The PAF selection centre was at Abbot Road at that time, near Simla hill. I would commute to the selection centre on a borrowed bike, as I did not want to let my folks know what I was trying to do. It was an unknown territory, and the success or otherwise was anybody’s guess. We did not have anyone from our family or friends in the Armed forces, therefore advice or guidance in this regard was non-existent. I was on my own to discover these pastures new.
My visit to the selection centre was quite fruitful, as all the information was easily available. I cleared the prerequisite, like written and medical etc, in the first go and was told to wait for the final call for ISSB, which came in due course, and it required me to travel to Kohat. By the way, I couldn’t borrow a bike to go to Kohat, and had to get financial help, as well as inform my folks about my absence from home for a few days.
This was the time I had to inform my parents that I had cleared the initial tests for GD Pilot and for final selection I had to go to Kohat for ISSB. This news was pleasantly received by all, and I was not only given the required financial help, but also became the star of the family. I managed to come up to the mark and got selected in the first go. After this selection, there was yet another step which was the final selection, as per the overall merit and the Air Headquarters, for which one had to wait for a while, with fingers crossed.
The news finally came, and I was asked to report to the PAF Academy at Risalpur.
It was in early 1965 that I ended up in PAF Academy Risalpur. I experienced the usual paraphernalia of arriving in any academy; haircut the soldier’s style, issue of kit and ragging etc. Ours was the first short course, as war was imminent and the PAF needed pilots in quick time. The normal duration of the course is 2 years whereas ours was only for nine months. Ground schooling for three months, and then onto the flying phase of the course. Normally, the trainer ac for students in the academy was a T –37, but for us, as a special measure, it was an old second world war T-6G. The T -37 is an ac with nose wheel under carriage, whereas the T-6G was a tail wheel undercarriage ac, with usual tail wheel swing tendencies. This ac also had a unique design in that it was not level with the ground when parked, i.e., it pointed up while standing, and the upward incline was so much that the pilot’s view sitting in the cockpit was totally obscured. While taxiing, one had to move from one side to the other on the runway to see the runway in front. Similarly, for the takeoff run, the pilot would rely on peripheral view for keeping the ac straight on the take-off path. On the other hand, for the T-37, one would taxi straight, and for landing would touch down on the rear two wheels, and then lower the nose wheel. For the T-6G, we would touch down on the main landing gear and then lower the tail wheel, or sometimes grace the runway on all three wheels called the three pointer. Normally, in a nose wheel ac, in this case the T-37, the thrust is forwards, and direction of the nose wheel is controlled by the rudder paddle. However, on an ac equipped with tail wheel contraption, in this case the T-6G, after touching down if one is not careful and alert, the tail wheel may not be aligned straight, and would tend to swing in the direction towards which it is tilted. Unless it is corrected prior to the move away from the direction of landing, which the pilot determines by the feel of the seat of the pant, to the direction which it tends to move. If the corrective action is not initiated in time, it might be too late to correct the situation, and the ac would swing, resulting in damage to the ac. Faced with this tricky situation, it required a lot of forward thinking and understanding of the mechanics of this imminent occurrence that one had to guard very diligently.
The T-6G was very successfully used during the second World War, as it had endurance, robust powerful engines, excellent maneuverability, and capacity to carry multiple weapons and ammo for a lot of desired air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements. Flying training, however, on the T6-G as compared to the T-37, was a little demanding. Our course was split into two sections. One was 44th GDP, the regular course, the duration for which was two years, and those doing the regular course would train on T-37. The other group was 1st short course, the duration of the course was nine months, and this group was to do their flying training on T6-G. This nine-month course was an experimental course, and if it gave satisfactory results, it would have been adopted as a regular activity. However, only two such courses were scheduled, and in the final assessment it was not considered appropriate, and hence, abandoned. I was part of the 1st Short course, probably getting ready for the war on a fast track.
We had a few months of ground schooling to let us know the basics i.e., inculcating discipline, transforming us civilians into soldiers, and teaching us the why and how of flying. Having learnt the required essentials of soldiering as well as technical lessons about flying, we were rushed to the flying part of the course. The first lesson normally is air experience, in which the instructor flies the aircraft and makes all sorts of maneuvers, which include high G (pulling hard on the controls to feel the pull of the gravitational forces ), exercises like loop, roll, stall, spin, high G turns etc, to let the student feel the physical stress of flying and also judge his capacity to endure these stresses. For some, it is a lot of fun, but for those who are not physically fit, they go pale and start vomiting. The instructors observe the reaction of the students and, as per their assessment, go full throttle in some cases, and on the weak ones, they go a shade easy, to see how it goes. Most of the students over a period overcome these stresses and start sailing smoothly in their flying training.
