By: Major General Anthony Jones One of the U.S. Army Aviation Center (USAAVNC) missions is providing, within the resources available, the most technically and tactically proficient aviation soldiers to commanders in the field. Realizing the direct impact on Army readiness, the increasing complexities of missions, operational environments and aircraft technology have dictated that we review the current flight instruction programs at Fort Rucker. Throughout the history of Army aviation the USAAVNC has met the challenges of the future and today stands ready to take yet another major step forward. Not too many years ago the trainers and planners at the USAAVNC were tasked to devise a plan for flight school to carry us into the 21st century. The new structure of flight school had to overcome the ever-increasing gap between aircraft complexity and resource constraints that limit student training time as well as instructor pilot (IP) experience levels. The message from the field was clear: "Give us aviators that are trained in their go-to-war aircraft." The plan to answer that demand is known as Flight School (FS) XXI. Currently, students enter Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training knowing that they will have to learn to fly at least three different aircraft before their first operational assignments. This means the burden of learning to fly is increased by the requirement to learn at least one additional set of aircraft systems, limitations and emergency procedures. Additionally, each new aircraft requires the school to develop and teach a "contact" phase in each course to ensure that the student pilots are familiar with each training aircraft. Finally, the students are trained in basic combat skills in aircraft that they are guaranteed will not be the one in which they go to war. The students trained in the current IERW course pin on their wings before they are ever exposed to a go-to-war aircraft. They are aviators without a combat-mission aircraft. In times past the student took this training in UH-1s or OH-58s and went to field units equipped with these platforms, confident and competent to begin mission training. Over time, the advent of today's modern aircraft such as UH-60 Black Hawks, AH-64 Apaches (and now the Apache-Longbow), CH-47 Chinooks and OH-58D Kiowa Warriors required the creation of [Advanced] Aircraft Qualification Courses (AQCs). These AQCs met the needs of training experienced aviators that were returning to Fort Rucker for an additional qualification. The classes were structured around those experienced aviators. The Army's fielding of advanced aircraft to all regular units caused USAAVNC to institute a plan to train all newly minted aviators in these AQCs before they ever depart USAAVNC for the field. Directorate of Evaluation and Standards (DES) visits, as well as communications with commanders and leaders in the field, are the touchstones for our course development. They have made it clear to us that the current AQCs are not providing the level of proficiency in base tasks the field needs to train an aviator to Readiness Level 1 (RL1) status in a reasonable time. Our AQCs are limited in flight hours within the programs of instruction as a result of resource constraints. If Army aviation is to continue to be a force of decision on the battlefield our flight instruction program must change. Flight School XXI will bring Army aviation flight training into the 21st century. The objective is to meet warfighting requirements in our combat formations by producing aviators who arrive at their initial duty stations basic-mission qualified, proficient in their go-to-war aircraft and ready to begin unit training. The FS XXI concept will replace the current UH-1 and OH-58 Basic Combat Skills phase of IERW with immediate tracking into an advanced aircraft. Students will complete the flight portion of IERW in their advanced aircraft. All students graduating from IERW will go to their first assignments more proficient in basic combat skills. Experience and proficiency in night-vision goggles, external loads, aircraft systems and crew coordination will be greatly increased in all modernized aircraft. FS XXI will reduce the amount of time students spend at Fort Rucker by an average of six weeks, while increasing the students' experience and proficiency in their go-to-war aircraft. The result is lieutenants and warrant officers who spend increased time in junior leadership positions in the field prior to promotion to first lieutenant and chief warrant officer 2. Lastly, FS XXI returns IPs to the field and ensures IPs gain greater experience in their go-to-war aircraft while assigned as instructors at the Warfighting Center. The TRADOC commander and senior aviation leaders support the FS XXI concept. Work continues at USAAVNC to refine the detailed POIs, resources and implementation plans for approval. In April two trial programs using the Chinook and Kiowa Warrior will begin to assess the benefits of the Flight School XXI concept, followed later this year by a Black Hawk trial program. The benefits of FS XXI include divestiture of legacy aircraft at Fort Rucker; greater advanced aircraft experience for IPs; fewer IPs required for the schoolhouse; and aviators reporting to operational units sooner, competent, proficient, safe and ready to begin transition to RL1 status. Completely embracing Flight School XXI requires additional resources, specifically more advanced aircraft and additional flying costs. The additional resources will, however, unburden the field force from the individual/crew-training mission that belongs at Fort Rucker. Further, it empowers field commanders to remain focused on collective and combined-arms proficiency. The modernization of legacy simulators at Fort Rucker and in the field is essential to the success of FS XXI. Current legacy simulators do not accurately replicate our aircraft systems and consequently do not afford the training environment our aviators deserve. Improved simulation is a cornerstone of sustainment and mission training in the field. Determining the most cost-effective way to upgrade and field simulators is an ongoing process. Our Directorate of Training, Doctrine and Simulation (DOTDS) is working with U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) to develop plans to upgrade aviation simulation throughout the Army. This development is essential to our Combined Arms Training Strategy (CATS) and unit readiness. Another aspect of the use of simulators and simulation is the conduct of tactical collective proficiency training. Today our aviators experience flying their combat aircraft in a combined arms virtual environment (SIMNET) in a prototype Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer - Aviation Reconfigurable Manned Simulator (AVCATT-A). The SIMNET exercise helps develop the collective tactical skills required to fight their aircraft or platoon in a combined-arms scenario. In two years a new aviation simulation center and newly fielded AVCATT-A will accelerate the tactical training of our leaders to a new level of fidelity. New aviators reporting to their first assignments will arrive technically and tactically proficient in how to fight their combat systems. Finally, FS XXI must continue to mature to embrace the total training experience required to produce mission-ready and tactically qualified aviators. The current level B SERE training program must expand to a level C and include overwater training. This will further assist the field forces in conducting initial dunker, HEEDS and other mission survival skills. It also ensures one training standard for the entire aviation force and eliminates needless TDY costs and time away from operational assignments to conduct individual training best done in the schoolhouse. The USAAVNC is committed to ensuring that our training continues to evolve with the needs of the Army. Your help is essential to convince our leadership of the importance and benefits of the FS XXI initiative and the need to resource our Aviation School with the equipment and personnel required to meet your needs. Above the Best! Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Jones is commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., and chief of the aviation branch.
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