-world understanding. But it’s not teaching young pilots just to be more autonomous in the cockpit. The course format also is designed to give students more flexibility in how they learn.
“You kind of have to know what you're struggling with and challenge yourself to be a better pilot,” Buxton said. “Good example: yesterday I went out and was flying my training objectives, working on patterns and landings. But I still planned to go out to our area and do some fun aerobatics.”
“We plan our flights,” Ginn added. “There are certain requirements and objectives at different points in the syllabus. But if it's like basic aircraft control or something that's incorporated across the board, we always have the space to go work on that.”
The Air Force has rolled out the curriculum for all incoming undergraduate pilot trainees. The service is also exploring ways to modernize its communication systems and information networks to stop adversaries from disrupting its operations."
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