Factsheets : Cadet Airmanship Programs

Information > Fact Sheets > Cadet Airmanship Programs

CADET AIRMANSHIP PROGRAMS

Posted 1/8/2010

Photos


A sailplane towed by a T-41 Mescalero soars above Colorado Springs in the direction of Pikes Peak. The U.S. Air Force Academy's soaring program gives cadets their first hands-on experience with flying aircraft. The 94th Flying Training Squadron conducts the training, flying more than 30,000 sorties per year. (U.S. Air Force photo/David Armer)
Download HiRes

The U.S. Air Force Academy offers a variety of flying programs under the direction of Air Education and Training Command in coordination with the Commandant of Cadets. Airmanship programs are a vital part of each cadet's course of study, providing a series of flying and parachuting experiences which integrate key aspects of Air Force aviation heritage and present day-to-day Air Force flying operations with other elements of the cadet's total education.

Airmanship division programs are embodied in 19 courses which offer basic and advanced instruction in gliders, pilot screening and parachuting. All operations are conducted simultaneously at one of the busiest visual flight rules airports in the country.

Academy airmanship division programs are consistently rated number one in terms of preparing graduates for the Air Force flying and non-flying duties. For officers moving on to non-flying career fields, these programs may be their only direct contact with an operational flying environment. Furthermore, providing cadets an opportunity to experience hands-on flying enhances the effectiveness of academic aeronautical related course work.

In addition, the programs serve as an inexpensive tool in screening cadets for future flying, reducing costly attrition from jet pilot training. By developing courage, character and discipline and enhancing aviation knowledge, the airmanship programs form a vital part of the Air Force Academy curriculum and help distinguish the Academy from other institutes of higher learning.

SOARING
The Academy Soaring Program is designed to allow cadets to receive their first hands-on experience in a flying environment. The 94th Flying Training Squadron executes all training associated with the soaring program, including basic soaring, instructor pilot upgrade and advanced soaring. The squadron flies more than 30,000 sorties a year, making it the largest and most active soaring operation in the United States. Sailplane training is designed as a leadership and motivational experience. These aspects are enhanced by the fact that 95 percent of the training in sailplanes is conducted by qualified cadet instructor pilots.

Basic soaring training includes instruction in the LET Blanik TG-10B glider. A cadet may be qualified to fly solo after approximately 10-15 flights depending on the cadet's level of proficiency. The basic soaring course trains approximately 600 sophomore cadets annually. Additionally, approximately 60 cadets are chosen each year to enter a semester-long instructor pilot upgrade course. Upon graduation from the upgrade course, cadets earn the coveted "G-wings" and become qualified instructor pilots in the TG-10B.

For those cadet instructor pilots that excel, advanced soaring courses offer the opportunity to train in the LET Blanik TG-10C (aerobatics) or the LET Blanik TG-10D (cross-country). Advanced soaring cadets routinely compete in regional and national aerobatic and cross-country competitions.

The Academy sailplane fleet consists of 12 TG-10B trainers, five TG-10Cs, four TG-10Ds, two Shempp-Hirth TG-15As, three Shempp-Hirth TG-15Bs and 14 Ximango TG-14A motorgliders,

PARACHUTING
Cadet parachuting at the Academy began in 1963 when interested cadets formed a recreational club. The basic Academy course evolved from that original club into today's program. The objectives of the parachute program are threefold: train cadets in basic free-fall parachuting, represent the Academy at competitions and demonstrations and provide a leadership laboratory and motivational experience for cadets.

The 98th Flying Training Squadron handles all training and flying associated with the parachuting program. This program builds character and leadership traits through parachuting. When cadets step out of an airplane at 4,500 feet above the ground, they must trust their equipment, their training, and more importantly, their own self-discipline to get them safely back to the ground. Academy graduates consistently rate the parachute program as having cultivated character and discipline that were key factors to success in the operational Air Force.

Four parachute programs exist in the cadet airmanship program -- basic, advanced, instructor/jumpmaster training, and instructor/jumpmaster duty courses -- in which more than 20,000 jumps are made each year. The basic course trains about 700 cadets annually. The final course gives military training credit to cadets who are instructors for the other three programs.

Cadets play a major role in training and safety. For example, virtually all cadet jumps are controlled by cadet jumpmasters. These duties provide practical leadership experience with a large amount of responsibility. This responsibility includes ground training, equipment fitting, pre-flight inspection, aircraft loading, all pre-jump actions to include emergency procedures, and safe and orderly egress from the aircraft.

Airlift support for cadet parachuting is provided by three UV-18B aircraft. The UV-18B is a DeHavilland DHC-6, known as a Twin Otter. It carries a pilot, copilot and up to 17 jumpers. The aircraft has crew and passenger oxygen systems and a navigation/communication package which gives it an all-weather capability. It has a cruise speed of 150 knots, a service ceiling of 25,000 feet and a range of 700 miles. These Twin Otters are the only three owned by the Air Force.

FLYING TEAM
The Academy Flying Team is a select group of 16 to 18 cadets who hold a Federal Aviation Administration private pilot certificate or higher. The team uses three instrument-equipped 150-horsepower Cessna 150 aircraft to compete against 144 colleges nationwide in regional and national competitions.

Cadets fly approximately 75 to 100 hours per year. They compete in nine demanding ground and precision flying events, such as aircraft identification, flight computer accuracy, short field landings and cross-country navigation. During the summer, officer instructor pilots train new team members in the team's aircraft and competition events. Each spring, the team deploys for a week of intensive flying training prior to the National Flying Competition.

FLIGHT SCREENING
Academy Flight Screening is designed for cadets who will attend specialized undergraduate pilot or navigator training after graduation. The goal of the program is to screen students to assess the likelihood of success in follow-on training. Up to 650 students a year receive ground and flight training in a military-style flight training syllabus. Students fly approximately 25 hours in a Diamond DA-20, a single-engine trainer aircraft. They receive instruction in basic flight maneuvers, techniques and procedures, culminating in a local area solo sortie and a final flight evaluation. Safety is a key point of emphasis in the training.

Currently the flight screening mission is conducted by a contractor and is supervised by Air Force personnel.

AERO CLUB
The Aero Club allows cadets to pursue civilian ratings at a reduced cost. Cadets must pay aircraft rental fees and instructional costs but are partially reimbursed by Academy services funds. For more information on the Aero Club, visit the club's Air Force Academy Services Web site at http://www.usafaservices.com/hobbies--skills/aero-club.

(Current as of January 2010)

Inside USAFA