Military Flight Aptitude Tests - USAREC - U.S. Army

26 Part I: Careers in Military Aviation
pedals, landing gear handle, fuel gauge, and other
instruments vital to an aircraft in flight.
The student pilots then take to the air in the T-34C
Mentor, an aerobatic turboprop. After 13 flights with their
instructors and many hours of briefings, they are ready to
fly solo. They complete a total of 41 flights (4 solo) in
primary training.
During training, students study meteorology, aerodynamics,
aircraft engines, instruments and navigation, and
take other related flight courses
Upon completion of primary flight training, the
student aviators are channeled into the jet, multiengine, or
helicopter pipeline. The selection is based upon the
student’s preference and grades, as well as the needs of the
service.
Intermediate and Advanced Training
Following primary training, and depending upon preference,
overall class rank, grade average in training, and the
needs of the Marine Corps, students are assigned to one of
three training pipelines. These are
n Jet (Strike)
n Multiengine (Prop)
n Helicopter (Rotary)
1. Intermediate and Advanced Jets (Strike)
Student jet pilots take intermediate training for twenty-two
weeks in a T-2C Buckeye jet trainer at either NAS,
Meridian, Mississippi, or NAS, Kingsville, Texas. They
concentrate on formation flying, air-to-air gunnery, and
more instrument work. They also make about a half-dozen
carrier arrested landings aboard a fleet aircraft carrier.
During advanced training at the same location,
students fly a TA-4J Skyhawk, a two-seat, light attack
trainer. They learn strike tactics, weapons delivery, and air
combat maneuvering. In addition, they make several
arrested landings.
Strike training, from the start of Aviation Preflight
Indoctrination until students earn their wings, lasts about
seventy-five weeks and includes about 260 hours of flight
training and 140 hours of simulator training.
2. Intermediate and Advanced Maritime
Student maritime (multiengine) pilots take five weeks of
intermediate training in a T-34C Mentor turboprop trainer
at NAS, Whiting Field, Milton, Florida, or NAS, Corpus
Christi, Texas. Advanced maritime training takes place at
NAS, Corpus Christi, Texas. During advanced training,
maritime students use the T-44 Pegasus (King Air) aircraft
and concentrate on improving more complicated flying
skills, such as instrument capability and single-engine
approaches in simulated weather conditions, and perform
many mock missions with training aircraft.
www.petersons.com/arco
Maritime training, from the start of Aviation Preflight
Indoctrination until students earn their wings, lasts
fifty-four weeks and includes about 180 hours of flight
training and 67 hours of simulator training.
3. Intermediate and Advanced Helicopter
Student helicopter pilots take five weeks of intermediate
training in a T-34C Mentor turboprop trainer at NAS
Whiting Field, Milton, Florida, or NAS, Corpus Christi,
Texas. The emphasis is on additional instrument navigation.
Advanced helicopter training takes place at NAS,
Whiting Field, Milton, Florida, for about twenty-one
weeks. During advanced training, students use the TH-57
Sea Ranger; advanced training includes learning the unique
characteristics of rotary-winged aviation, more instruments,
reading charts, low-level contour flying, formations,
tactical approaches, external loads, and confined-area
landings.
Helicopter training, from the start of Aviation
Preflight Training until students earn their wings, lasts
about fifty-five weeks and includes about 208 hours of
flight training and 80 hours of simulator training.
Designation
Upon successful completion of advanced training, students
are designated naval aviators and earn their wings of gold.
They are now ready for squadron training and assignment.
Squadron Assignment and Training
Upon completion of flight training, officers can expect
assignment to either the 2nd or 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
There are also a limited number of billets available with the
1st Marine Brigade in Hawaii. Newly designated Naval
Aviators are not normally assigned directly to the 1st
Marine Aircraft Wing.
Officers reporting to a squadron from the training
command will usually be placed in the type aircraft in
which they qualified during advanced training. Their MOS
will be those of basic pilots for fixed wing or for
helicopters. Upon completion of a squadron training
syllabus, they will be recommended for an MOS
compatible with the type aircraft they are flying.
A training flow chart for Marine Naval Aviators for
jets, multiengine props, and helicopters is shown on page 27.
Photos of some of the Marine Corps aircraft are
shown on pages 29 and 30.
Flight Officer Training
Preliminary Training
Marine student naval flight officers report directly from the
Basic School to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
They check in with the marine Aviation Training Support