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Second Undergraduate Pilot Training class in thirty years starts advanced training phase

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports, Capt. Todd Mickel
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing
Shindnand, Afghanistan --  Students of the Afghan Air Force's Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 12-03 completed their first Cessna 208B flights December 30, 2012 at Shindand Air Base, western Afghanistan, marking the start of the advanced training phase of UPT for the second such class taking place in country after more than 30 years.

Building on flight training in the Cessna 182 and further academic and simulator training, this phase of UPT includes general aircraft handling techniques, navigation, crew training and has a significant emphasis on instrument flying. The five students are slated to complete 81 hours of academics, 34 simulator sessions (51 hours) and 56 sorties (84 hours). All together these pilot candidates are scheduled to receive over 216 hours of professional instruction from the Coalition men and women of the 444th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, within NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan.

The class includes Afghanistan's first female fixed wing trainee, and the group is scheduled to graduate in the early summer of 2013. After earning their wings, the students will then transition to a C-208 Initial Qualification Training course for fixed wing operational missions throughout Afghanistan.

With increasing aircrew course capacity at Shindand Air Base, other classes just ahead or in session are below. The Afghan Air Force and the NATO Air Training-Command are also currently focused on the concurrent development of Afghan instructor aircrew.

· In Mi-17 helicopter: slated to graduate February 2013: Initial Qualification Training, 6 pilots, 6 flight engineers, and 10 aerial gunners

· In Mi-17 helicopter: slated to start February 2013: IQT, 6 pilots, 6 flight engineers, and 10 aerial gunners starts February 2013. Class enrollment includes two female helicopter pilots recently graduated from the United States.

· In Cessna 182 fixed wing aircraft: slated to graduate early fall 2013: Fixed Wing UPT, 7 student pilots

· In Cessna 182 fixed wing aircraft: to be selected for rotary or fixed wing training in Jan. 2013: Initial Flight Screening, 14 student pilots

· In MD530 helicopter: slated to graduate in late Jan. 2013: Rotary Wing UPT, 4 student pilots

 · In MD530 helicopter: slated to graduate in April: Rotary Wing UPT, 8 student pilots

· In Cessna 208B fixed wing aircraft: slated to graduate in early summer 2013: Fixed Wing UPT, 5 student pilots

NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan is a coalition of 38 troop contributing nations assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force ready to take lead of their country's security by 2014. For more information about NTM-A & NATC-A/438th AEW, visit www.ntm-a.com and www.438aew.afcent.af.mil