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From The Cockpit: IFF Training At Columbus AFB!

Scott Wolff 5 Comments How To Join
FighterSweep Fans, we talked a lot in the pass about the progression one would take from pedestrian to U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. After you track T-38s and receive your coveted wings, the next flying stop in your pipeline prior to your B-Course is a curriculum known as IFF, or Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals.

In IFF, you have already have earned your wings and the goal is to learn the very basics tenets of flying a fighter. The most important thing one should remember about IFF? You’re three rides from flying something other than a fighter…or maybe even a desk. UPT washes out few students for their flying; the biggest offenses are related to their academic performance, as well as their mission planning and preparation. IFF, on the other hand, will wash you out for your flying.

This video puts us inside the cockpit with the “Black Knights” of the 49th Flying Training Squadron, a unit part of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB in Columbus, Mississippi. They fly the AT-38C, an upgraded version of the T-38 which features a HUD and multi-function displays, giving the fledgling fighter pilots a feel for the “glass” cockpits they’ll have in their assigned jet–be it Viper, Eagle, Strike Eagle, Raptor, and now Lightning II.

They learn the principles of flying fighters, everything from BFM and SA (for Surface Attack) in this case. This video clip takes us into the air with the IFF students at Columbus, and gives you excellent perspective on what the syllabus is like. So sit back, crank the volume, and enjoy!

From The Cockpit: IFF Training At Columbus AFB!

A T-38 Talon from the 49th Fighter Training Squadron during a local area sortie from Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force)

(Featured Photo by Senior Airman Matthew C. Simpson/U.S. Air Force)

 

 

About the Author

Scott Wolff is an accomplished writer and renowned aviation photojournalist. He has held the position of Managing Editor for a print flying lifestyle magazine, and is the Host and Editor for FighterSweep. Scott's area of expertise is military flight operations, drawing on ten years of experience working extensively with all branches of the armed forces. He holds an FAA pilot certificate, the culmination of a life-long passion for flying airplanes. Scott has received military altitude chamber training, emergency egress training, and has logged time in a variety of civilian and military aircraft. He is also a member of the International Society of Aviation Photographers and Nikon Professional Services.

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