An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 11 There were a number of check flights throughout the course, basic handling, advanced handling, instrument and navigation tests. The students finished with a final test and had a small graduation ceremony before returning to Ireland to finish the final stages of the Wings Course. The final fifteen flights took place in Ireland on the Pilatus PC-9M covering a wide base of disciplines from VFR general handling, precision navigation, instrument flying, formation flying and mixed profile navigation, culminating in the Pilot Wings Qualification Test. Back in Ireland, the students of the 41st and 42nd WCC commenced their simulator training in the Fixed Training Device in FTS in April of 2025 and August respectively. The simulator element of the Wings Course consists of a total of 47 sessions, designed to emulate real-world stresses and emergencies without the real-world risk and serves as a great tool to prepare students for the dynamic nature of flying the PC-9M. Prior to stepping into the aircraft for the first time, the students became proficient with checks and procedures, allowing them to focus on learning handling skills once they moved on to the aircraft. Following their introduction in the sim, the students then moved on to the Elementary Stage of flying, which focuses on the basics of flight; take-off, straight and level, turns, climbing, descending and landing. One of the main focuses of this stage was circuit flying, which involved the students flying dozens of circuit patterns to develop and refine their airmanship. This stage culminated with the students flying the PC-9M solo for the first time after 20 flights, a proud moment for everyone, and a key step in flying training that all pilots remember for the rest of their careers. The Elementary Stage of flying lasted for another 30 flights with disciplines such as aerobatics, spinning and instrument flying being taught. Students had the opportunity to develop their own sequence of aerobatics, including loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls, horizontal eights and Cuban eights. Aerobatics are a physically demanding discipline, requiring a tolerance for sustained G-force and precise flying, but they offer a chance to further develop aircraft handling and accuracies. Each flight built up on previously learned material and the stage concluded in an Elementary Handling Test (EHT), where students were tested on all their visual flying skills and manoeuvres, including successfully completing a Precautionary Forced Landing pattern to simulate an engine failure. The next stage of flying for the students further consolidated their general handling of the aircraft and lasted for approximately 40 flights. Medium level navigation saw students traversing the country at 1500ft using meticulously prepared maps with the aim of arriving overhead a destination +/- 5 seconds. Instrument transits were also introduced, which allowed the students to operate in cloud without visual references, using radio aids for positioning. The Instrument Rating Test (IRT) was a major milestone during this phase of training, giving the students their first rating, and qualifying them to fly anywhere in the country on instruments, solo. The Advanced Stage of flying training included both night and formation flying. Night flying gave students an appreciation for handling the aircraft without the visual references afforded by daylight, and a whole new perspective on the landscape around Baldonnel. Formation flying followed, proving to be the highlight of the course for the students. This discipline involved flying 'two-ship' formation with another aircraft less than one wingspan away and performing dynamic break and re-join manoeuvres to hone their skills. Formation is a skill taught at the ab-initio stage in the Air Corps, something unique to military flying, and is testament to the excellent instruction provided by FTS instructors. The final hurdle for the students was the Pilot Wings Qualification Test, in which all aspects of flying learned throughout the course were assessed. The completion of this phase signalled the completion of the Wings Course for the students.

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