US Air Force: Pilot Training Next graduates 14 in learning experiment's second iteration. (2024)

ENPNewswire-September 3, 2019--US Air Force: Pilot Training Nextgraduates 14 in learning experiment's second iteration

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Release date- 02092019 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -Air Education and Training Command's Pilot Training Next programgraduated 14 U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Royal Air Force studentsfrom the learning experiment's second iteration at Joint Base SanAntonio-Randolph, Aug. 29.

Guest speaker Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, Air Force RecruitingService commander and a trailblazer in aviation as the Air Force'sfirst female fighter pilot, remarked on how the students represent thefuture and marveled at the fact that the students had the opportunity tobe on the leading edge of a new way to learn.

'The fact is we are looking at a whole new way of learning ina non-standard way from the Air Force perspective,' Leavitt said.'Remember...dream big, be bold and learn to take calculatedrisk.'

PTN is an experimental program under the 'Learning Next'umbrella with a focus on understanding how Airmen learn, as well asexploring and potentially prototyping a flying training environment thatintegrates various technologies to produce pilots in an accelerated-andlearning-focused manner.

'You're pioneers...you've seen the speed ofinnovation,' Lt. Col. Ryan Riley, Detachment 24 commander and PTNdirector, said while addressing the graduates. 'This program iscritical for our Air Force in this era of great power competition.'

The graduates, which also included two Air National Guard students,were selected to fly airframes including the F-35 Lightning II, F-15EStrike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130Hercules, EC-130 Compass Call, C-5 Galaxy, B-2 Spirit, C-146A Wolfhoundand the T-6 Texan II (first assignment instructor pilot).

Additionally, one was selected to fly the U-28A, used as part ofthe Air Force Special Operations Command manned, airborne intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance fleet. One other pilot will fly theC-146A Wolfhound, used to transport small teams in support of U.S.Special Operations Command.

The Navy graduates will fly the T-45A Goshawk, while the Royal AirForce graduate will move to the Typhoon.

With their family and friends looking on inside the FleenorAuditorium, the new aviators reflected on the accomplishment of becominga pilot.

'Pinning on the silver wings means accomplishing a goalI've had for years and serves as a symbol of all the hard work anddedication I've put in,' said 2nd Lt. Aaron Sless, adistinguished graduate and the Warrior Award winner who is slated to flythe F-35. 'It is a physical representation of the responsibility weare being given moving forward, becoming one of the most lethal andready assets in the world's greatest Air Force.'

For the students, learning how to fly in a nontraditional way wasboth difficult and exciting at the same time.

'It definitely made the process more difficult having to pushthrough burgeoning technology, but I am glad that I could be a part ofthe development process towards a more efficient and thorough version oflearning for the future,' Sless said. 'I am excited to see howPTN progresses technology and learning in the future and how it will beapplied to undergraduate pilot training, and the Air Force atlarge.'

For 2nd Lt. James Brittingham, the experience at PTN and gettingthe opportunity to help shape the future of pilot training has beeneverything he had hoped for, including his drop night assignment to flythe F-15E.

'I'm thrilled to fly my dream aircraft as it symbolizesthe culmination of a life goal, and the start of a new lifejourney,' Brittingham said. 'It's also been very excitingto have input into the evolution of pilot training.'

During the second iteration of PTN, which began in January of thisyear in Austin, Texas, before moving here in May, the training model wasrefined to incorporate more immersive and engaging academics,scenario-based training in the immersive training devices,competency-based learning models for training validation and artificialintelligence instruction.

'The competency-based learning and immersive scenario-basedtraining increased the value of each of our sorties by ensuring thatstudents were better prepared for each sortie,' Riley said.'Using these tools creates competencies that are important, butlikely won't be reinforced in live aircraft.'

As an example, Riley talked to the use of clock-to-map-to-groundpractice in an F-35. He also talked to the value of artificialintelligence in student feedback.

'Continuing to advance the capabilities of AI instruction toassist our students' practice further optimizes instructorinvolvement with the potential for students to gain more experience inprimary weapons systems,' Riley said.

Per the PTN cadre, a third iteration of the class is scheduled tobegin in January 2020, building on the successes of the first twoclasses by incorporating new learning theories such astime-spaced-retrieval, deep repetition and adding additionalcompetencies for peer-level conflict and multi-domain thinking andairmanship. Additionally, the incorporation and use of a T-6B+ variantfor the class will test the ability to train formal training unit-readypilots with combat and mobility competencies using moving map display,synthetic radar, air-to-air and air-to-ground symbology as well asdetailed downloadable debrief files.

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