united states air force academy soaring program

United States Air Force AcademySoaring Program

Lt Col Lawrence E. Pravecek

Commander, 94th Flying Training Squadron

Our cadets have all their options open—their paths through life are yet to be determined

Our job is to create air power advocates and leaders for the next 40 years

The USAFA soaring program builds those advocates, using soaring to teach leadership

• Equipment, staff & facilities

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•24 USAF pilots from almost every major weapons system

•F-15C/E, A-10, F-16, C-17, C-5, B-1, KC-135, C-130, E-3

•160+ cadet instructor pilots

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12x Blanik L-23 (TG-10B ) 5x Blanik L-13AC (TG-10C )

2x Duo Discus (TG-15A ) 3x Discus 2b (TG-15B )

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•16R/34L: 4500’x40’

•16C/34C: 4500’x75’

•SPLA: 4500’x500’

•Airspace: SFC (6500’)-17,500’

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•16,500 sorties per year

•14,955 TG-10B (L-23)

•992 TG-10C (L-13AC)

•355 TG-15A (Duo Discus)

•205 TG-15B (Discus 2b)

•40% weather attrition

•200+ sorties per summer day

•0.006% incident rate (~10/yr)

• Equipment, staff & facilities

• Programs

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Intro to Airmanship

Basic Soaring

IP UpgradeIP

AcroXC

•Entire incoming class at USAFA

•One glider orientation ride

•1100+ rides each of last 2 years

•Gets cadets talking about flying

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Intro to Airmanship

Basic Soaring

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AcroXC

•562 Basic Soaring students

•Participate summer after freshman and during sophomore year

•14 sorties, 20 minutes each

•20% solo rate (wx dependent)

•ROTC cadets: 48 this summer

•2,500’-3,000’ tow, grass landing

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Basic Soaring

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AcroXC

•80 selected—40 each semester

•Upgrade as sophomores

•80 sorties—72 dual, 8 solo

•Front seat, back seat, IP

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Intro to Airmanship

Basic Soaring

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AcroXC

•150+ cadet instructors

•The fly 94% of the sorties

•Officer supervision

•Cadet staff—squadron commander, operations officer, flight commanders

•Serve as instructors junior and senior year

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Intro to Airmanship

Basic Soaring

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AcroXC

•6 selected after IP upgrade

•Sportsman as juniors

•Intermediate as seniors

•3 competitions

•Acro Nationals in Denison

•Chapter 5 in Lamar

•Tequila Cup in Marana

•Demonstrations at airshows and USAFA

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Intro to Airmanship

Basic Soaring

IP UpgradeIP

AcroXC

•5 selected after IP upgrade

•Upgrade and compete dual as sophomores

•Compete solo as seniors

•3 competitions per year

•Static displays nationwide

•C1C Baldwin earned Gold badge

• Equipment, staff & facilities

• Programs• Results

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Leaders

Flying

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Wall of Fame

•Personal, interpersonal, team, organization (PITO)

•Life-and-death responsibility

•Always professional

•Leadership applies regardless of career field

•Brief, fly, debrief

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Leaders

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Wall of Fame

•95% go on to pilot training

•Great boost in SA

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Leaders

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Wall of Fame

•Public face of the Academy

•Nationwide events

•Distinguished visitors

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Leaders

Flying

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Wall of Fame

•Thunderbird Pilots

•Astronauts

•US Air Pilots

• Equipment, staff & facilities

• Programs• Results• SSA

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Competition

Civilian Flying

•80 new SSA members annually

•Officers

•Advanced team members

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Civilian Flying

•Lead nation in A,B,C badges

•New emphasis on Silver and Gold Badges for officers

•Restarted wave flying

•45 1-Lennie pins since 1968

•3 2-Lennie pins

•IAC badges for aerobatics

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Competition

Civilian Flying

•Tough to fit cadet schedule

•Attempt 3x competitions for each Acro and XC teams

•Welcome intercollegiate face-to-face competition

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Competition

Civilian Flying

•PGL and CFIG through local soaring clubs

•Working with CAP

•Canadian AF visiting Spring 09

•German AFOS Summer 08

•German Military Glider Championships Summer 09

We turn cadets into airpower advocates

I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e