Preparing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Graduates for F-35A Training
Abstract
In 2015, the U.S. Air Force plans to start its first class of F-35A Initial Qualification Training (IQT) students immediately following their graduation from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT). This class will signify the beginning of F-35A pilot production with a steady increase to over 180 F-35A pilots per year. These pilots will require certain skills to fly the F-35A, skills that will be somewhat different from the skills required of today's fighter pilots as the Air Force moves from fourth generation F-16, F-15, and A-10 aircraft to fifth generation F-22A and F-35A aircraft. With the introduction of fifth generation aircraft, the U.S. Air Force is experiencing the biggest technological advance in fighter aircraft since the introduction of the jet engine. The effect on pilot training is that pilots will be transitioning from 1950s aircraft to the latest in stealth and avionics. Without a major change in either how future fighter pilots train or the aircraft they train in, the U.S. Air Force will not be maximizing its combat effectiveness. Therefore, the current U.S. Air Force fighter pilot training system that starts at Initial Flight Screening through SUPT, goes to Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF), and finishes with F-35A Formal Training Unit (FTU) might need to adapt to prepare these students for future combat operations. This study examines the skills acquired in the current U.S. Air Force fighter pilot training system and compares them to the expected skills for future students entering the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter FTU. The author makes recommendations to mitigate any training shortfalls.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA524398
Entities
People
- Todd J. Lafortune
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College