T-1 Daze

Today I completed my third flight in the T-1 Jayhawk. The T-1 is the Air Force's primary heavy aircraft trainer. It is a modified Beechcraft 400A, basically what most people know as a Lear jet.

It has been quite a transition from the T-6 Texan, my last plane that I trained in, somewhat like going from a Porsche to an Escalade...both sweet rides, but different styles of driving. One of the major adjustments has been getting used to flying a much longer mission. The average time of a local T-6 mission was around 1.3 (approx 1hr and 20min)....length of the typical T-1 mission around 3.2 (3hr and 15min). But, it seems to go fast because we get to go a lot further from home base so things stay new and interesting.

A few of the things that make flying the T-1 awesome: autopilot, much more advanced avionics...during flight the plane can tell you exactly how far you from anywhere, how long to get there, what route you need to take, what the weather will be like, airports, runways, approaches...its amazing once you get used to using all of the features. Other things I like: much more comfortable seating (a recliner instead of an ejection seat) and finally a toilet in the back.