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Irish Air Corps pilots are training in Alabama with US military.

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  • #16
    Ed Macy found that by the end of Apache training,apart from having to live with constant headaches and eye strain, his party trick was to be able to visibly read two books at once. It was said that when brain function of Apache pilots was analysed,their spacial and situational awareness and their ability to multitask and memorise was off the charts.

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    • #17

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      • #18
        54 people in their class...and they finished 1st & 2nd......

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        • #19
          An international class too.
          A nice incentive for potential air corps candidates too.
          For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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          • #20
            Originally posted by madmark View Post
            i always thought the cobra would be a better fit then the Apache for a smaller defense budget
            Mongoose

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            • #21
              I see they trained on a type that is replacing the Kiowa "little bird" used with great effect to insert SOF types to confined locations. I wonder did they kearn that for when they get back home?
              For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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              • #22
                Well done lads, they have represented Ireland well all right!!

                To speak to a few of the questions, the lads were trained at Fort Rucker, Alabama (I think I wrote about this previously). It's the home of Army aviation in the US. All Army pilots start on the Lakota, which is a Eurocopter EC-145 painted green. As such, it's not a military aircraft. It has no counter-measures, no survivability (i.e. armour, etc.). It's an EC-145 painted green, nothing more. The lads will be certified in NVG's and hoist ops on the Lakota, awarded their US Army basic flight wings and sent on their way. The US pilots, once finished with the Lakota will then go on to a conversion course for the Blackhawk, Apache or Chinook depending on their next assignment.

                In the US, the Lakota is a non-deployable asset. It's used for Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training of course. It's fielded to primarily to garrison support and National Guard units where it performs the base MEDEVAC role, VIP lift, GP role, firefighting and in the National Guard, any other ATCP roles. It was procured because it's an off the shelf plane, commercially available parts, and much cheaper to fly than a the military aircraft. Last time I was involved in this, the operating hours were something like $1500/hour for the Lakota, $5000/hour for the Blackhawk & $7500/hour for the Chinook.

                The Lakota was a controversial procurement in aviation for IERW , as it is a fly by wire, all glass cockpit plane. Many pilots argued the old trainers, the OH-58 Kiowa, a single engine, Bell jet Ranger was a better trainer to teach pilots the fundamentals of rotary wing flight before progressing to the more sophisticated planes. A pilot friend explained it like learning to drive in a formula 1 car as compared to learning to drive in a four speed Honda Civic. yes, both can drive but one teaches more basic skills.

                Either way, the lads did Ireland well, and despite all the bregrudgers, I'd submit it's probably just cheaper in the long term to farm out our basic pilot training to something like this as opposed to trying to build our own flight programme until the DF is properly resourced.

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                • #23
                  Do they also have MH139 conversion course that may prove an option for the future?

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by ias View Post
                    Do they also have MH139 conversion course that may prove an option for the future?
                    Not a US Army type - Air Force.

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                    • #25
                      Training of fixed wing pilots in The United States.


                      The Irish Air Corps is suffering from a shortage of instructors and maintenance technicians for its PC-9M fleet, meaning that it is sending increasing numbers of pilot students overseas for their training.

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by pilatus View Post
                        Training of fixed wing pilots in The United States.


                        https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/t...re-pilot-trai/
                        An ideal opportunity to park the PC9M for good and get an actual combat aircraft instead. It may aid recruitment too, if they knew they may be working with gen 4/5 fighter jet instead of glorified spitfires, as some commentators suggest.
                        For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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                        • #27
                          CAE USA awarded U.S. Air Force contract to train Irish Air Corps at Dothan Training Center

                          CAE announced today that CAE USA has been awarded a United States Air Force contract to provide comprehensive Phase 1 and Phase 2 military pilot training to the Irish Air Corps.

                          The contract was awarded to CAE USA by the Air Force Security Assistance Training (AFSAT) Squadron, which is part of the U.S. Air Force Air Education & Training Command (AETC). Under terms of the contract, CAE USA will be responsible for managing and delivering military pilot training to 14 Irish Air Corps students over the next 18 months.

                          Phase 1 training will take place in Pensacola, Florida at SkyWarrior Flight Training Inc., a small business partner subcontracted by CAE USA to provide an Air Force-approved initial flight training (IFT) program. Following completion of the IFT program at SkyWarrior, students will progress to Phase 2 primary flight training at CAE’s Dothan Training Center in Alabama. During Phase 2 training, students will receive academic, simulator, and live-flying training in CAE-owned and operated Grob G120TP aircraft.

                          “We already train U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force pilots at the CAE Dothan Training Center so we are excited to welcome the Irish Air Corps as the first international students to our state-of-the-art training facility,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. “Many militaries around the world may be looking for initial and primary pilot training options and leveraging our existing infrastructure and syllabus can be a cost-effective alternative to establishing a homegrown pilot training program.”

                          Upon arrival at the CAE Dothan Training Center, Irish Air Corps student pilots will begin training leveraging the CAE Trax Academy pilot training continuum. Academic training starts in one of the digital classrooms at the training facility as the students learn procedures and fundamentals. They will then progress to practicing in the interactive CAE Sprint Virtual Reality (VR) immersive training device simulating the Grob G120TP aircraft. Students will then demonstrate proficiency in a high-fidelity Grob G120TP flight training device (FTD), a Federal Aviation Administration Level 6-equivalent FTD. Finally, live-flying training will be delivered in the CAE-owned and operated Grob G120TP aircraft, a two-seat single-engine trainer aircraft ideal for primary military pilot training, aerobatics, and introduction to digital avionics and a glass cockpit.

                          CAE’s Dothan Training Center, which opened in 2017, is the home of U.S. Army fixed-wing flight training. In addition, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy/Marine Corps use the training center for C-12/King Air academic and simulator training, and US Customs and Border Protection is expected to leverage the Dothan Training Center under a recent contract awarded to CAE USA. In total, more than 800 pilots train at the CAE Dothan Training Center annually.
                          CAE
                          This is actually a forward step. Much easier to transition to the operational aircraft in use by the Air Corps from a Grob. PC9M is designed to train fighter pilots, not those who will end up flying Casa, Lear, PC12 or Defender.
                          For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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                          • #29
                            A lot of redaction going on there.
                            For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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