The Importance of the T-1 Aircraft in Pilot Training Programs
The U.S. Air Force has one of the most thorough and well polished pilot training programs that have ever existed, or that will ever exist. Every year, Air Force pilot training bases produce about 1,200-1,500 newly minted pilots to move on to the operational Air Force. All Air Force UPT candidates start out in the T-6 Texan II, but after graduating this first phase of the process they are divided into two broad groups of student pilots: attack/fighter/bomber track who proceed to T-38s, and then everyone else that goes to the T-1 Jayhawk.
The T-1 Jayhawk is the standard track for all cargo, tanker, and ISR/ISTAR pilots (RC-135, E-3, E-8), and anything else. While the T-1 is slated for replacement, it will still serve the Air Force UPT community for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a look at how it does what it does so well, and why it has been a cornerstone of the UPT program for so long.
Introduction to the T-1 Jayhawk
The T-1A Jayhawk is essentially a Hawker 400A, or Beechjet as it is also known. The first examples rolled off the assembly line in 1992 and went into service in 1993 at Reese Air Force Base.
While it appears identical to a standard Hawker 400 Business Jet, the T-1A Jayhawk does differ slightly in that it has increased structural hardness for bird strike resistance and an additional fuselage fuel tank. The increased bird strike resistance hardness measures are since a T-1A Jayhawk will spend thousands of hours flying in the traffic pattern at low altitudes that the civilian variant will not.
Other important characteristics include:
- Length: 48 ft 5 in
- Wingspan: 43 ft 6 in
- Height: 13 ft 11 in
- Empty weight: 10,450 lb
- MGTOW: 16,100 lb
Historical Context: The T-1's Role in USAF Training
Up until 1993, there was only a single track through Air Force UPT and it went through the T-38 Talon. While that seems okay on the surface, the wash out rates were higher because it is a much more difficult track. This isn’t to insinuate that the cargo/heavy track is easy through the T-1; it is anything but easy.
But a number of competent pilots washed out of training that would have otherwise been fine flying in a less demanding aircraft. Also, the T-38 is very different from a heavy jet. It is a missile with small control surfaces and high speeds. This isn’t to say that you can’t transition from a mini-fighter to a tanker, but they are just different types of airplanes.
So, the Air Force did the sensible thing and branched off UPT into two distinct tracks and went shopping for an airplane that mimicked a lot of the flying qualities of the heavy cargo aircraft and settled on the Hawker 400A.
Key Features and Capabilities of the T-1 Aircraft
The T-1A Jayhawk is a converted business jet that is an ideal platform for training on heavier aircraft. It employs an FMS that is remarkably close to the FMS used on many heavy aircraft in the fleet.
It is also much more docile than the T-38, and the side-by-side seating is identical to what they will be using in their assigned aircraft.
The aircraft is designed to operate with a pair of student pilots and an instructor pilot. Here are the specs, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force fact sheet:
- Builder: Raytheon Corp. (Beech)
- Power Plant: Two Pratt and Whitney JT15D-5B turbofan engines
- Thrust: 2,900 pounds each engine
- Length: 48 feet, 5 inches (14.75 meters)
- Height: 13 feet, 11 inches (4.24 meters)
- Wingspan: 43 feet, 6 inches (13.25 meters)
- Maximum Speed: 538 miles per hour (Mach .70)
- Ceiling: 41,000 feet (12,500 meters)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 16,100 pounds (7,303 kilograms)
- Range: 2,222 nautical miles (2,900 nm flying long-range cruise)
- Armament: None
- Crew: Three (pilot, co-pilot, instructor pilot)
- Date Deployed: February 1992
- Unit Cost: $4.1 million
T-1's Impact on Advanced Pilot Training
The T-1A made an immediate impact on advanced pilot training in the Air Force. It is a better, more stable platform for mobility-track pilots (and to a much lesser extent the ISR community) to learn their craft. It is a great aircraft for pilots to get acquainted with extended cross country flying with an aircraft that behaves more like a mobility aircraft, and navigation systems that are very close to those in mobility aircraft.
The result has been much higher completion rates than in previous decades of training. In the 1990s and presumably before, the rate was around 30%. Now, the rate is under 10%. Some of this certainly has to do with standards, which is the variable that gets the most press.
But the other variable can definitely be attributed to pilot candidates learning in aircraft that are far better aligned to their mission profile. Military pilots are the top of the top, and fighter/attack track pilots are the top of the top of those already selected. It takes a special type to handle those aircraft, even among the best in the world.
Advantages of the T-1 in Preparing Pilots for Heavy Aircraft
The T-1A Jayhawk has proven itself highly adept in the advanced training stages over the past three decades. Here are some of the advantages:
- Lower washout rate: a pilot who will never fly a fighter in their career does not need to practice advanced tactics in a fighter trainer. It makes no sense.
- Lower maintenance costs. The non-afterburning engines are significantly cheaper to operate, as are most of the other systems. The T-1A is a commercial off the shelf aircraft, so parts procurement is simple and there is no shortage of parts for the fleet.
- Lower fuel costs: afterburning engines and high speed operations like the T-38 are not cheap. The T-1A is a much more economical option for a significant portion of pilot training operations.
Future Prospects: The T-1's Continued Relevance in Pilot Training
The Air Force is seeking a replacement for the T-1A, but it is still on the horizon. After coming out of two long-term wars, budgets are depleted and aircraft are serving longer than ever. With that said, the T-1A still has life in it, and will be used for some time.
It is still a great platform because it is a timeless design. The Beechjet is still very popular among private jet charters and operators with a strong supply chain. Also, the main line mobility aircraft are still largely the same as they were three decades ago, with the sole addition of the KC-46A.
Since the T-1A Jayhawk is one of two main jets for the Air Force UPT, and has long served as a necessary asset to its fleet, Greenwood Aerospace supports proper mission capabilities for all T-1A Jayhawks through expert aircraft sustainment.
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