UTD

UTD = Universal Training Device

A simulator to allow student pilots to become familiar with the cockpit layout and switchology.

First test of UPT

Passed my systems one test with a 93%.

You need an 85% to pass, so my score is probably about average.

Aerospace Physiology

Well the last week has a fun mixture of class room combined with "operational" teachings. Aptly titled "Aerospace Physiology" I have been learning things from ejection seat operation to different types of spatial disorientation (and everything inbetween).

I already had a test earlier in the week covering life support and local area survival (basically my experiences in Boy Scouts wrapped up into a Power Point briefing).

So the highlights of the week would consist of going into the altitude chamber and practicing PLF's (parachute landing falls). I don't have any pictures of the altitude chamber handy but imagine...well an altitude chamber. It's a giant metal box with half foot thick walls. Once sealed

up you can go up to the top of K2 or go to the bottom of the ocean (its easier to go up). So we went up to twenty five thousand feet (25,000) and then went OFF oxygen. You will start feeling the effects pretty darn quick. They gave us a simple math sheet to try filling out and after about 3 minutes pretty much everyone was getting them wrong. After five minutes you felt drunk. I

didn't want to go much more than that so went back on oxygen (if you pass out you fail).

After a bunch more fun tests in the chamber a smaller group of us would go into

a sub section of the same chamber for a rapid decompression test. In this our little chamber was pressurized to 1,000 ft and when it decompressed we would be back at 25k. So we had to recognize what happed and take proper action. It's pretty easy to recognize a rapid decompression...its loud, uncomfortable, windy, and an artifical cloud forms in the room (that part is friggen cool!).

I do have pictures of the parachute training. Not much to say that the pictures can't

describe...Only thing I would like to add is that it hurts males a lot more than females...

There were two fun toys for ejection seat training, this one was for an emergency ground egress and the other for a prepared ejection in flight.

Yea not really a hat but anything that goes on my head is a hat to me (the only hats I have ever worn have been issued/military). Not a hat person... And most importantly...I would like to thank all the tax payers out there for buying this for me!!! You guys rock.

And most importantly...I would like to thank all the tax payers out there for buying this for me!!! You guys rock.

I had to pay for the giant cockpit poster myself though. That rather large stack of paper there (water bolt for a size reference) are publications I will have to memorize/learn/understand. Can't wait!