Vol. 78, No. 10
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
March 14, 2014
New API curriculum being tested Ens. Riley Cornett NASC Public Affairs Office
For almost four decades the Navy has flown the T-34C Turbo Mentor as its primary flight trainer. With its goal of preparing student aviators and naval flight officers (NFOs) for their primary flight squadrons, the curriculum of Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API) has centered on this venerable trainer. However, the staff of API began the long transition process of incorporating T-6B material into the curriculum earlier this year when Class 14-15 was enrolled. Designated to beta test the new material, Class 14-15 featured a focus on the T-6B Texan, as well as an accelerated learning schedule and additional courses designed to prepare the future aviators not only for primary flight training, but for future service as naval officers. “API is historically a screening process and aviation ground school for new officers,” API Curriculum Officer Maj. Mike Tirone explained. “These officers are student naval pilots (SNPs), student naval flight officers (SNFOs)
or student naval flight surgeons (SNFS). They represent the Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard, as well as the Services of several partner countries. The screening process involves a difficult academic curriculum to ensure that the students can endure a challenging future in the aviation training pipeline, and also their aviation career.” While the API curriculum has always been challenging, the addition of new courses (Naval Aviation History and Ethics) and a compressed timeline has made this challenge even tougher. In addition to the changes in academics, the physical training has been overhauled as well. A focus on G-tolerance has led to an increase in time allotted to weight and cardio training. API will also continue to provide students with water survival training, culminating in the “helo dunker” during the final week. Tirone anticipates students being even better prepared by the tougher curriculum. “Despite adding training hours to the curriculum, the
See API on page 2
Crew from a Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron (HMHT) 302 CH-53E helicopter look over their aircraft after landing at NAS Pensacola’s Forrest Sherman Field last week.
Visiting Marine helicopters finish up training aboard NAS Pensacola Story, photo by Aly Altonen NASP PAO Intern
The Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron (HMHT) 302 from North Carolina is at the close of their training here at NASP. Training began March 5 and ends tomorrow, March 15. Capt. Matt McLane, an instructor pilot with the squadron, said the weather and the area’s hospitality are not the only good parts about training in Pensacola. “There’s plenty of outlying fields, and because this is a training area already, a training environment for naval aviators, they already have all that established,” said McLane. It is also an area they are familiar with. 1st Lt. Brad Maa did his initial training here and
later went to NAS Whiting Field for primary and advanced training. “We’re used to all the local air fields around here, used to the air space and the air traffic controllers, which is always helpful,” said Maa. Although the area may be a benefit for them, the heavy-duty CH-53E Super Stallions have posed some challenges. “It’s so much larger and more powerful than any of the other helicopters,” said Maa. Gosport readers may have heard these large helicopters at night if living nearby. The squadron does try to fly at a certain altitude during training to keep the noise level under control. The Super Stallions are the largest aircraft in the squadron’s fleet and can be used to carry troops and a variety of cargo loadings.
Practice time to change when Blue Angels return to NASP From Blue Angels PAO
The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, have announced a time change for the Tuesday and Wednesday weekly practice demonstrations onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP) for the 2014 air show season. The practices are being moved to 11:30 a.m. from the previous early morning practices. The time change more closely
matches the time the Blue Angels typically perform at air shows. The later practice time will also help alleviate some of the traffic arriving onboard the base during the busy morning commute. NASP is the home of the Blue Angels during the air show season, and the team’s first practice session of the season is scheduled for March 26. The Blue Angel pilots are scheduled
to appear at the National Naval Aviation Museum to meet the public and sign autographs immediately following the Wednesday practice demonstrations. Public viewing of the Blue Angel practice demonstrations is available at the designated seating area behind the museum. For more information about practice viewing at the museum, call 452-3604 or visit the museum’s website at
Saudi admiral aboard NASP ... Rear Adm. Abdullah Al-Tweili, Chief of Naval Aviation, Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), listens as ADC Roy Long, an instructor at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Pensacola, speaks about the training conducted in NATTC’s Jet Engine Lab during a visit to the training center March 5. Also part of the delegation were Rear Adm. Saad Al-Ajaji, RSNF director, Planning, Budget and Follow-up; Rear Adm. Fayes Al-Bakri, director of RSNF Training; Commodore Nasser Al-Rakaf, RSNF director of recruiting; Commodore Khaled Al-Sofiani, RSNF assistant defense attaché for Naval Affairs; Capt. Mobarak Al-Shareer, RSN officer-in-charge, training liaison team, Pensacola; and Cmdr. Sami Al-Harbi, RSNF aviation training officer. Photo by Lt. Jonathan Bacon
www.navalaviationmuseum.org. The Blue Angels are scheduled to kick off the 2014 air show season tomorrow, March 15, with the squadron's first air show of the year at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, Calif., the winter home base for the squadron. This marks the Blue Angels’ 68th year performing. The Blue Angels are expected to perform for nearly 15 million spectators in 2014. For more information about the Blue Angels, go to www.BlueAngels.navy.mil.
New ombudsmen complete training By Aly Altonen NASP PAO Intern
There are three newly trained ombudsmen for Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP). They are Valerie Waxenfelter representing Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), Keyla Forbes representing Navy Medicine Operation Training Center (NMOTC) and
Danette Percle representing Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP). Waxenfelter has been a Navy spouse for more than 18 years. She just relocated to NASP six months ago, so she and her family are fairly new to the area. Forbes, a native of Lima, Peru, has been
See Omb. on page 2
Published by Ballinger Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.