Pilot Training

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Evolution of the ‘Sharpshooters’: Training USMC pilots to fly the Hornet

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) was formally stood down at MCAS Miramar, California, on September 29. Joe Copalman  looks back at the evolution of the USMC’s iconic ‘Sharpshooters’

Location selected for Slovak F-16 pilot training

Slovak Air Force pilots will train to fly the F-16C/D Block 70 Fighting Falcon with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, the USAF announced on November 15

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First Dutch ‘Vipers’ arrive in Romania for Ukrainian F-16 pilot training

As preparations continue to be made for the training of Ukrainian Air Force air/ground crews on the Fighting Falcon, the Royal Netherlands Air Force delivered the first batch of its F-16AM/BM (MLU) fighters to the newly established European F-16 Training Centre (EFTC) at the Romanian Air Force’s 86th Air Base in Borcea, Romania, on November 7

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RAF fast-jet training problems branded ‘farcical’ by new report

An engine fault on the RAF’s Hawk T2 advanced jet trainers has caused substantial delays in fast-jet pilot training and has cost the UK MOD more than £50m, a report by an influential group of British MPs has found

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UK airpower in crisis amid growing threat of war, MPs say

The state of UK airpower and its inability to counter the growing threat of war has been laid bare in a damning report by an influential group of British MPs

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Are pilot shortage claims being overstated?

Claims of a worldwide pilot shortage are unfounded and not backed up by independent analysis nor evidence, according to a pilot union.

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Where will Ukraine's F-16s come from and how will pilots be trained?

Kyiv’s quest for Western-made fighters was handed a major boost of May 19, when US President Joe Biden backed international plans for Ukrainian Air Force pilots to be trained to fly the long-desired F-16 Fighting Falcon and for European operators of the multi-role fighter to transfer their ‘Vipers’ to Ukraine

Sweden receives first Grob G120TP basic trainers

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration revealed on April 4 that it has delivered the first of ten new Grob 120TP basic trainers to the Swedish Air Force – marking the first time in 11 years that the FMV has handed over a new aircraft to the air arm

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How does the US Navy qualify its F-35C pilots for carrier ops?

Preparing pilots for deployment is a critical aspect of the US Navy’s mission. Soren Nielsen examines how VFA-97 ‘Warhawks’ gained their carrier qualifications after transitioning to the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II strike fighter

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How does the Italian Air Force train its pilots?

Joe Campion details the process prospective pilots undergo before becoming official military aircrew of the Aeronautica Militare.