Jonathan S.’s Post

The Indian Air Force has historically been the best-equipped air force in the region, operating a range of Russian-/Soviet-origin equipment with a smaller mix of Western and domestic arms. More recently, the IAF has suffered from "delayed procurement processes, a mismatch in the defense industry’s vision of fighter aircraft and the air force’s requirements, and a questionable capacity to develop and manufacture homegrown equipment that have left the air force shorthanded." (Carnegie India, https://lnkd.in/gRqUsdBY) Halldale Group's article, below, discusses the IAF's western modernisation efforts and a shift to simulation & training, in line with the force's training doctrine in balancing high technology equipment and assets with a professional and highly-trained workforce. https://lnkd.in/gU7jv4cs #airpower #airforce #IAF #aerospace #pilottraining #defence

This article gets a few things wrong, but it does highlight some of the ongoing leadership challenges the AF has faces since the late 80's (and probably before). Couple of points: 1. When we walked away from a universally-assignable pilot in the early 90's, it took away a lot of flexibility from leadership. The T-1 was a poor answer to an ongoing problem. 2. This highlights a major problem that was a problem when I was on the Air Staff 20 years ago (and before)--fighter pilot absorption. Aircraft availability not only effects force presentation, but also effects the ability to train and season crews. 3. Fighter/bomber pilot absorption is getting worse by the day because the cost per flying hour of our fleet is increasingly unsustainable, making commanders feel like they have to choose between 'real' seasoning balancing the budget. The force needs a balance of high/low assets both for force presentation AND for seasoning. Affordable mass 4. T-38 (fighter/bomber) training is based on force structure needs for the Combat Forces. Sending pilots to Mobility aircraft is great, but they need a defined path back into fighters to fix the problem this action is creating. #forcestructure #affordablemass #fighterabsorption #usaf #airpower

Has mandatory on-aircraft Upset Prevention and Recovery training made flying safer? Five years ago today we were on the front cover of FLYER magazine as editor Dave Calderwood sampled on-aircraft Upset Prevention and Recovery training in one of our former military T67M260s; "every pilot should carry out this critical safety training" was his verdict. Three months later in December 2019, EASA mandated on-aircraft UPRT for all new commercial pilots, not in response to Dave's recommendation but as a result of years of work by the pan-European working group EASA RMG.0581. As the UK representative on this group, Ultimate High didn't agree with every aspect of the new training requirements but recognised that an element of compulsory UPRT should prove extremely useful. It is too soon to demonstrate any statistical improvements resulting from this training on any kind of meaningful basis. But we're fascinated by what pilots think - has this training had a material impact on making flying safer? #upsetpreventionrecoverytraining #uprt #flightsafety #flightsafetyschool #flyermag #safetyisnoaccident

Mark Hasara has a fantastic podcast series called "Lessons From the Cockpit" (the same title as his excellent book) about all things aviation and the things we learn from our time in the industry. I'm not a pilot, my formal training is as an civilian aircraft mechanic and so my lessons are not from the cockpit but rather, from the "hell hole" or the wheel well. Haha. Anyway, they're all great but this one was of particular interest to me as our biggest customer is the US Military and the tanker/cargo aircraft. Don't get me wrong, the fighter and attack jets are dead sexy, but they don't go very far without the tankers or cargo. As the saying goes; "No one kicks ass without tanker gas!" Oh, and the they don't carry their own spares for when they break and if it flies, it breaks. Trust me, I know. 😉 Nothing happens without sparesand the technicians to install them. https://lnkd.in/e9UiAAPe

The next course starts next week, don’t miss out! Here’s what Steve Gergen had to say about it.. “This course has helped me instill a belief in my own abilities.” Was the course worth the investment? “Without a doubt! To take a 4 week course, and learn invaluable skills and tools from a very experienced, knowledgeable Air Force fighter pilot and instructor pilot, it was one of the best investments I've made in myself.” Would you recommend this course to others? “Definitely. For any aviators out there that are second guessing their decision to fly, or second guessing their decisions while in the air, maybe they struggle with imposter syndrome, or possibly perfectionism - then this course is for them! Tammy provides you with tools to overcome all of these challenges.” Enrollment link in the comments

From what I hear the flying hour program, maintenance, and operational training spend is being used as a "bill payer" in the coming budget. Yes we need to modernize, but not at the expense of those in unform. How about we measure commanders by the quality and amount of training they accomplish in a given year. From Corps and Division on down. When was the last time combat training was the core of the discussion, vs. physical fitness training? Physical fitness is a necessary building block, but a fit solder who can't do their job is of low value. #POM #governmentspending #investing #aviation #army #defense

The ability for militaries to conduct Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training has accelerated over the past few years thanks to the required underlying technology having progressed. Fundamentally, LVC generates a comprehensive training and simulation environment by integrating real and simulated elements rather than one or the other. Valiant Shield 2024 was the United States Department of Defense's first advanced LVC aviation training exercise conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. This training connected live aircraft with simulators, allowing US Navy and United States Marine Corps pilots to engage in high-level, realistic training scenarios. LVC training initiatives such as Valiant Shield are useful in training real people, on actual platforms - but against a scalable, virtual threat. I.e. a peer adversary with fifth-generation assets, that could not be simulated using friendly assets. #airpower #aviation #LVC #aerospace #defence

For obvious reasons, #usaf expectations set in 2018 should account for the ways in which the Boeing supply chain and talent pipeline is different today. One might even point out that some of these issues can be tied to specific federal policies and decisions, as well as a system that incentivizes bidding low to begin with. But with all the finger pointing out of the way, anyone can easily see how an over budget training jet, might just make a highly affordable, practical, and effective light attack jet. #foreignmilitarysales, a toothy version of the #T7A might be just what our partners and allies need.

Due to a critical pilot shortage, the Air Force is requiring newly trained T-38 pilots to consider roles beyond their preferred fighter or bomber assignments. This policy shift is aimed at addressing delays in training and filling urgent needs in other aircraft roles. Read more about this significant change and its impact on pilot careers. https://lnkd.in/grbwb4Mt #AirForce #PilotShortage #MilitaryCareers

Parliament and industry debate the life cycle of the enduring Hawk T2, coming to different conclusions concerning the real-life training of Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots. https://lnkd.in/eHFe3whB