Training keeps tanker pilots on track Published Oct. 12, 2005 FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Second Lt. Jeff Vanderbilt flew a mission to Hawaii last week without ever leaving this base. He was training in one of Fairchilds two $25 million KC-135 flight simulators that run up to four missions a day year round.It was great, Lieutenant Vanderbilt said. The simulator is one of my favorite things to do, and I learned a lot about how the KC-135 operates.The state-of-the-art machine, with an interior just like the cockpit of a KC-135, has a 3D widescreen visual display that can be programmed to look exactly like real-world destinations, from the scenery to the layout of the airfields and runways.When flight crews are getting ready to deploy, they will often download a model of their destination and do a practice run, said Jim Kallstrom, site manager for the Flight Safety Corporation, the company that operates the simulators.The machines move, simulating the roll, pitch and yaw of the airplane, and can be programmed to simulate any kind of systems malfunction, weather, visibility, or time of day.They can simulate just about anything you can imagine, said Mr. Kallstrom.The simulators are just one part of an extensive training regime that tanker pilots undergo throughout their career.First is Undergraduate Pilot Training, which the pilot candidates are eligible to begin once they have their private pilots license. They start with six months of primary flight training in either the T-37 or the T-6, depending on which base theyre at.Prospective airlift-tanker pilots will then complete their next six months of advanced training in the T-1A Jayhawk, which is a medium-range, twin-engine jet trainer.At this point, the pilot will get his or her base and airframe assignment. The next stop is Altus AFB, Okla., for four months of training in the KC-135. Upon completion of training at Altus, the tanker pilot is ready to report to a KC-135 flying squadron one of which is at Fairchild.Lieutenant Col. J.P. Prince, an instructor pilot here, has been in the Air Force for 21 years, and a KC-135 instructor pilot since 1991. I really like the aircraft, and really like flying, he said.Colonel Prince said it takes about two months more training for a pilot to become a mission-qualified co-pilot, which involves mostly ground training such as chemical training, shooting the 9mm and computer-based tutorials.In about two to three years, a co-pilot can become an aircraft commander, depending on his or her skill and how many slots are available. To become an instructor pilot, the officer must return to Altus AFB for instructor pilot school.The operations tempo for tanker pilots is really hectic, Colonel Prince said. Many pilots are gone for more than 200 days a year and he said deployments for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have kept everyone very busy.Even so, he said education and training never stop. Pilots train in tactics and Global Air Traffic Management, technology that allows more planes to operate in a smaller airspace. And flight simulators allow pilots to practice aerial refueling, low-visibility landings, and many other operations.The simulator is sure to help Lieutenant Vanderbilt as he prepares to attend UPT next year at Columbus AFB, Miss.The simulator is great, added the lieutenant. But Im looking forward to the real thing. Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division Office of Public Affairs 503 Ward Drive, Room 214 Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335 618-229-7821