JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma ... the place where all C-17 pilots go to better their skills and grow in their knowledge of employing the Air Force's premier heavy airlift/airdrop platform.
Throughout various times in a C-17 pilot's career they will return to Altus for a number of upgrades to include Pilot Initial Qualification, Co-Pilot Air Drop, Pilot Checkout, Aircraft Commander Air Drop and Instructor Aircraft Commander.
For this particular article, PCO will be discussed in detail. PCO is the course used to transform a C-17 co-pilot into an aircraft commander. Before leaving Joint Base Charleston for PCO, a C-17 pilot must meet a number of prerequisites/qualifications to be eligible to obtain a slot for upgrade.
First, they must have obtained at least 700 hours of flight time in the C-17 and at least 1,000 hours of total flight time. In addition, they must be able to fly at a minimum, three local training sorties at Charleston to include air refueling, assault landings and low level flight.
Once pilots have obtained a coveted slot and accomplished their prerequisites with endorsement from their instructors, they go to Altus AFB for about four weeks of training. Here they begin hours of computer based training modules to gain deeper knowledge of systems, procedures and overall aircraft commander leadership. They then accomplish two simulator sorties focusing on air refueling from the left seat in preparation for the flights in the jet.
Upon completion of the sims, pilots hit the flightline to include approximately six flights lasting around six hours each. Apart from each flight, the pilots and their crew spend an entire day prior to each flight meticulously mission planning for air refueling, assault landings, patterns and low level flight.
The first two flights are day flights followed by a night vision goggle pattern only sortie, and two night air refueling sorties. After successful completion of all of these sorties, the pilot is recommended by the instructor pilots to progress to their checkride, which includes a combination of all previous events in the jet during the day. If they pass this flight, their time at Altus is over, but their path to becoming a certified aircraft commander is just getting started. They have proven they can fly the jet and now they have to safely operate the C-17 and its crew all across the world on various missions.
When the pilot returns to their squadron, they have to fly three overseas missions to complete their upgrade. The first is called the "Buddy" ride and is a practice ride with another aircraft commander. On this mission the pilot practices running the show.
The pilot then heads to their recommend ride or "rec ride" with an instructor. This ride involves very little interaction from the instructor to see if the pilot can safely and successfully operate the mission and manage the crew. If the instructor sees the pilot as ready, they head to their operational mission evaluation with an evaluator. Throughout this mission they are being evaluated on safety, aircraft knowledge, overall flying knowledge, mission/crew management and successful completion.
If the pilot passes, they are ready to obtain the title of aircraft commander and go to their certification or "cert" board to finish the process. It takes hours of study, hours of flight time, hours of instruction, and hours of overall employment of the C-17. However, the end result is a highly qualified C-17 aircraft commander who is ready at a moment's notice to accomplish any type of mission the C-17 is called upon. This process is what creates some of the best pilots in the world who fly for our United States Air Force, protecting our freedom and our skies.