AVIATION IN PROFILE NORTH AMERICAN T-2 BUCKEYE
Another b&w shot of one of the initial delivery T-2Es in front of a T-33 – the type it replaced.
Students who pass on to this
level move either to No 362 Air Training Squadron (MEA) ‘Nestor’ or No 363 Air Training Squadron (MEA) ‘Danaos’ of the 120th Air Training Wing, based at Kalamata AB, on the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Although 362 MEA is officially responsible for advanced training and 363 MEA for weapons training, in reality both can conduct training in the advanced training role.
The T-2E Buckeye is the only jet
powered training aircraft in the Hellenic Air Force and is used for the final stage of a pilot’s training. Six months are spent on the advanced jet training phase before moving on to the operational phase for a further six months. After 18 months of training at Kalamata, the new pilot usually progresses to a fighter, although for various reasons, some will go on to fly transports.
Aerobatic flights with T-2E and other usage
In 1984 the CO of No 363
Squadron created an aerobatic training team at squadron level utilising up to six Buckeyes flown by Instructor Pilots. This training was carried on Fridays on a voluntary basis, or whenever there were no flights scheduled for cadet pilots. Under this semi-formal training there were formation take- offs of up to four Buckeyes and formation loops and rolls, but without official back up from the HAF Staff and leadership this training ceased.
However, as the T-2C Buckeye
was used as an Out of Control Flight platform for US Naval Aviators of VF Squadrons of the US Fleet for the Stall/Spin Aircrew Recurrency Training in the early 1980s, the HAF was also keen to adapt the Buckeye for the same role.
T-2E 160084/84 displaying its load carrying ability. In fact the T-2C Buckeyes from
VF-126, VF-43 and VFC-13 at NAS Miramar resumed this work in spin demonstration training, and it is highly probable that information of such usage was done via the Naval Attache of Joint US Military Assistance in Greece. The timing was perfect as Turkish Air Force incursions in to the Athens FIR were escalating in the mid-1980s and every Fighter or Interceptor Squadron in the HAF was honing their skills in Air Combat, or DACT.
So, in 1985, HAF General Staff
issued orders to No 363 Squadron for IPs to be allocated, with aircraft, to every Combat Wing and reorientate fighter pilots of F-4Es, Mirage F.1CGs and F-5As in spin training. As the Mirage F.1CGs were bought without a follow-on order for twin-seaters this training paid dividends as the Mirage pilots had not had the chance to refresh on spin training at all. As the F-4E is also a platform which an
incipient spin can quickly become a full spin and become unrecoverable, this training proved to be a life saver and confidence building experience that reinforced aggressiveness in air combat for the years to come.
As the usage and relevant
experience grew the F-4E Phantom backseat cockpit had to be manned by a special aircrew and not a pilot. This breakthrough came as late as in 1988! Although a rumour was heard in the early ‘80s by the HAF leadership that navigators would be trained as F-4E WSOs, recruitment came by attracting failed pilots who had been re- trained as radar operators, or air traffic controllers. In fact the HAF leadership made that giant step and trained 20 operators who had experienced primary and fast-jet training on T-41D, T-37 and T-2E.
In 1990 the Centre of Aerial
Tactics included mixed courses with fighter aircraft and helicopters
T-2 Buckeye 160097/97 photographed in front of a HAS at Kalamata Air Base.
T-2 Buckeye 160061/61 with a HAF F-4E Phantom in the background. FEBRUARY 2015 • VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 12 47
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