WEBVTT 00:00.239 --> 00:02.279 Of course , my full name is Joshua 00:02.289 --> 00:04.233 Chamberlain Corbett and my rank is 00:04.233 --> 00:06.579 captain for sure . So the last flight 00:06.639 --> 00:09.539 in the FRD syllabus is a section low 00:09.550 --> 00:11.449 altitude , close air support uh 00:11.460 --> 00:13.390 training sorting . So we're not 00:13.399 --> 00:15.566 actually providing close air support , 00:15.566 --> 00:17.677 but we're going through the close air 00:17.677 --> 00:19.829 support process . Um In our case , we 00:19.840 --> 00:22.780 actually do have a uh airborne for air 00:22.790 --> 00:24.901 controller to provide a support uh in 00:25.110 --> 00:28.860 realistic training . So that sort 00:28.899 --> 00:31.066 begins with a low level ingress to the 00:31.066 --> 00:33.066 target area from there . It will be 00:33.066 --> 00:35.509 popping up and doing a dive delivery uh 00:35.520 --> 00:38.040 onto a simulated target , then a low 00:38.069 --> 00:40.299 level egress out of the target area and 00:40.310 --> 00:42.532 then setting up for the next C A attack 00:42.532 --> 00:44.532 flight preparation uh takes as much 00:44.532 --> 00:46.699 time as you have is the phrase that we 00:46.699 --> 00:49.319 were taught um at bare minimum for the 00:49.330 --> 00:51.560 the most simple administrative flight 00:52.250 --> 00:54.909 flight preparation minimally takes two 00:54.919 --> 00:58.490 hours for a complicated strike with a 00:58.500 --> 01:00.056 lot of external players and 01:00.056 --> 01:02.689 co-ordination required 1012 hours more 01:02.700 --> 01:05.230 as much again , as much as you have for 01:05.239 --> 01:07.750 the final flight in the syllabus . 4 to 01:07.760 --> 01:09.927 6 hours is a good approximation of the 01:09.927 --> 01:12.019 man hours required to prepare hours 01:12.029 --> 01:14.140 spent preparing to hours spent in the 01:14.140 --> 01:17.389 air . On average , I would say maybe 4 01:17.400 --> 01:21.220 to 1 . Um If you now include 01:21.230 --> 01:23.660 simulator events as preparation for 01:23.669 --> 01:26.050 actual aircraft events and you lump 01:26.059 --> 01:27.948 those in , it becomes 8 to 1 , of 01:27.948 --> 01:29.615 course , but 4 to 1 is a good 01:29.615 --> 01:31.726 approximation . The reason that close 01:31.726 --> 01:33.892 air support is so significant to being 01:33.892 --> 01:35.948 a 75 09 . And the reason it's the in 01:35.948 --> 01:38.059 many ways , the capstone event at the 01:38.059 --> 01:40.620 FRD uh is that as every marine knows 01:40.629 --> 01:42.629 the , the infantryman is always the 01:42.629 --> 01:45.389 main effort . So , yeah , that 19 year 01:45.400 --> 01:47.511 old , that 20 year old with a rifle , 01:47.511 --> 01:49.511 uh who's in harm's way , who has to 01:49.511 --> 01:52.410 persecute the enemy , right ? Um That's 01:52.419 --> 01:54.530 the whole reason that the rest of the 01:54.530 --> 01:56.586 Marine Corps exists is to support uh 01:56.586 --> 01:58.530 that marine . And that's the whole 01:58.530 --> 02:00.752 reason that we as 75 09 do what we do . 02:00.752 --> 02:02.975 So close air support is the most direct 02:02.975 --> 02:04.863 way that we as harrier pilots can 02:04.863 --> 02:07.030 influence that flight in favor of that 02:07.030 --> 02:10.059 marine . The frd syllabus begins with a 02:10.070 --> 02:11.959 fairly intensive ground school to 02:11.959 --> 02:14.014 understand all the systems that make 02:14.014 --> 02:17.070 the harrier fly . Uh and then begins 02:17.080 --> 02:20.080 with a similarly fairly intensive . Um 02:20.380 --> 02:22.547 It's called FA S is , is the short for 02:22.547 --> 02:24.769 Familiarization syllabus . Uh What that 02:24.769 --> 02:27.649 really entails is making sure that we 02:27.660 --> 02:30.470 can land uh vestal aircraft , which is 02:30.479 --> 02:32.535 again , unlike any other aircraft in 02:32.535 --> 02:34.970 the world . Uh safely and proficiently 02:35.619 --> 02:37.730 uh from there . Then we start getting 02:37.730 --> 02:39.730 into the more tactical , you know , 02:39.730 --> 02:41.952 starts with basic formations , tactical 02:41.952 --> 02:43.841 formations , basic air to surface 02:43.841 --> 02:46.389 target area mechanics . Uh There is air 02:46.399 --> 02:48.839 to air , you know , air intercepts and 02:48.850 --> 02:51.017 finally into strike planning and close 02:51.017 --> 02:53.300 air support to be selected to be a 02:53.309 --> 02:56.279 harrier pilot . Um It starts in primary 02:56.289 --> 02:58.511 flight training which is , is the first 02:58.511 --> 03:00.800 gateway that all naval naval aviators 03:00.809 --> 03:04.800 pass through . Uh So out of primary by 03:04.809 --> 03:06.920 the numbers you need to be in the top 03:06.920 --> 03:08.920 third of your selection class to be 03:08.920 --> 03:10.976 selected for the Navy strike fighter 03:10.976 --> 03:14.330 training program from there in uh 03:14.339 --> 03:16.561 advanced flight school as it's called , 03:16.740 --> 03:18.796 uh you need to be in the top half of 03:18.796 --> 03:20.573 your class by the numbers to be 03:20.573 --> 03:22.796 selected to be a Harriet pilot . So for 03:22.796 --> 03:24.962 every naval aviator student who passes 03:24.962 --> 03:26.851 through Pensacola , one in six is 03:26.851 --> 03:29.018 qualified to be a harrier pilot . So I 03:29.018 --> 03:31.240 think if you ask any given pilot , what 03:31.240 --> 03:33.462 the most difficult part of the syllabus 03:33.462 --> 03:35.518 is , you would get as many different 03:35.518 --> 03:38.039 answers because there's a large variety 03:38.050 --> 03:40.161 of , of skills and abilities required 03:40.169 --> 03:43.869 to be successful . So for me , uh I 03:43.880 --> 03:47.059 tend to be more of a sort of intuitive , 03:47.070 --> 03:49.070 uh let's throw the football type of 03:49.070 --> 03:51.348 figure it out visually and intuitively . 03:52.080 --> 03:55.940 So I for example , did fairly well 03:56.059 --> 03:57.919 in the high aspect , basic fire 03:57.929 --> 04:00.151 maneuvers , which is , is a lot of look 04:00.151 --> 04:02.207 out the window see what's going on , 04:02.207 --> 04:05.490 snap judgments conversely . Um For 04:05.500 --> 04:07.556 things like flying at night on night 04:07.556 --> 04:09.600 vision goggles , it's extremely , 04:09.610 --> 04:12.000 there's no room for deviation from 04:12.009 --> 04:14.240 procedure . Uh very instrument focused 04:14.250 --> 04:16.472 uh requires intensive deliberate scan . 04:17.209 --> 04:19.431 Uh And I struggle . So for me , I would 04:19.431 --> 04:22.200 say flying , especially formation on 04:22.209 --> 04:25.049 night vision goggles uh was the hardest . 04:25.059 --> 04:27.170 But again , there are people who find 04:27.170 --> 04:30.869 that easy . Um I envy them but yeah , I 04:30.880 --> 04:32.713 think , you know , none of it is 04:32.713 --> 04:34.824 particularly easy to any given person 04:34.824 --> 04:36.880 or particularly difficult depends on 04:36.880 --> 04:36.859 the strengths and weaknesses 04:36.959 --> 04:39.850 transitioning from , from advanced . Um 04:39.859 --> 04:42.026 as , as the shorthand is or from , you 04:42.026 --> 04:43.803 know , navy's uh strike fighter 04:43.803 --> 04:46.730 training program uh flying the T 45 to 04:46.739 --> 04:48.609 this , the , the most obvious 04:48.619 --> 04:51.579 difference is the harrier's unique VSA 04:51.980 --> 04:55.390 capability . Um It flies unlike any 04:55.399 --> 04:57.232 aircraft in the world , with the 04:57.232 --> 04:59.399 possible exception of the F-35 B . And 04:59.399 --> 05:02.170 so learning to fly that uh 05:02.179 --> 05:05.809 was , was a dramatic adjustment , uh a 05:05.820 --> 05:07.931 fun adjustment to make an interesting 05:07.931 --> 05:09.931 adjustment to make but dramatic , I 05:09.931 --> 05:11.987 will say that , you know , uh having 05:11.987 --> 05:14.098 been exposed to how the navy lands on 05:14.098 --> 05:16.619 aircraft carriers uh similar in the 05:16.630 --> 05:19.130 sense , it requires intense focus and a 05:19.140 --> 05:22.059 lot of precise control inputs different 05:22.070 --> 05:24.237 in the sense that , you know , they're 05:24.237 --> 05:26.237 trying to catch a hook . Uh whereas 05:26.237 --> 05:28.950 we're trying to keep an aircraft aloft 05:28.959 --> 05:32.059 on its own jet propulsion . So uh a lot 05:32.070 --> 05:34.769 of very fine sort of precise movements 05:34.779 --> 05:36.668 of both the control stick and the 05:36.668 --> 05:40.630 throttle . Um Yeah , 05:40.640 --> 05:43.309 so a lot of fine control inputs , um 05:43.320 --> 05:46.500 continuous assessment of the aircraft 05:46.510 --> 05:49.089 state with respect to uh side slip 05:49.100 --> 05:51.950 angle of attack of velocity uh position 05:51.959 --> 05:55.109 over the ground . Uh Of course , so the 05:55.119 --> 05:57.010 main difference between our FRD 05:57.019 --> 05:59.910 syllabus and the other FRS is uh being 05:59.920 --> 06:03.839 the F-18 hornet and the F-35 joint 06:03.850 --> 06:07.140 strike fighter . Uh is that so 06:07.459 --> 06:09.626 both of them are fly what's called fly 06:09.626 --> 06:11.619 by wire . Uh which is to say that 06:11.970 --> 06:14.899 whereas we have hydraulic linkages , 06:15.100 --> 06:17.589 hydraulic actuators that are 06:17.600 --> 06:19.730 mechanically linked to our control 06:19.739 --> 06:22.250 stick . So if I put a control input , 06:22.630 --> 06:24.519 that has a direct relationship to 06:24.519 --> 06:26.797 what's going on on my control surfaces , 06:27.329 --> 06:30.130 they are what's fly by wire is 06:30.769 --> 06:33.589 um those inputs from their controls are 06:33.600 --> 06:36.750 digitized and then sent to an 06:36.760 --> 06:38.927 electrically commanded mechanically or 06:38.927 --> 06:41.204 hydraulically actuated control surface . 06:41.204 --> 06:45.119 And that the signal is massaged 06:45.130 --> 06:47.690 by up to , you know , four redundant 06:47.700 --> 06:50.040 flight computers . So for the joint 06:50.049 --> 06:53.230 strike fighter , um if they , they put 06:53.239 --> 06:55.579 go left , the computers figure out the 06:55.589 --> 06:58.140 best way to go left and it goes for me , 06:58.149 --> 07:00.316 I have to do that thinking on my own . 07:00.316 --> 07:03.839 Um So that 07:04.059 --> 07:07.760 intense fam syllabus that I mentioned 07:07.899 --> 07:10.760 is unique to us because again , 07:10.769 --> 07:12.880 quadruple redundant flight control or 07:12.880 --> 07:16.019 flight computers . Um the F-35 , the 07:16.029 --> 07:18.196 F-18 , they don't need to , they don't 07:18.196 --> 07:20.920 need to because um their aircraft 07:20.929 --> 07:22.985 handles that releases pilot workload 07:22.985 --> 07:25.209 for them , lets them focus on their 07:25.220 --> 07:26.942 robust sensor suite , which is 07:26.942 --> 07:28.998 something that they , the capability 07:28.998 --> 07:31.799 that they have , that our censor suite 07:31.809 --> 07:34.031 is a little bit less robust . There's a 07:34.031 --> 07:36.365 lot to choose from a lot to choose from . 07:36.420 --> 07:38.698 Uh I'll offer you two thoughts on that . 07:38.698 --> 07:42.160 The first is , is the people . Uh So my 07:42.170 --> 07:44.489 classmate , Captain Jordan in uh the 07:44.500 --> 07:46.333 class immediately before us , uh 07:46.333 --> 07:49.399 Captains Guerra and Callister , uh 07:49.790 --> 07:53.079 just incredible group of , of marines , 07:53.089 --> 07:55.929 Uh a lot of camaraderie um 07:57.399 --> 07:59.510 with respect to which of the syllabus 07:59.510 --> 08:01.779 events did I enjoy the most , 08:04.299 --> 08:06.450 uh always tempted to say basic fire 08:06.459 --> 08:08.515 maneuvers . Uh That's just plain old 08:08.515 --> 08:10.649 fun . Um But I think that I got the 08:10.660 --> 08:14.320 most out of the cast syllabus uh 08:14.329 --> 08:17.299 close air support syllabus . Uh because 08:17.309 --> 08:19.480 that's when I really felt that my 08:19.489 --> 08:21.600 training was paying off and I was , I 08:21.600 --> 08:23.822 was going to be able in the future to , 08:23.822 --> 08:26.279 to make a difference . Uh I don't know 08:27.839 --> 08:29.950 if there's any tangibles , I can give 08:29.950 --> 08:32.172 you to explain that phenomenon . Uh You 08:32.172 --> 08:34.859 know , I can point to you uh 08:37.309 --> 08:39.409 the harriers like combat history in 08:39.419 --> 08:43.229 Afghanistan in Iraq . Uh that the fact 08:43.239 --> 08:45.072 that we do boat deployments very 08:45.072 --> 08:47.869 frequently as a community , I could 08:47.880 --> 08:49.769 point to the unique nature of our 08:49.769 --> 08:52.090 aircraft . I could point to any number 08:52.099 --> 08:54.429 of factors , but none of them are the 08:54.440 --> 08:57.880 sole reason . Uh It's an 08:57.890 --> 09:00.309 intangible , it's a mystery . So it's 09:00.320 --> 09:02.376 one of those unique things about our 09:02.376 --> 09:04.770 platform . So when did . I know I 09:04.780 --> 09:06.724 wanted to be a pilot in the Marine 09:06.724 --> 09:10.590 Corps . Uh So I think my 09:10.729 --> 09:12.673 journey through that process was a 09:12.679 --> 09:14.790 little bit unusual where I , I knew I 09:14.790 --> 09:17.900 wanted to be a pilot first . Um You 09:17.909 --> 09:20.242 know , and that we see in the community , 09:20.242 --> 09:22.187 like the reason , the way they say 09:22.187 --> 09:21.830 marine pilot is because you are a 09:21.840 --> 09:24.109 marine first and then your job as a 09:24.119 --> 09:26.549 marine is a pilot again as I allude to 09:26.859 --> 09:29.270 earlier in support of other marines , 09:29.789 --> 09:31.956 uh which is a phenomenal mission . But 09:31.956 --> 09:33.956 for me as a kid , you know , I just 09:33.956 --> 09:36.233 kind of look up um and planes are cool . 09:36.233 --> 09:38.456 So I thought planes were cool and I was 09:38.456 --> 09:38.450 like , oh maybe I'm interested in being 09:38.460 --> 09:41.340 a pilot . Um and that ultimately drove 09:41.349 --> 09:43.969 my decision to seek a commission so I 09:43.979 --> 09:47.690 could fly cool aircraft . But uh 09:47.700 --> 09:50.650 that is what drove me to seek 09:50.659 --> 09:52.826 appointment at the naval academy . But 09:52.826 --> 09:54.992 I went to the naval academy with every 09:54.992 --> 09:57.159 intention of being a naval aviator for 09:57.159 --> 09:58.937 the navy . Uh So I can actually 09:58.937 --> 10:02.010 pinpoint the like the minute that I 10:02.020 --> 10:04.659 decided that I knew I was going to , 10:04.669 --> 10:06.836 that I wanted to be a marine aviator . 10:06.836 --> 10:09.058 Uh That's when I met Lieutenant Colonel 10:09.058 --> 10:10.891 Paxton Carl Se sniper who was my 10:10.891 --> 10:13.809 structures professor uh sophomore year . 10:14.789 --> 10:18.369 Um and I just this marine , 10:19.659 --> 10:21.715 it was , it was everything I thought 10:21.715 --> 10:23.826 enable like a military officer should 10:23.826 --> 10:26.530 be . Uh And then as I met more marines , 10:26.969 --> 10:30.599 uh major graves call sign digger , uh 10:30.609 --> 10:33.640 harrier pilot , uh and many , many 10:33.650 --> 10:36.280 others at the naval academy . I it was , 10:36.289 --> 10:38.511 it was everywhere I looked every marine 10:38.511 --> 10:40.622 I saw , I was like , that is the type 10:40.622 --> 10:42.733 of officer that I wanna be . And then 10:42.733 --> 10:45.067 that's when I decided being a marine is , 10:45.067 --> 10:47.233 is the most important thing . Pilot is 10:47.233 --> 10:49.178 secondary . I'm happy I am one but 10:49.178 --> 10:51.178 being marine was the most important 10:51.178 --> 10:53.400 thing to me . I think the primary , the 10:53.400 --> 10:55.456 primary thing that any leader can do 10:55.456 --> 10:57.622 and it's certainly been done for me is 10:57.622 --> 10:59.678 lead by example . And that's sort of 10:59.678 --> 11:01.789 what started to kick my journey off , 11:01.789 --> 11:03.710 as I mentioned um from there , 11:04.719 --> 11:07.020 especially as , as an aviator , it's a 11:07.030 --> 11:08.700 little bit , I've been led to 11:08.710 --> 11:10.766 understand like being a doctor where 11:10.766 --> 11:12.766 it's a very specific skill set , so 11:12.840 --> 11:15.190 success as an aviator , right ? Whereas 11:15.200 --> 11:18.049 is again , very technical is a little 11:18.059 --> 11:20.419 bit different from success in the 11:20.429 --> 11:23.690 traditional leadership sense . So to 11:23.700 --> 11:25.922 that effect , the investments have been 11:25.922 --> 11:27.867 made in me have been made by a , a 11:28.080 --> 11:30.409 really truly world class instructor 11:30.419 --> 11:32.869 cadre , especially here at the FRD . I 11:32.880 --> 11:35.070 mean , the best in the business , the 11:35.080 --> 11:37.191 best at flight instruction that you , 11:37.191 --> 11:39.247 that anyone can imagine . Uh So I've 11:39.247 --> 11:41.413 been , I've been blessed and fortunate 11:41.413 --> 11:43.580 to receive that instruction um outside 11:43.580 --> 11:45.302 of , of what you might say the 11:45.302 --> 11:48.090 classroom or , or the cockpit , um the 11:48.099 --> 11:50.155 levels of support , you know , along 11:50.155 --> 11:53.510 the way . Um you know , in any