A day in their shoes: Defying gravity

by Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/6/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy  -- The shrill sound of an engine resonates throughout the squadron as a captain taxis onto the flightline for another day of -- defying gravity.

Capt. Matthew Alexander is a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron and the mission is to deter aggression through a rigorous training program. It is his job to control a multirole fighter aircraft and push its capabilities to the limit, daily.

"At Aviano, we train for a lot of missions," said Alexander. "We simulate air-to-air and air-to-ground so we're capable of fulfilling those roles if the Air Force ever calls us to perform them in real world situations."

As a U.S. Air Force pilot, he is trained to execute a varied repertoire of maneuvers and missions but he begins his day like many others ... with a cup of coffee. But, any similarities to the Average Joe's office day end there.

Alexander arrives at the squadron three hours before his flight. This time is spent getting mission materials ready and going through a pre-flight mission plan in the vault. He and his flight lead will plan their execution of simulated scenarios that are thrown their way.

The briefing is crucial to the success of the day's flight, as any safety concerns are discussed during this time. The flight instructor and Alexander chatter back and forth, assessing the mission for the day and asking each other questions with their own language of technical aeronautical jargon.

Once both feel sufficiently educated on the day's mission plan, Alexander makes his way to the Aircrew Flight Equipment building to suit up for the skies. The gear, to the common eye, is similar to a jumpsuit and helmet, but each piece serves a specific function to ensure the safety and survival of any pilot that enters a cockpit.

For instance, donning an anti-gravity suit, commonly referred to as a G-Suit, helps a pilot withstand pressure put forth by aggressive maneuvers in the air and oxygen equipment allows Alexander to breathe in higher atmospheres. A pilot relies on all the equipment issued to him at AFE to keep them alive and if necessary - survive.

After dressing, Alexander walks to the step desk, where he is met by the day's flight supervisor. This allows for last-minute weather updates, flightline conditions, potential flight hazards and aircraft assignments before flying.

It's time to step.

A shuttle takes several pilots to their assigned jets. Alexander steps off, issues a sharp salute to the crew chief and begins his pre-flight inspection. With the maintainer in tow, he conducts a thorough, hands-on assessment of the jet. Once finished, he climbs the rungs of the ladder and enters the cockpit.

The engine screams to life. He slowly maneuvers the jet off the line and onto the taxiway.

He takes his position at the end of the runway and he and his flight lead hurtle down the airstrip and into the air.

"Flying definitely feels surreal at times, especially here in Northern Italy over the Dolomite mountain range as we can see for miles from the coast up over the snowcapped mountains," said Alexander. "We aren't up there sightseeing by any means but we can appreciate the view during our tactical training scenarios."

For training, pilots will fly either a missionized or non-missionized ride, Alexander explains. Today, Alexander is flying a non-missionized ride which means a pilot trains on a specific set of skills that they are trying to hone. Similar to practicing free throws in basketball, repetition is fundamental.

"I am going up to practice short-range air to air fighting" said Alexander. "[The flight instructor and I] work together to set up about a mile apart and call 'Fights on.' The defensive pilot will do everything he can to maneuver out of harm's way and the offensive pilot will  do everything he can to maneuver his aircraft to a position where he is able to deploy weapons. We'll set that up continually until we essentially run out of gas, so we get the repetitions needed to improve whatever skill we're working on."

The average training flight lasts approximately an hour to an hour and a half, said Alexander. After the flight, he turns the jet over to the waiting hands of the crew chiefs and heads to his debrief.

Each debrief consists of watching what occurred during the flight. This is possible thanks to a system that records the flights events through the heads-up display and multi-function displays. A debriefing can last approximately three to four hours.

"A lot of our day is spent learning from the debrief," explains Alexander. "We watch what we did in the air, if we made any mistakes, what we can do to correct them and do better the next time up."

Each flight fine tunes the skills of the F-16 pilot for the day he's called into battle and it's imperative that each pilot trusts their wingman. Their lives are in each other's hands and safety is crucial.

"When we fly in formation together, we are all responsible for safety but there are moments when one pilot completely depends on the ability and awareness of his wingman in order to come home safely," said Alexander. "That trust is forged through our daily flights together and results in a comradery unparalleled in other lines of work. Everything we do is founded on mutual support of each other to ensure that we fight, win and return home safely."