T45A Goshawk

[Anthony]

At least I think that's what this is. Seen today while stopping by Centennial to get somehting to eat while doing some local flying.

Do these Navy guys just get to fly cross countries for training then stop wherever they want to eat? Sounds like fun. Come to think of it that's what I did, just not quite as fast. It is fun.

 

[poadeleted20]

At least I think that's what this is.

Yes, it is.

Do these Navy guys just get to fly cross countries for training then stop wherever they want to eat?

To a certain extent. The flight must be a syllabus flight calling for cross-country procedures, and the destination must be an approved airport (equipment, government fuel, runway length/width, etc).

Sounds like fun.

It is. But it is also limited. You don't just walk in on Tuesday morning and say, "Hey, who wants to fly to Cannon AFB for the flight line cafeteria Mexican lunch day?" And you have to get legitimate training, say, flying some unfamiliar low-level routes or dropping some bombs on an unfamiliar bombing range on each leg.

 

[Anthony]

Thanks guys. At what point do pilots fly the T-45A? Is this right before you would transition to what you will eventually fly? It looks like a blast.

 

[poadeleted20]

IIRC, the T-45 replaced both the T-2 Buckeye basic jet trainer and the TA-4 advanced jet trainer. If that's right, then the pilots are going into the T-45 right out of primary, which used to be 18 flights in either T-34C TurboMentors or the new T-6 Texan II, and after about a year and 200 hours in basic and advanced jet training, going from the T-45 going to their fleet aircraft. Maybe someone more current on what the Navy is doing for pilot training can correct me if I'm wrong.