Angry T-38 flight instructor and foreign student...

bunk22

Well-Known Member
Another old and I know many of us military types have seen it. I've flown with foreign students, mainly Italian, Indian and Saudi, and know the frustration. Still, he sounded like a d!ck.

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Sucky thing about the -38, all the environmental controls are in the front cockpit, as well as engine start/shutdown, IIRC.

Most of the foreigners I worked with were Koreans, and later with Iraqi/Saudi. Each have their respective ways....just got to learn some patience.
 
This particular student was Japanese...this was at Columbus back, probably '03 or '04. The student was a pretty decent stick, but had a number of problems with his English.

The IP was a normally calm (and now retired) Lt Col, heh heh.
 
I had this Italian student who would not clear above him prior to going vertical in aerobatics. So I'm telling him to look up, clear above him. Every time I said look up, he would look left, then right, then left. It literally took 3-4 minutes to get him to look up. Nothing uncomfortable like with the heat full blast but frustrating none the less.
 
This is hilarious to look back on.. but until you have been stuck in that situation... its not so funny haha..
 
What a professional.

Easy to say when you are not dealing with the A/C blowing full hot and none of the communication methods you've used with the non-native English speaker up in the front cockpit have helped him find the temperature rheostat.
 
Heh ... this was one of the "related videos." The song has words we're not allowed to use.

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Is it common practice for members of the military to train foreigners?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this (and stories others have shared) don't sound like a "CFI + student at your local flight school" scenario.

Just curious.
 
Is it common practice for members of the military to train foreigners?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this (and stories others have shared) don't sound like a "CFI + student at your local flight school" scenario.

Just curious.

Quite common. The USAF trains foreigners from many Asian, South American, and Eastern Europe/Middle Eastern countries in UPT.

Foreign Air Forces also do their own training with their own squadrons/groups here in the US: The German AF at Holloman AFB, the Singapore and Taiwan AF at Luke AFB and Silverbell AHP, just to name a few.
 
Is it common practice for members of the military to train foreigners?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this (and stories others have shared) don't sound like a "CFI + student at your local flight school" scenario.

Just curious.

Yes, there are plenty of foreign military pilots trained in the US. They are here for many different reasons, but most are part of military aid packages.

In other words, a country that buys some F-16s, for example, also gets as part of the deal a certain number of training slots in UPT, IFF, and the F-16 B-Course.

In the case of Japan, there is a long-standing joint training agreement that has a certain (small) number of students going through the pipeline pretty regularly. They will go back to fly F-15Js and F-2s in the JASDF.
 
My neighbor was a T-38 IP when the USAF was training a few Iranian pilots. I cannot remember the full story, but while in cruise his student ejected. I think the student's excuse was that he heard someone yell "Eject, Eject" on the radio and thought it was his IP saying it. His IP was too happy about it!

Alex.
 
Yes, there are plenty of foreign military pilots trained in the US. They are here for many different reasons, but most are part of military aid packages.

In other words, a country that buys some F-16s, for example, also gets as part of the deal a certain number of training slots in UPT, IFF, and the F-16 B-Course.

In the case of Japan, there is a long-standing joint training agreement that has a certain (small) number of students going through the pipeline pretty regularly. They will go back to fly F-15Js and F-2s in the JASDF.

I always hear about a steady amount of foreign pilots being trained over here by the AF, but do any of our guys train overseas with allied countries as part of the exchange??
 
I always hear about a steady amount of foreign pilots being trained over here by the AF, but do any of our guys train overseas with allied countries as part of the exchange??

Don't think we train with anyone for any kind initial training as students, but we do have exchanges where US pilots are IP, and of course exchanges where they are line pilots also.
 
I always hear about a steady amount of foreign pilots being trained over here by the AF, but do any of our guys train overseas with allied countries as part of the exchange??

None that I'm aware of, for undergraduate training at least.
 
Is it common practice for members of the military to train foreigners?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this (and stories others have shared) don't sound like a "CFI + student at your local flight school" scenario.

Just curious.

To tag onto what was mentioned about the AF folks, in the Navy pipelines we train:

NAS Meridian (T-45C) - French, Italian, Spanish - Strike/Jet training

NAS Kingsville (T-45A/T-45C) - Indian (and I think possibly German) - Strike/Jet training

NAS Pensacola/NAS Whiting (T-34C/T-39/T-45C/TH-57)- Italian, German, Spanish, French, Saudi, Indian, I may be forgetting others - Helo and Primary training

NAS Corpus Christi (TC-12/T-44)- Italian, German, Spanish (I think) - Multiengine/Maritime training

My squadron in Meridian does all the French jet/carrier training, and we actually (as American students) fly with their French exchange instructors on a regular basis as well. The language barrier can be confusing, I think especially with the Spanish guys (from what I have heard over the radio), though most students are pretty good at English.
 
Was it USMC that was flying in a Van one day with the heat stuck on full on during the summer? I think it was. He's such a badass that I don't think he noticed, even though direct contact with the air out of the heat vents can cause first degree burns.
 
Easy to say when you are not dealing with the A/C blowing full hot and none of the communication methods you've used with the non-native English speaker up in the front cockpit have helped him find the temperature rheostat.

Meh, still can't let emotions get in the way like that. Sure it must have sucked, but you still have to address the situation in a professional way.
 
I was the OIC of the prep school for RSNF pilots at NAS Whiting for primary and advanced flight training not to long. NETSAFA is the command responsible for all the Navy's foreign flight training, be it P-cola, Meridian, K-ville, etc.
 
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