Texan becoming new primary trainer

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http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/09/n ... r-092710w/

Texan becoming new primary trainer

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 27, 2010 5:38:18 EDT

At Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., the age of the Texan has begun.

The Navy is starting to phase out its primary flight training aircraft, the T-34C Turbomentor, which has trained naval aviators since 1978. Gradually taking its place over the next five years will be the new T-6B Texan II.

The Air Force in 2009 completed its transition from the T-37 Tweet to the earlier “A” model of the Texan.

The Navy’s switch began in September of that year, when the first two aircraft showed up at Whiting to train the instructors for Training Wing 5. The first students at Training Squadron 3 began training in May with the first Texan-trained teachers.

As of mid-August, 37 T-6B aircraft were being used by Training Squadron 2 as well as the wing’s instructor training unit.

With five additional aircraft arriving each month, the plan is to transition the other two primary flight training squadrons — VT-2 and VT-6 — into the Texan as soon as possible. In the end, Whiting will be home to 156 of the new aircraft.

“Right now, we’re about 25 percent through the transition,” said Lt. Cmdr. Scott Pritchard, officer in charge of Training Wing 5’s instructor training unit.

Made by Hawker Beechcraft, the T-6 is a significant upgrade over the T-34, with about twice the power of its predecessor.

It also has a pressurized cockpit and ejection seats — firsts for a Navy primary trainer. In the T-34, when the pilot had an emergency, he had to either land the aircraft or climb out of the cockpit and jump.

Inside, an all-LCD instrument display offers a “heads up” display, allowing pilots to watch the controls while also looking out the windshield.

That “glass” cockpit will make the transition to follow-on fleet aircraft such as the F/A-18C Super Hornet easier, Pritchard said.

“It’s a high-performance aircraft and an excellent trainer,” Pritchard said. “Regardless of the platform these pilots fly once in the fleet, training in the Texan will give them a solid base of flying skills that will stay with them [for] their whole careers.”