Video: FLIGHT TEST: WCBI Takes a Ride in CAFB Training Plane

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth story in a regular series by WCBI Reporter/Anchor Emily Cassulo following the lives of young airmen as they begin a year of pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — WCBI continues to follow student pilot class 15-07 at Columbus Air Force Base.

The students have recently wrapped up their training, and received their next assignments.

Now we’re taking a rare inside look at what it takes to actually fly one of their training planes.

WCBI took a ride in the T-1 A Jayhawk to see how it prepares some of the students for their next assignments.

If you can’t be an Air Force pilot, you might as well fly with them.

That’s why we went up in the air with two Columbus instructor pilots to get an inside look inside the T-1 cockpit.

“It’s similar to flying a big aircraft,” said 1st Lt. Patrick Teal, a T-1 instructor pilot. “That’s what we’re trying to teach students here.”

“T-1 gives you a lot of basic crew concepts that you can learn with, dealing with another instructor in the airplane,” said 2nd Lt. Joel Starkey, a student pilot with Class 15-07.

But there’s a lot of prep work before we can actually get into the plane.

Lt. Teal, our other pilot, Major Tony McKee, and a few fellow instructors had to go over the weather, our flight plan, and safety procedures.

“We went over some emergency evacuation plan for the T-1, and kind’ve what we would do, and how we would work together if we had problems up in the air, or down on the ground,” Teal said.

Now it’s time to hit the flight line, where our plans were soon thrown out the window due to bad weather. We couldn’t take off for awhile.

Teal says that’s just part of the job.

“Half the things we’re teaching these students have to do with flexibility, and changing things on the fly – like literally in the air – having to flex to a totally different mindset, and a different mission,” he said.

T-1 students with Class 15-07 can relate.

They say the challenges that come with training make them better pilots, and they’re ready for their next assignments.

“Being able to work with other people, that type of reliability and dependability you have on each other,” said 2nd Lt. Jake Jones, a student pilot with Class 15-07. “I believe that is the biggest takeaway from taking a T-1 versus a T-38.”

That teamwork is what makes the flight as smooth as possible. And most importantly, gets us back on the ground, safely.

“Congratulations for flying with the Jayhawks,” Teal said.

After they’re done with each mission, the instructor pilots have a “debrief” meeting, where they go over the flight with the students.

Class 15-07 graduates Friday.