Page 74 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

GLORY DAYS // LUFTWAFFE FATHER AND SON

family. So, what was it like back in the to fighter fundamentals] to learn basic His father regularly flew three or four
Starfighter days, and how does that air combat skills,’ the now 32-year-old times a day in the F-104 during his
compare with things now? Hauptmann (captain) explains. time with Jagdbombergeschwader
Both Helmut and Philipp began their This phase of training wasn’t in the 34 at Memmingen. Little wonder he
flying careers in the US with initial flight schedule in the 1970s. Back then, logged 1,800 hours in the cockpit of
training at Sheppard AFB in Texas — mastering flying skills was given greater the Starfighter. ‘In those times, the main
Helmut in 1973-74 and Philipp in 2009- importance, whereas tactics play a far thing was to fly as much as possible,’
10. ‘We flew 200 hours on [the] T-37A greater role today, even during the early he reflects. ‘Quantity had priority over
and T-38A, before we went to weapons phases of training, as does the use of quality, and quality was achieved by
system training on the F-104 at Luke AFB simulators. Indeed, back in the 1970s quantity.’ He looks back on it as a dream
in Arizona,’ says Helmut, a retired Oberst these training aids were very simple. period for a fighter pilot, but notes that,
(colonel). The 70-year-old says he was following conversion training to the F-4F,
fascinated by the ‘enormous amount Different worlds flying time started to reduce noticeably.
of skills’ he learned during that time. Comparing the two training paths Transition from the Starfighter to the
‘One had no idea about the amount reveals some significant differences Phantom — on which he logged 1,200
initially — and at the end of the training between them. For example, the modern hours — was not difficult for Helmut
one knew the whole spectrum and had syllabus sees check rides ‘flown’ almost when it took place in 1986, aside from
enormous self-confidence because of exclusively in the simulator. Now, as having to become accustomed to
this knowledge.’ a fully-fledged Eurofighter pilot of having a weapons systems officer (WSO)
The T-37 ‘Tweet’ was retired before Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 73 in the back seat. He also recalls how the
Philipp arrived at Sheppard and he ‘Steinhoff’ (TaktLwG 73 ‘S’) at Laage, sheer size of the Phantom II was a big
embarked on the T-6A Texan II course. Philipp finds himself in the Eurofighter adjustment, with a huge cockpit. The
‘We then flew the T-38C with a glass simulator two to three times a week F-4 was more agile than the F-104, yet
cockpit, which I then flew for 40 on average, and airborne in the jet unsurprisingly, ‘it took an awful lot of
additional hours of IFF [introduction between two and four times per week. time before it went supersonic’, he says,

74 January 2020 // www.Key.Aero

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