All cadets are given some ten to twelve lessons, and as per their skill level and proficiency of handling the machine, are brought to the circuit and landing part. Depending on how they maneuver the ac in this phase, i.e., skillfully and safely, the instructor having satisfied himself that the cadet is proficient to handle the ac in all phases of flying, recommends him for a check ride with the Squadron Commander, to be cleared to fly a solo flight. The first solo flight normally is just one takeoff and landing, but this is a very big step in the training phase of a pilot. Continuation of the course depends on a successful solo flight, and if one fails to achieve this milestone, this is the end of the road of one’s flying career.
The first one of us to go solo swung and damaged the ac but got out without any physical harm to himself. The second to go solo repeated the performance i.e., swung the aircraft on landing and damaged the aircraft. It was this apprehension, that all instructors became over cautious about clearance for solo, hence the flying training progress slowed down, and the third pilot to get solo clearance got rather delayed. Eventually, after more than normal training flying hours, the students finally started getting cleared, and a good number of cadets crossed the bar. I, however, could not satisfy my instructor with skill and proficiency level, and therefore was not cleared to do a solo flight. I however had an opportunity to go to some ground branch, but I opted to go out and explore possibilities in other walks of life.
PAF Course
Having successfully completed the ground schooling and having attained the required level of understanding of flying-related subjects, students move from the halls of studies, as these classrooms are called, to the flight line. Again, there is yet another set of lectures attended by the flying cadets, called Mass briefings. These briefings include the practical part of flying exercises. Instructors are allotted two cadets each, and henceforth, the individual instructor briefs the cadets about the days flying lesson, takes them to the aircraft, and the cadets are given a demonstration of the preflight of the aircraft. For the initial few hours, all flying missions are dual, i.e., the instructor is on board to teach flying techniques. The sequence of training activities includes demonstrations of the flying exercise. The student is then asked to follow the instructor on the controls, i.e., the instructor is doing the exercise, and the student has his hands on the controls and feels the movement of the control as the exercise is being demonstrated by the instructor. Having understood the push pull and the movement of the controls for that exercise, the student replicates those movements whereas the instructor now is following the student on the controls. Having satisfied himself that the student can manage the activity, the flying instructor lets the student do the maneuver on his own. Having completed the day’s mission, the aircraft lands back; a post flight is carried out, followed by a post flight briefing. The day’s activity is then documented as a grade slip, which indicates the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s performance during the training. This grade slip is kept in the student’s folder. This is the normal, real-time instructional technique for all exercises. However, with new technological developments, simulators for all aircrafts and helicopters are in the market, and students are initially given training on simulators, which is a lot cheaper option, for doing flying training
After flying a certain number of dual flying hours, when the instructor is satisfied with the skill level of the student, he recommends to the Chief flying instructor (CFI) that the student is proficient enough to fly the aircraft solo (all by himself no instructor on board). The CFI then flies the student, and, if he is satisfied with the performance of the student, he lets him fly the aircraft solo. This is a BIG DAY in the life of a student, a solo flight is normally followed by a party.
A bit about the academy. There were two blocks to accommodate the cadets. Those in the regular course were in a building called 1 Squadron, those in the short course were in the other building called 2 Squadron. Each room was to have three cadets, and the rooms were that big, we used to have one single bed and one bunk bed. As we were exhausted after the days training, it did not matter which bed one would hit. Sound sleep was a given most of the time, it was also dreamless.
The Mess was well provided for, and the food was normally tasty, because time to rate the quality and taste was a luxury not accorded during the early days of our arrival at the academy. We would move, in the time available, between two activities; just fill ourselves, and walk out, with minimum time available for consuming food. Most remarkable was the honor shop. This shop was well provided for, located in one of the most visited corners of the Mess building, with no one manning the till. The items all had the price tag, and the cadets were supposed to buy the desired item, and accordingly put the money in a box all by themselves. No cheating could be afforded as it was considered a crime, and anyone caught was sent home expeditiously.
On arrival, the first thing after documentation and allotment of rooms etc, the cadets were marched to the barber’s shop, where their civilian look was changed into a soldiers look, in quick time. Most of us couldn’t recognize ourselves when we looked at the guy looking back at us from the mirror. The visit to the barber’s shop was followed by going to the tailor, who started preparing uniforms for the newly arrived cadets. Walking generally is not recommended during the initial few weeks, running between places is the order of the day. We were on to a fast track right from the word go. Wake up time was rather early and sharing one bathroom for three necessitated scheduling time for all activities, preexist the room, very meticulous, to avoid late arrival at the parade ground. Being late for the parade was not acceptable and warranted punishment right on arrival at the parade venue and some in the evening as well. It was only a matter of time that all of us got into the rhythm, and seldom gave a chance to the conducting staff to award punishment.
Training activity started with breakfast, parade, and then to the halls of studies. In the afternoon, we’d return to the Mess for lunch, followed by games which continued till almost sundown. Then there was a break till dinner. This break was utilized by the seniors to break-in the civilian habits, like arguing the why or requirement or justification for an order or being disrespectful to senior cadets as well as conducting staff. It instilled in us the basics of soldiering i.e., there is no reason why but to do and die, following orders without arguing why, and to perform the given task even to the peril of one’s life.