English Makes Flying Possible

By  Dr. Ronnie L. Holley, Chief, Mobile Training Team

DCG-Ops G7 Language Branch

 

 

SHINDAND – The NTM-A G7 Language Branch English Mobile Training Team is succeeding in their mission in Afghanistan; the evidence is visible on the ground and in the sky. 

Afghan National Security Forces who just a few months ago were students attending English classes at the Kabul English Language Training Center – KELTC – are now learning aviation and flying solo at Shindand Air Base. 

Several former English students at KELTC have completed the introductory flight school and are now attending undergraduate pilot training.  Recently KELTC Site Lead, Joseph O’Connor was able to witness the first Cessna 172 solo flights of four former KELTC students. 

“Often teachers do not get to see the results of their work; however, my visit to Shindand gave me the unique opportunity to see prior KELTC students using English to successfully fly their first solo flights,” said O’Connor.  “Learning to fly is a challenging task, especially if you are learning to fly in a language that is not your native one.”

“I was proud to see my former students successfully interacting with their U.S. instructors in English and accomplishing their goals of being a pilot.  I am equally excited to take back their success story to my current KELTC students to inspire them to continue their studies so that one day they will complete their first solo flight.”

These pilots are the first Afghan forces to be totally trained as pilots within Afghanistan in more than 30 years.  Prior to this, Afghan pilots received their advanced flight training on foreign soil.

“We are on the verge of something big here,” said O’Connor, “the beginning of a new and modern Afghan Air force.”

The importance of developing English language skills of Afghan National Security Forces continues to grow.  In fact, the need to expand English training is ever more apparent. 

 

“The development of the English Language Training Program is critical here at Shindand,” says Lt. Col. James G. Bands, USAF, Commander, 444 AEAS. 

Currently, a contract teacher provides English instruction in the afternoon four days a week.  The training helps to maintain the student’s current language skills, but it’s not focused enough to allow aircrew to increase those skills, Bands said. 

“The development of a program here at Shindand will allow for safer operations not only in flying operations but the interaction between aircrews, maintainers and the advisors.”

The NTM-A G7 English Language Mobile Training Team is working to meet these growing mission needs with plans to provide U.S. teachers and an extensive English language curriculum for Shindand with intensive and non-intensive class options.  Current plans include establishing an English language training program that will provide specialized, technical vocabulary training to ensure the mission’s success.

“As the center for flight training in Afghanistan, it is critical that Shindand have the best ELTP program in this country in order to train not only the students, but the instructors that will be eventually selected to train Afghanistan’s Air Force,” Bands said.  “Without a program here at Shindand, the ability for the coalition to turn over the operations will be significantly delayed.”

The NTM-A/CSTC-A G7 English Language MTT works closely with the civilian aviation contract instructors who serve as mentors and advisors.   Gerard Rowe, a mentor from the i3-Corps, said that strong English language skills are critical to success.

 “As English is the international language of aviation, it is imperative all pilots have useable English skills.  The Introductory Flight School and Undergraduate Pilot Training here, is taught 100 percent in English and without interpreters – making solid English skills mandatory for our student pilots.  I can tell you our students’ English skills improve rapidly during the course of their training – it is an impressive thing to behold.”

Rowe said that his instructor pilots’ jobs include overcoming language barriers during their instruction a task known from the outset.  As these students learn more English, they must also logical problem solving skills. 

“As pilots, we have a need for relatively quick logic, reason, and deduction that may not be taught / learned outside the Western world’s educational system.  Our students have all succeeded in completing IFS completely taught in English,” he said.  “The ability to hear and think in English, without internal translation, was required to be successful.  That is a significant accomplishment.”

To build upon the English training conducted at KELTC, the NTM-A G7 English Language Mobile Training Team supports a total English language immersion environment to enhance the language learning that takes place in the normal classroom setting.  Known as ‘ThunderLab,’ the program provides conditions for living and working together with Coalition Forces to promote the Afghan English language learners/pilots language acquisition.  The current goal is to move the present ThunderLab location at Kabul International Airport to Shindand, where it will be closer to other student pilot programs.  

Special acknowledgement for the need of the ThunderLab program and extensive effort in support of the ThunderLab program comes from Lt. Col. Daryl Sassaman, USAF 438 AEW, who reaffirms that English language training is essential to the success of the Shindand Pilot Training Program. 

“December saw the first class of Initial Flight Screening candidates enter the program.  These seven Afghan Lieutenants were graduates of the ‘Thunder Lab,’ a 24/7 leadership, aviation, and English language immersion environment,” Sassaman said.  “They received their formal English language training at the Kabul Education and Language Training Center and are the first students to receive all of their English and Flight training inside Afghanistan.”

The biggest challenge with the program, he said, is the timeline for getting each student to the required English proficiency level.  Because each student learns at a different rate, it’s difficult to generate the number of students to fill an entire flight training class.   The Thunder Lab concept has helped to reduce the timeline for training the AAF lieutenants. 

 

“By transitioning the Thunder Lab and English Language Training to Shindand, each student will be able to better focus on English training,” said Sussaman. “The move to Shindand will eliminate most of the distractions associated with the city of Kabul.   Additionally, the Thunder Lab is designed to introduce the concepts of aviation, to include: aerodynamics, aircrew communications, and flight procedures which prepare them for follow-on flight training.”

Tony Mattox, Program Manager, Flying Training of Lockheed Martin, agrees.  He said that safety is priority in ‘the flying business’ and being able to communicate clearly is vital to overall success. The student pilots must be able to not only understand but be able to relay in clear, concise, communications what they are intending to do while flying.  During an emergency situation, there is no time for miscommunications.

“I believe that ThunderLab has provided these extremely important building blocks to the students that it has allowed them to continue learning even in the high demand environment of flying,” Mattox said. “We have seen a marked improvement in their language skills in the short time that they have been in our program. We fully expect this trend to continue as they make the next step into the undergraduate pilot training program.”

“I believe we all as a team have come a long way, and I am extremely proud to be a part of this history in the making,” said Mattox.  “From their beginnings at KELTC and through ThunderLab, this group of seven extraordinary lieutenants in IFS ‘Class 12-01’ has demonstrated drive and determination that is very admirable. “

Mattox said they’ve stepped into shoes that have been unfilled for many years and will continue to mold Afghanistan’s Air Force into what he believes can be a bright and fantastic future.

“Although they may not realize it yet, these seven are in comparison to our Apollo program; although not astronauts, they are opening doors for all future Afghan pilots. It has been an honor to witness their professionalism and dedication to becoming an AAF pilot,” said Mattox.  “As we say in the flying business, the road to wings can be a very bumpy one and takes discipline, drive, and endurance of which all seven have demonstrated successfully.  I am pleased beyond words to be a part of this delicate and vital process.”

The NTM-A G7 Language Branch English Mobile Training Team teachers from the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Defense Language Institute serve at several locations throughout Afghanistan on six-month and year-long tours.  The training team is responsible for providing instruction and instructor development to Afghan National Security Forces to prepare and support the U.S. Security Assistance objective of obtaining qualified ANSF candidates for both national and international training.  The G7 Language Branch provides English language training to more than 6,000 members of the Afghan National Security Forces.

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Category: News - Afghan Air Force