Finishing up Intermediate was one of the most memorable flight school times I've had! We had been through one selection already, and that was after Primary. It determined whether or not you could fly the P-3 Orion, E-6 Mercury, or go on to fly E-2C Hawkeyes, or jets. Of course, I wanted jets, which involves the longest time in training and high scores. After Intermediate was my 2nd selection. This was between E-2C Hawkeyes and jets. I wanted jets SO badly, and to move on to VT-86. I finished all of my required flights about a week early, along with a couple other student, Vishal and Lee. Our Commanding Officer, CDR Glatt, decided to take us with the staff to Tailhook in Reno, NV. This is the biggest Navy party ever! Everyone who has ever flown an aircraft onto an aircraft carrier is invited! There are separate admin rooms for each squadron, guest speakers, and Admirals by the handful! It was so overwhelming to be there with the people I one day wanted to call my peers, and we had a great time!
While we were there, getting ready to party the 2nd night, Skipper Glatt surprised us three students with our selection papers and our Intermediate graduation certificate! I was SO nervous to find out what I was selected for...and I got JETS! I was SO happy, and now I could REALLY enjoy myself in Reno! I even gambled for the first time and won $125 on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine!
Following the trip to Tailhook, it was a reality check time! I was in advanced flight training now, with the VT-86 Sabrehawks. Before I could start flying, I had to go out to Lemoore, CA for my centrifuge training. The centrifuge is an apparatus that looks like a capsule and spins around a giant room, creating G-forces. Every jet aircrew must pass this test to be allowed to fly jet aircraft. It is physically and mentally challenging, and we maxed out at 7.5 Gs for 12 seconds. The first time under 7.5 Gs, I passed out. The next time, I passed the test, but accidentally peed my pants. It was the creation of my callsign, PUG. It stands for "Pees Under Gs".
VT-86 started fast and furious, and I was working and studying ALL the time. We were still learning new communication, navigation, and more NFO responsibilities in the low level environment and the air-to-air realm. Tactics started to become important, and not only all of that, we were flying our 3rd aircraft in a year! Each cockpit is different and so are all of the flight characteristics! The T-39 Sabrehawk is the top jet in the below picture and we spent a lot of time in that aircraft. Hours in the simulators, working a radar for the first time, and even doing simulated bombing runs. Then the air-to-air part started and hours turned into days in the sims! It was a great school and fantastic training!
I took one cross country in the T-39 out to Miramar, CA. I got to work at an airshow, explain to people about our aircraft, and take tours of all the other jets! I saw my first AV-8B Harrier demo, and fell in love! Too bad only Marines fly them!
After our syllabus in the T-39, it was time for our final selection. The only two aircraft left to choose from was the EA-6B Prowler, or the F/A-18F Superhornet. I wanted SO badly to be selected for the Superhornet, and also to be stationed on the East Coast in Virginia Beach! My other duty station option was Lemoore, CA and I had been there once for centrifuge training, and wasn't a big fan. It smells like cow poop and is not near any water! I got F/A-18s!!! I was SO excited, relieved, and soon overwhelmed with even MORE flight school! I would go from flying the T-39 to the T-2 Buckeye. It was so nice to get back into a 2-seat glass cockpit and be maneuverable! We learned mostly BFM (basic fighting maneuvers) and only had 12 flights until we earned our wings of gold!
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