Week 5 - february 7 to 13

This week, I will try to be more detailled about what we live than the previous weeks.

Monday, we had a "spirit run". It happens every month here. We just meet shortly before 7am, warm up, run 2.5 miles, stretch, and that's it. After that, we go on with "wingman day", or rather "wingman half day", because, well, it's TPS and the schedule is tight (we are already behind they tell us). "Wingman day" is basically a pause in our routine to discuss critical subjects such as flight safety or how to help other people and prevent bad things such as suicides. We took the opportunity to get to know each other better. The afteroon was all about "pitot-static". That's academics of the week, and we are supposed to learn, in just 6 hours, how to calibrate airspeed and altitude indicator aboard the aircraft, including all the theory (and even for an aero major, it's not simple), FTT's (flight test techniques), and other practical concerns.
We also have a one hour class on "how to write a flight test report". We haven't done it yet, but we will be writing at least two a week in a few month.

Tuesday, I wake up at 5h30, get a quick shower and breakfast, arrive at TPS just before 6am, log on the intranet, print the weather, NOTAM (notice to airmen - whatever is new or changed around Edwards air space), my "Take-off and Landing Data" (TOLD) for the aircraft, the Form F (weight and balance) and the flight cards (what are we going to do in the aircraft). 6h30, I'm ready to brief with my instructor for my first fly on the T38 (as a back-seater, of course, being an engineer). 7h30 : we are done with the brief, some paperwork and we head to supply to grab our G-suit, helmet, chute ans then go to the aircraft. The ingress/egress training seems far away when I try to strap myself into the jet while my IP (instructor pilot) goes through the preflight inspection. I'm finally settled, just in time to assist in the preflight check-list. And here goes, engine #2 starts, then #1. And we are taxiing for my first T38 flight. We do some "test points" so that I can see how it is to take note in flight : performance climb, cruise performance, stalls. And then, the best part, I get to handle the jet ! Awsome !!!! It does not last long though and the IP quickly tells me that he has control, because fuel is running low (well, it's a T38, not a lot of gas in this aircraft) and we go to the part of the flight I dread : G awarness exercise : 4g, ok, 5g, everything goes gray. The IP explains to me how to do a better straining manouever : 6g, my vision does not go away, much better ! Then we start aerobatics : aileron roll demo, then it's my turn. Waow, it's fast, and I did not even use full stick deflection !! I feel a little sick so we skip the rest of the aerobatic, but anyway, fuel is getting low, so we head back home. 9h30, we have flown for 1 hour, and I can't wait to do it again !!
10h15 after doing all the postflight paperwork and the debriefing, I'm back to my cubicle in class 11A, were I spent a few hours to work on my academics. At 14h00, we go back to class for more "pitot-statics" class, and then a one hour presentation of the "misssion director" flight. 17h30, I'm back home. I take a few minutes to talk with my wife, then go back to work for a while. It's only the beginning of the year, so the woarkload is not too high, and I manage to get 2 hours of free time before it's time to go have some sleep.

Wednesday : I'm not flying today, so I take the opportunity to catch more sleep. The morning is dedicated to more studying : some academics, again, but mainly preparing the "mission director flight" with one of the pilots from my class. The flight will be our first graded flight : we will be demonstrated how to conduct of flight test from whithin the aircraft, and how to collect data during this flight. We will fly it on friday.
Two more hours of pitot-statics during the afternoon, then we go back to the schedulding office : our flight for friday is cancelled !

Thursady : Again, I wake up at 5h30, this time for a Cessna flight (FTE Airmanship). Again, briefing prep routine, briefing with the IP, then we go to south base were the aero-club is. Around 11h, I'm done. More studying, then academics, this time about the "tower fly-by" FTT : basically, the pilot comes down at 100ft above the surface of the lakebed in is aircraft, goes by the tower where the engineer register its geometric height and other parameters. We then compare with what the altimeter was saying in the cockpit, so that we can know by how much it is incorrect. The one thing we will all remeber after this class is "fly over the line".

Friday : I'm not flying, but at least that gives me more time to get through my pitot-static material and get ready for the exam. At 1400, we start the exam, and at 1500, no, we are not done for the week, we start another class about the data acquisition systems in the aircraft. Finally, at 1800, I can go back home and relax..... before everything starts again !