Latest news with #pilottraining
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
China adds aerial refuelling to pilot training in move to boost combat readiness
China's air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People's Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities. Advertisement The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker. The J-10 – seen as China's answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India's military near the disputed Kashmir region last month. The YU-20 tanker can offload up to 100 tonnes of fuel in a single sortie. Photo: Xinhua According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot's training. 'Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,' Song said. 'Now it's moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.' Advertisement He said the programme would help pilots to develop 'a long-range operational mindset early in their careers'. 'It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military's ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Military Matters: A Birdseye View of Altus AFB
ALTUS (KFDX/KJTL) — From an outsider's perspective, one might expect to see smaller planes like fighter jets at an air force base. That's not always the case. Altus Air Force Base is a bit different, housing planes that are slightly larger than fighter jets. One of which is the C-17, piloted by Lt. Col. J.D. Shaw. 'Altus's mission is to train pilots and loadmasters how to operate this airplane so they can go out to their base, whether it be Charleston, McChord, Dover, McGuire and then employ this airplane around the world,' Shaw said. Altus Air Force Base specializes in air mobility. All three planes they train, the KC-135, KC-46, and C-17, accomplish this through their unique missions. The C-17 is most specialized toward cargo delivery, according to Loadmaster trainer, Sr. Master Sgt. Kris Mack. 'We're more concerned with the cargo compartment as far as loading cargo, and you have to be prepared,' Mack said. 'It could be a tank in there, it could be a palette, it could be something quite easy. It could be humanitarian aid. It could be, you know, things that take a little bit more concentration as far as the restraint.' Another aspect of air mobility is ensuring that planes can travel from point A to point B, regardless of the distance. Lt. Col. Broderick Lockett trains crews to refuel planes in midair with the KC-135. 'You know, think you're going 400 miles an hour down the highway and actually reaching out with another car and holding on to each other, and you know, shaking hands,' Lockett said. 'That's what we do. Except at 26,000 feet, you know, going up to 600 miles an hour.' Not all air refueling looks or works the same. Altus Air Force Base also has one of the more advanced aircraft designed for mid-air refueling, the KC-46 Pegasus, which can both give and receive fuel. A unique trait that Lt. Col. Scott Heinlein believes makes it a vital tool in any situation the aircraft is in. 'Instead of having to fly all the way back to our base, get gas again, we can find another tanker that has already taken off from that base, take that fuel in the air so that it extends that range even closer,' Heinlein said. 'So, the net result is we get our receivers closer to the fight, making them more effective in combat.' At the center of it all, for the base, though, is the relationship it has with the city of Altus. Lt. Col. Shaw says he's been more involved with the surrounding community at Altus than at any other base he's ever been to. 'The city is super welcoming,' Shaw said. 'I think they recognize the value that Altus brings to the city. And so, it is a true relationship that one could not survive without the other.' Both city and base, dedicated to the same mission for over 80 years. Keeping America's Air Force mobile and strong. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan revises aviation law after 2024 Haneda collision
Parliament passed a bill on Friday to revise the civil aviation law to make communication skills training mandatory for all pilots operating at busy airports, including private and Japan Coast Guard aircraft. The revision, which will enter into force within three years, was drafted in response to a fatal accident in January last year in which Japan Airlines and coast guard aircraft collided and caught fire on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The bill passed the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the Diet, at a plenary meeting Friday after clearing the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, earlier in May. The training in question, called crew resource management, is conducted to improve skills for communication between the captain and the copilot and between the cockpit crew and air traffic controllers to prevent human errors such as runway incursions. The coast guard conducts similar drills independently, but the revised law will make the practice mandatory. The law also stipulates the establishment of a runway safety team at each of the country's eight major airports, including Haneda, in which air traffic controllers and airline officials discuss measures against incursions. In an interim report on the accident released late last year, the Japan Transport Safety Board said that both the captain and the copilot of the coast guard aircraft thought that they had received permission to enter the runway. Suspecting a problem with mutual confirmation procedures, the coast guard has revised its manual to ensure that pilots fully repeat instructions from controllers to confirm them between themselves.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
ASU Polytechnic program helping to train new air traffic controllers
The Brief The U.S. is facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers. A program at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus is helping to train those who are interested in the field. The facility used by the program simulates a Phoenix Skyt Harbor Airport terminal. PHOENIX - With the United States facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, students headed to college might want to look into the aviation field. For students interested in studying air traffic management and aviation, Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus in Mesa has them covered, with a state-of-the-art facility simulating Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport's Terminal 4. What One Student Said "You get such a newfound appreciation for it, but it's even just helped my pilot career in knowing what to expect, or even just visualizing other things. It's truly been incredible and a really fun experience, too, to get both sides of it. Like OK, here's the pilot realm. Here's what I'm experiencing," said Anna Ruffley. Dig deeper Roffley is studying to be a pilot, but she said she is grateful for the program and technology offered by ASU Polytechnic that will prepare her for any situation. Inside the simulator building, students learn every detail of air traffic control procedures and operations. "The blue screen is called the AZDE-X Airport Surface Detection Equipment, and that kind of helps controllers keep track of airplanes on the ground, on the taxiways, on the runways. Another tool that they can use to help separate airplanes," said John Delugt with ASU Polytechnic. The 80-to-100-student program helps students gain not only a strong background in aircraft operations, but various skills and and business principes needed to work under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The program will be receiving new additions to their technology this summer, in hopes that new Sun Devil additions will become employed to work for the busy skies soon.
Arabian Business
23-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai's flydubai unveils pilot training to fuel rapid expansion, bolster workforce
Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced the launch of its Ab Initio Pilot Training programme in partnership with international overseas flight training partners. The initiative comes as part of the airline's workforce strategy to meet the growing demands of its expanding fleet and network over the next decade, flydubai said. With more than 125 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 30 Boeing 787s on order, the latest initiative will offer a unique opportunity for aspiring pilots to join a Multi-Pilot License (MPL) programme, develop essential flying skills and launch a rewarding aviation career with flydubai, the airline said. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said Dubai has emerged as one of the global aviation hubs by not only connecting the world, but also attracting skilled talent who choose to make the city their home. 'We are proud to have played a key role in supporting Dubai's aviation and economic vision and we will continue to invest in initiatives that grow our skilled workforce, who contribute to the success of this industry,' he said. Al Ghaith said the airline's new programme will open the door to homegrown Emirati talent, as well as residents and international applicants, to pursue a career in one of the most thriving hubs in the world. Cadets who successfully complete their initial training will qualify at the flydubai Flight Training centre to become Boeing 737 pilots. Captain Ahmad Bin Huzaim, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations at flydubai, said the flydubai Ab Initio programme is designed to identify and train passionate individuals, with little to no prior flying experience, and prepare them to operate as second officers on the airline's growing fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. The programme includes ground school training, simulator and flight instruction, line training and final integration into the airline's flight operations. The first batch of cadets is expected to begin training in the last quarter of 2025. flydubai has built a strong workforce of more than 6,400 employees representing 144 nationalities, more than 1,330 of whom are pilots. The airline is expected to take delivery of 12 aircraft this year and has an ongoing recruitment drive to further support its growth trajectory.
