Successful Training of Eurofighter Flight Instructors
The second training course for future Eurofighter flight instructors of the Luftwaffe is due to be completed soon at EADS Military Aircraft and the Bundeswehr Technical Centre WTD 61 at Manching.
Initially, under this Service Instructor Pilot Training (SIPT), three courses comprising a total of ten Luftwaffe pilots are being trained on Eurofighter. These pilots will be further trained by the Luftwaffe itself to become instructors of the Luftwaffe’s future Eurofighter pilots.
The SIPT course consists of theory, instruction using functional models, training sessions in the various simulators and active flight hours on the Eurofighter aircraft.
“The EADS engineers and pilots are giving us a very good introduction to the new aircraft,” is how Major Ralf Brandis, a participant in the third training course, assesses the manufacturer’s contribution to the SIPT course. “We receive comprehensive answers to all our questions.”
All the course participants are pilots experienced in flying the F-4F Phantom and Tornado. Without exception they have extensive experience as pilots – generally on single-seater aircraft (F-18, F-16 and MiG-29). Prior to their conversion training on Eurofighter, they had already acted as flight instructors with the Luftwaffe.
However, the modern airborne weapon system Eurofighter has an expanded requirements profile compared to the aircraft types flown up to now. This is reflected in the focal points of the training.
“Eurofighter must be understood to be an airborne battle management system. The pilot has a much greater volume of tactical/operational information at his disposal than in previous aircraft models. The signals from the on-board sensors such as radar, infrared and the electronic self-defence system are networked, automatically processed and combined with situation reports from other airborne or ground-based weapon systems in a meaningful manner. The use of such a complex and hitherto unique system does, however, demand the highest degree of concentration. Here, the Eurofighter aircraft actively supports the pilot. It makes flying easier through automation and an optimal man-machine interface, for example by allowing certain commands to be inputted by voice control,” is the way the differences are described by Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Tantarn, a member of the Project Team Combat Aircraft and one of the first SIPT participants.
Due to the training curricula, the theoretical introduction to the technology of the Eurofighter aircraft by EADS engineers requires more time and needs to be more intensive than the theoretical training for traditional aircraft models.
“In addition to learning specific piloting skills, which still forms an important part of the training on Eurofighter, it is essential for the pilots to learn how to control the system as a whole.” This is how Uwe Winter, who is responsible for coordinating Eurofighter pilot training within the Training section of EADS Military Aircraft, describes the training concept. “This means that they have to master the operation of complex aircraft systems such as the weapon systems, avionics, communications and data links and the associated information processing so as to ensure effective Eurofighter missions,” he continued.
Once the prospective Eurofighter pilots have completed the SIPT course, they will initially continue the Eurofighter field testing at Manching or in Fighter Wing 73 “Steinhoff” at Laage. This will involve Luftwaffe-specific practical tests. In addition, the training curricula for the future pilots on this aircraft type will be set out in detail and verified.
Then, for this training, which is to be carried out in the Luftwaffe’s future Eurofighter units, there is the Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids (ASTA) programme, which is jointly offered by the Eurofighter partner companies and leading European simulator manufacturers.
The term ASTA denotes the combination and integration of all those training means that are required to ensure the complex instruction of Eurofighter pilots. It covers lecture theatres, computer workstations for self-instruction and cockpit trainers as well as complete dome simulators for virtual mission training. In this system, the individual components such as mission simulators are connected to the interactive cockpit trainers via data line.
Source: EADS Military Aircraft (Feb 26th, 2004)
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Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News
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