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UPT Phase I Pictures


This is our house on base. It's a two-bedroom duplex, and looks pretty much like every other house on base. We got it much sooner that we anticipated, so our stay in temporary lodging was quite short. We got all settled in after only a couple days.

These are the T-37s, which is what all students at Columbus start out in. It's a twin-engine jet aircraft that accommodates a student and instructor pilot side-by-side.

If all goes well, this is what I'll be flying in February. These are T-1 Jayhawks. It's essentially a business jet that accommodates two students and an instructor. Students selected for tankers/transports complete their training in this aircraft.

Kris Quam and Shaun O'Donnell enjoying Aerodynamics.

This is the transition office where all new students begin their in-processing and get their temporary duties (if assigned) while they wait for their class to start. Bob Hardenstine is doing a little light reading in the foreground.

This is one of several T-37 CFTs (Cockpit Flight Trainers) that students can use for cockpit familiarization and checklist procedures. In the actual aircraft, students sit on the left with their instructor pilots (IP), if present, on the right.

The 14th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) is where most of the academics take place. The transition office, classrooms, bookstore, and the computer assisted instruction (CAI) lab are all in this building.

Getting a study session started with classmates Carrie Beck, Boyd Bandy, and Kipp Parker at Kipp's place prior to the Aerodynamics exam.

Here's the gang at Applebee's for 'free' beers (early in the night). Though it may look it in the picture, Jeff (foreground, right) doesn't even drink.

Brett's daughter is obviously a pilot in training.

Here we are later in the evening when the majority of the 174 previously purchased import beverages had been accounted for.

This is the swing tower, where we practiced landing techniques while suspended from the parachute harness.

We practiced our first PLFs (parachute landing falls) off of two and four-foot platforms.

Some of the flight in their harnesses heading to the top of the swing tower.

Gary gets strapped in for a ride in the ejection chair. The track is maybe twenty-feet high, but none of us went over eight. It moves you pretty quick, but not nearly as fast as the real thing apparently.

The class prepared for a night vision demonstration by wearing red goggles to acclimate their eyes.

This was our first experience in the altitude chamber. We didn't actually pressurize on this one, but instead learned how to use our masks and oxygen regulators. If this was any indication, the pressurization on Friday should be pretty funny.

We headed out to the parasail field at 0655 for two rides to test our new-found PLF abilities.

The Airman in Life Support was about to demonstrate what we would be doing for the day. He is in the center with the parachute spread behind him. The speck in the distance is the towing vehicle..

Here I am lifting off. They were a lot of fun, but very short. They got us up about 300 feet on our second ride.

Some of our "dependants," as they are often called, came out to cheer us on. They braved the bugs and heat for the better part of the morning to be with us.

Peek, Pfeiffer, Frisard, and Parker prepare for the altitude chamber.

Vanhoof and myself all hooked up and going to altitude inside the chamber. Shortly after the picture, I got to experience what the effects of hypoxia were first hand.

Pilot humor inside the officer's lounge at the club. It's a nose of a T-37 covered in class patch stickers.

Zeese, McCarthy, and myself enjoying a beer (or a couple) after completing our fourth week of academics. This was the assignment night for class 02-14 (where the students find out what aircraft they will fly and where they will be stationed).

Snyder with a new collection of patches.