Getting "qualified" in a Fighter
Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:46 pm
OK...NO LAUGHING!!! This is just to satisfy my curiosity. Never in my wildest dreams do I expect to be able to do this (and the question may have an obvious answer).
How does one become "qualified" to fly a single seat fighter?
F'rinstance...
To the best of my knowledge there were/are no dual control P-38s or F4Fs. F6Fs, F4Us, etc. How does one learn to "fly" one of these without actually flying it? OJT so to speak.
Like I said, there may be an obvious answer but I can't think of one.
Mudge the curious
How does one become "qualified" to fly a single seat fighter?
F'rinstance...
To the best of my knowledge there were/are no dual control P-38s or F4Fs. F6Fs, F4Us, etc. How does one learn to "fly" one of these without actually flying it? OJT so to speak.
Like I said, there may be an obvious answer but I can't think of one.
Mudge the curious
Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:53 pm
video games / computer flight simulators. i'll loan you my helmet, goggles, & gin bottle for a little special affects 
Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:58 am
One has to go through training and a check ride. The training consists of ground school and cockpit checkouts. Then you have to demonstrate your flying skills in the back seat of a T-6. If you can do that, you can fly just about anything. Some of us have a "Unlimited Letter of authority ( LOA ). This was given in the past, (but no longer) to pilots that qualify in 3 or more "piston powered, Experimental Aircraft over 900hp. If you were lucky enough to get one of these, all that is required is a cockpit check out and off you go. The theory was, if you went through all of that to qualify in 3 aircraft, why make you do the same thing over again. But the FAA decided that they liked making pilots go through all that again and again. Now you have to go through the complete training if you don't have the Unlimited LOA.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:05 am
Hey Doug,
Didn't one have to have a multi engine LOA to get an unlimited? I always thought that was what kept from getting one, I only had the single engine stuff and I needed a multi-engine LOA to complete the requirements.
Didn't one have to have a multi engine LOA to get an unlimited? I always thought that was what kept from getting one, I only had the single engine stuff and I needed a multi-engine LOA to complete the requirements.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:37 am
I think you're right. I had one in the S2 Tracker that counted for the multi.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 2:57 pm
More important question than the FAA requirement is what are the requirements to be insured to fly a fighter!!
Under current thought, at least 200 hours in a T-6. It's the tailwheel time that seems to be most important above anything else.
Under current thought, at least 200 hours in a T-6. It's the tailwheel time that seems to be most important above anything else.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:18 pm
FG1D Pilot wrote:One has to go through training and a check ride. The training consists of ground school and cockpit checkouts. Then you have to demonstrate your flying skills in the back seat of a T-6. If you can do that, you can fly just about anything. Some of us have a "Unlimited Letter of authority ( LOA ). This was given in the past, (but no longer) to pilots that qualify in 3 or more "piston powered, Experimental Aircraft over 900hp. If you were lucky enough to get one of these, all that is required is a cockpit check out and off you go. The theory was, if you went through all of that to qualify in 3 aircraft, why make you do the same thing over again. But the FAA decided that they liked making pilots go through all that again and again. Now you have to go through the complete training if you don't have the Unlimited LOA.
Mudge,
Same goes for single seat jet warbird fighters as Doug outlined for piston fighters. Get dual instruction in a two-seat trainer--an aircraft the FAA accepts as comparable and demonstrate proficiency in it. Once you've satisfied the instructor, the examiner watches you fly the single seater from the ground for your checkride. In the military, an examiner would fly off your wing and observe--anyone ever get an LOA or experimental type with the examiner flying off your wing? If you've bought that shiny F-86, get one of your friends to loan you a T-33 (sorta like loaning out your wife or girlfriend) and get instruction in it. During ground training, the instructor would cover differences between the jets like swept wing aerodynamics, handling, emergency procedures, limitation, "gotchas, systems, engine operation, approach/landing/aerobatic/cruise/stall/takeoff speeds etc. With flaps retracted, the approach speeds and pitch attitude of a T-33 is pretty close to an F-86 with flaps fully extended for approach/landing training; The engines behave similarly with slow spool up and the philosophy of operation the same in general. Once you've got the T-33 operation down and demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the F-86 and differences, you're signed off for the checkride and your first flight in the Sabre!
Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:39 pm
More important question than the FAA requirement is what are the requirements to be insured to fly a fighter!!
That is the limiting step, not the FAA. When I told my insurance guy I was going for my rotary wing in my UH-1H Huey, he turned a bit pale.
That is the limiting step, not the FAA. When I told my insurance guy I was going for my rotary wing in my UH-1H Huey, he turned a bit pale.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:48 pm
oscardeuce wrote:When I told my insurance guy I was going for my rotary wing in my UH-1H Huey, he turned a bit pale.
I would think that he would love it. Chaching!!!
I was talking to a Mustang owner here in the Atlanta area. He said he spent over $30k with Stallion 51 for the insurance check out for his mustang.That was several years ago.
Steve