Dinosaur Thinking for Training Hi Tech Pilots

Dinosaur Thinking for Training Hi Tech Pilots

For generations, we have taught humans to fly the same way.  Our pilot training programs were developed in WWII to fill the urgent needs of the air forces where our predecessors churned out as many pilots as possible in the shortest period of time.  Not much about how we train pilots has changed since then.  We are dinosaurs and have followed the same path to instruct young men and women to fly airplanes like our grandfathers, mom and dads and folks like me did.  Yet, pilots are the ultimate early adopters flying state of the art tech…the coolest and best aerospace vehicles that have ever flown.  If so, why have we taken so long adapt how we teach pilots to fly with better tools using newer technologies?

Conformal Fuel Tanks – No Free Lunch

Conformal Fuel Tanks – No Free Lunch

Putting Conformal Fuel Tanks flush mounted along the fuselage, reduces the drag penalty from those external fuel tanks, and increases range and endurance…almost for free it would seem. Except there is no free lunch. Boeing failed to qualify CFTs on the Block 3 Super Hornet which has a major effect on their bid for Canada’s next fighter aircraft.

F-35 War-Gaming – Fear Mongering?

F-35 War-Gaming – Fear Mongering?

I am not trying to shy away from writing but the opportunity to talk on the ‘Fighter Pilot Podcast’ series with Vincent ‘Jell-O’ Aiello was too good to pass up. I love this podcast and the many diverse airplane stories that have been posted. I am always learning something new and as an airplane geek, I love the trivia and often the context that is given to subjects I know little about. I wanted to join Jell-O to fight off the F-35 haters yet again.