Page 68 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

UNIT REPORT // TRAINING WING ONE

instructors are crucial for continuity, and marine pilots, many of whom were known as FAIPs — first assignment
especially when factoring the natural leaving after department head tours instructor pilots. Even though it’s
turn-over in active-duty staff every year. when their service obligation was currently a small number of officers, it’s
This can equate to anything up to one complete and they could easily walk out working well and will likely continue.
third of the staff billets. the door to the civilian job market.
Mirroring the case throughout the A blend of experience
Professional flight US services in recent years, the high The instructor cadre at TRAWING ONE is
instructor operational tempo coupled with lucrative a melting pot of experience from various
Another new program at Meridian is career opportunities outside the military fleet platforms, not just fighters. It’s not
that of the professional flight instructor. have made it difficult to retain precious unusual to find E-2 Hawkeye, P-3 Orion
This is designed for O-4 and O-5 officer aircrew. This has spurred the services to or E-6 Mercury experience here, even
ranks who have completed their rethink traditional options and career though they have no prior T-45 flight
department head tours. It’s a new paths for more senior pilots, in order to time. CAPT Nick Mungas, commodore
career path for pilots who want to stop keep them in assignments that benefit of TRAWING ONE says, ‘This diverse
pursuing a command track and would the navy as well as the individual. instructor corps provides a high-quality
prefer to focus on flying in their next The navy is coming at the problem training program for the students that
assignment. They come to the wing from a number of angles, additionally includes a variety of perspectives beyond
to become experienced senior-level using the selectively retained graduate a single aircraft community.’
instructors who fly events without (SERGRAD) initiative to strengthen the Despite the recent troubles, T-45C
extra command and leadership instructor cadre at Meridian. SERGRADs training at Meridian will go on well into
development responsibilities. stay at Meridian for a year after they the future as the expected airframe life
The program was started are winged to serve as instructors prior of the aircraft is currently set at 14,400
as a retention enabler to heading to the fleet replacement hours, thanks to a fleet-wide service life
based on feedback squadron (FRS). It’s an approach that’s extension program (SLEP). Goshawks are
from navy worked for the USAF, where they are due to fly into the early 2040s, but eyes

A crisp echelon of T-45Cs from VT-7, one of
the two squadrons at Meridian.

68 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

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