Independent Review and Assessment of the Air Force Ready Aircrew Program: A Description of the Model Used for Sensitivity Analysis
Abstract
U.S. Air Force pilots must undergo continuation training to maintain flying proficiency and improve their capabilities to perform assigned missions. For combat aircraft pilots, continuation training is governed by the Ready Aircrew Program (RAP), which defines how many aircraft sorties and simulator missions a pilot must complete annually and how this training should be distributed among missions, events, and skills. Squadrons must also accomplish other, non-RAP types of flying training; new pilots must be trained to accomplish the squadrons mission; inexperienced pilots must fly enough to become experienced; as pilots gain more experience, they need to undergo training to become flight leads; and the best pilots receive additional formal training to become instructor pilots and mission commanders. This training may occasionally interfere with opportunities for pure continuation training. For example, experienced pilots who participate in a four-ship mission meant to train a new pilot may not have the time to practice the more-advanced skills needed to fulfill a RAP requirement. As a result, the number of new pilots who enter a squadron each year, the number of sorties that can be flown each month, the ratio of inexperienced to experienced pilots in the squadron, and other factors all affect how rapidly pilots can become experienced, how many flight leads and instructors can be maintained, and how much unconstrained continuation training can be accomplished.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1077816
Entities
People
- John A. Ausink
- Matthew E. Walsh
- William W. Taylor
Organizations
- RAND Corporation