School takes students to new heights

Airmen take off into a high-flying career upon graduating from a classroom that hovers 500 feet above the ground.

Students training at the 23rd Flying Training Squadron in Fort Rucker, Ala., are the Air Force's primary source of helicopter pilots for special operations, combat search and rescue, missile support and distinguished visitor airlift missions.

Although the post is home to the largest helicopter training facility for Army training, Air Force officials have developed their own independent training syllabus, separate from the Army's flight school model.

The 23rd FTS is home to the third and final phase of undergraduate pilot training, a path the Airmen must follow before gaining their wings.

"The training can be very demanding, both mentally and physically," said 1st Lt. Wyeth Lindeke, first assignment instructor pilot. "This isn't for people who think it would be cool to fly helicopters. Your heart has to be in it and you really have to have a passion for flying."

Students begin their UPT with the initial flight screening in Colorado, a pre-requisite program to introduce would-be Air Force pilots to the basics of aviation and navigation.

For the second phase of their UPT, the trainees move on to six months of fixed-wing aircraft training at various Air Force or Navy bases.

Upon arrival at Fort Rucker, students take block academics before transitioning to learning basic maneuvers in helicopters, such as takeoff and landing. The classes are kept small -- six trainees -- so instructors can devote more training time to students.

"Because our learning environment is in a small, tight knit community with a wealth of knowledgeable instructors, I think I'll have a lot to contribute to the Air Force mission once I get my wings," said 2nd Lt. Candice Killian, a UPT student.

Emergency procedures and simulator time are incorporated to teach instrument operations. Once armed with that knowledge, students step into helicopters to hone their skills. Training in single-ship, formation flight and night-vision-goggles flight, they learn lessons that can be applied at their operational units.

"We get a lot of great training and I can't wait to put into practice what I've learned," said 1st Lt. Michael Scott, a recent graduate of the school who will be assigned to Malmstrom AFB, Mont. "I can't imagine doing anything else."

The student pilots typically train in the UH-1H Iroquois, or Huey, but currently are transitioning to the TH-1H, the latest version of the UH-1H. It has undergone extensive refurbishment, including upgraded components and a new avionics suite with a glass cockpit.

"The Huey provides the best platform in terms of versatility and of power maneuverability and longevity," said Lieutenant Lindeke. "It's a forgiving aircraft, given what the students tend to do with it."

Air Force instructors train 66 students a year, split into 11 classes at the squadron. Pilots spend 25 weeks there before graduating and moving to Kirtland AFB, N.M., for specific helicopter training. Depending on the airframe, the next step takes four to nine months of training. Pilots are selected by a combination of class rankings and assignment choices.

The new pilots' options are to fly the CV-22 Osprey for special operations, HH-60 Pave Hawk for combat search and rescue, or UH-1N Twin Huey for missile support and distinguished visitor airlift missions.

The 23rd FTS has a long and distinctive history in the Air Force and continues that legacy by providing helicopter pilots with wings to carry them to heights they might have only dreamed as children.

"My dad was a helicopter pilot and growing up seeing those helicopters flying over my house influenced my decision to become a pilot," said Lieutenant Lindeke. "So early on I got that bug, that itch to want to fly."

By Airman 1st Class Anthony Jennings - 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs