Page 57 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

critical panel of seasoned instructors, This all happens in parallel with the memory. It’s eye-opening how much
as preparation for the ultimate ‘murder start of IUT — instructor under training. work goes into creating a BFM instructor
board’, which is delivered to the entire Buss says, ‘In order to complete IUT you pilot to get to that level of proficiency.’
staff and then critiqued in extraordinary have to progress meticulously through The IUT syllabus for each phase is
levels of detail. Successful completion each phase of the course, essentially extremely thorough. Every instructor
of the murder board means the going back through the entire course at TOPGUN will have flown upwards
individual is qualified as the SME for their several times to be polished enough to of 60 flights in BFM just to become an
particular area. actually instruct the students.’ instructor.
LT Orion ‘Sid’ Kelly is the current air-to-
surface fundamentals SME. ‘I completed Maintaining the standard
the class in December 2018 [and] started With more than 4,000 graduates of
working on staff in January. As a junior TOPGUN over its 50 years, there is zero
instructor the majority of the flying is ‘Red doubt over the credibility that comes
Air’ as you haven’t yet got your instructor the day these aviators earn their patch.
quals. I got my ‘Red’ then air-to-surface Myers says, ‘Our credibility is derived
instructor qualification, and next will from the efforts and the representation
be BFM. Towards the end of your time — the blood, sweat and tears — of those
on staff is usually when the guys get that have gone before us. We are very
division. Throughout the entire time on conscious of our history.
staff you’re continuing to work on your ‘We have never been asked to lower
qualifications to teach the various flights. or to compromise the very high bar that
‘The BFM instructors on staff have we have set, so I can confidently say that
seen every error there is to be made when you graduate from TOPGUN you
and they’re at the point where they’re have met a very stringent requirement.
maneuvering the aircraft with muscle The fact that our leadership supports our

Under 7.5g in a defensive break turn, trying to assess the nose

position of another aircraft while trying to keep the lights on is

relatively difficult. That’s why we put so much emphasis on the flying

LT James ‘Brolemic’ Gibbons

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