given , 11:53.520 --> 11:55.464 you know , life scenario or making 11:55.464 --> 11:57.520 transitions , you know , arriving to 11:57.520 --> 11:59.631 base for the first time , not knowing 11:59.631 --> 12:01.687 anyone in the area being welcomed in 12:01.687 --> 12:03.853 the , into the community um by leaders 12:03.853 --> 12:05.853 and peers alike . Um but especially 12:05.853 --> 12:07.798 leaders uh make a difference , the 12:07.798 --> 12:10.030 significance of the last flight , the 12:10.039 --> 12:12.206 last replacement pilot training flight 12:12.206 --> 12:15.239 in the harrier community . I think it's 12:15.250 --> 12:17.417 that it's , it's sort of the beginning 12:17.417 --> 12:20.200 of the end for us as a community . Um 12:20.210 --> 12:22.377 We've all known it's been coming for a 12:22.377 --> 12:24.321 while . Uh as we see the F-35 come 12:24.321 --> 12:27.929 online to replace us . But uh now we're 12:27.940 --> 12:30.107 sort of coming to terms with it . I'll 12:30.107 --> 12:33.630 offer you the thought the harrier more 12:33.640 --> 12:36.229 than many aircraft . I've , I've sort 12:36.239 --> 12:39.940 of come across uh or discussed . Um At 12:40.099 --> 12:42.210 least it's an emotional response from 12:42.210 --> 12:45.500 people uh to explain that . So I was at , 12:45.510 --> 12:47.732 I was at a hat shop in Montana , middle 12:47.732 --> 12:50.669 of nowhere and I come across this guy 12:50.679 --> 12:54.020 who is an aircraft mechanic . Um and he 12:54.030 --> 12:56.197 was like , you know , I used to do the 12:56.197 --> 12:58.419 air show circuit . I got so sick of the 12:58.419 --> 12:58.369 seeing the Blue Angels . I would not 12:58.380 --> 13:00.890 look up . But I remember to this day 13:00.900 --> 13:04.380 the first time I saw Harrier , uh and 13:04.390 --> 13:06.909 then I told him that I was the last 13:07.200 --> 13:09.719 Harry pilot going away and he was a 13:09.739 --> 13:11.850 little show up . He's like , that's a 13:11.850 --> 13:14.017 shame . Yeah , it's a great aircraft . 13:14.017 --> 13:16.183 And so members of the public , members 13:16.183 --> 13:15.989 of the aviation community , members of 13:16.000 --> 13:17.889 the marine community , especially 13:17.889 --> 13:20.167 members of the harrier pilot community . 13:20.167 --> 13:23.000 Uh , it's bittersweet , uh , you know , 13:23.010 --> 13:25.177 all the good things have to come to an 13:25.177 --> 13:27.232 end and it's our turn soon , but not 13:27.232 --> 13:29.399 yet . It's humbling . Uh , it's , it's 13:29.399 --> 13:31.399 a paraphrase right . There's a long 13:31.399 --> 13:33.399 gray line of , of fixed wing attack 13:33.399 --> 13:35.510 piles for the Marine Corps , uh , you 13:35.510 --> 13:37.843 know , going as far back as you care to , 13:37.843 --> 13:40.177 you know , the A four , the A six so on . 13:40.177 --> 13:43.440 Um , and while there's a lot of great 13:43.450 --> 13:45.339 things for Marine aviation on the 13:45.339 --> 13:47.909 horizon , fixed wing , purebred attack 13:47.919 --> 13:50.030 aircraft is not one of them for now . 13:50.030 --> 13:52.039 So , uh , all of that institutional 13:52.049 --> 13:54.239 memory , uh , all of that again , uh , 13:54.250 --> 13:57.309 camaraderie and sentiment , uh , to , 13:57.609 --> 14:00.849 to be sort of the , the last bastion of 14:00.859 --> 14:03.369 that is , is humbling and I hope I can , 14:03.380 --> 14:05.070 I can live up to the expectations .