The Red Hawks

U.S. Navy’s Premiere Advanced Training Squadron

By Russ Albertson

Lieutenant Junior Grade Wes Tanner breaks away from us landing at NAS Kingsville. (Russ Albertson)VT-21, the “Red Hawks,” is one of the US Navy’s premiere advanced training squadrons, located at NAS Kingsville in southern Texas.  Along with VT-22, this base is home to Training Air Wing 2 and provides advanced jet training for new Navy and Marine Aviators. 

VT-21 has its roots in training squadron ATU-202, which was established in 1951 flying the Grumman F-6F Hellcat.  ATU-202 was designated VT-21 in 1960 and since then the squadron has operated the Grumman F-9F Panther, Grumman F-9F8 Cougar, and the Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk. 

Presently the Red Hawks, along with VT-22, operate approximately 107 McDonnell Douglas/ British Aerospace T-45 Goshawks at NAS Kingsville. The Goshawk was chosen to replace the aging Rockwell T-2 Buckeye and the Douglas TA-4 Skyhawk. The T-45 is a British designed aircraft based on the Hawker Siddeley Hawk that was first flown in 1974 as an advanced jet trainer for the Royal Air Force.  In 1977, Hawker Siddeley merged with British Aerospace and continues to produce the Hawk. 

LT. j.g. Wes Tanner on our wing as we flew to the practice area. (Russ Albertson)This highly successful aircraft is exported to a number of countries as a trainer and also as a light attack aircraft.  Britain’s Royal Air Force “Red Arrows” flight demonstration team flies the trainer version at airshows throughout Europe.  Because of its great success, McDonnell Douglas teamed up with British Aerospace (BAe) in 1977 to propose a replacement jet trainer for the US Navy.  Many modifications were needed to make the Goshawk suitable for carrier operations and the design went through some “growing pains.”  The major modifications were the addition of a dual wheel nose landing gear with a launch bar for catapult operations off the aircraft carrier and the wing was redesigned with leading edge slats to enable slow approach speeds.  It was found that the single airbrake on the lower aft fuselage of the Hawk had to be moved to both rear fuselage upper sides to install the tail-hook and also enable airbrake We are up-side down looking for Lt. j.g. Tanner in a “rolling scissor.” (Russ Albertson)extension on approach to the carrier. 

The Goshawk is powered by the Rolls Royce F405-RR-401 Adour jet engine, producing 5,500 pounds of thrust, and airbrake drag is needed on approach to the ship to allow the engine RPM to be maintained high enough to ensure fast acceleration in the event of a “bolter,” or go-around on the ship.  A “bolter” is the term used to indicate that the tail-hook has failed to catch the arresting wire and the aircraft has to fly off the ship for another try. 

The T-45A had analog instrumentation, but these aircraft will be modified to the latest “glass” panels found on the newer T-45C.  Both the front and rear cockpits of the T-45C have two large computer displays that not only enable greater flight and Lt. Mike Galderi beside the VT-21 T-45 Hawk. (Russ Albertson)navigation situational awareness, but also prepares new pilots for transition to fleet aircraft with similar avionics. 

The T-45C is also equipped with the latest HUD, “Heads Up Display” in the front cockpit that allows training in air-to-air gunnery, missile launches and precision bombing.  The T-45, along with the BAe Hawk, is an excellent training aircraft due to the fact that the rear seat, normally occupying the instructor, is raised up almost ten inches higher than the front seat and provides excellent forward visibility over the front seat.  The T-45 max weight is 14,081 pounds and can climb at almost 8,000 feet per minute.  It is capable of 620 mph and can reach Mach 1.15 in a dive.  The Hawk is equipped with a gas turbine engine starter and requires little ground support; a requirement for cross-country flights that every student must log.

Russ Albertson in the T-45 Hawk simulator on a carrier deck post landing. (Russ Albertson)Students arrive at VT-21 after completing API, Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, at Pensacola, Fla.  After API, most are sent to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas or NAS Whiting, Fla. for primary training in the Beechcraft T-34C or the new turbo-prop T-6 Texan II.  Students will spend just about a year with VT-21 or their sister squadron and log approximately 250 hours in the T-45 flight simulator and 150 hours in the aircraft.  In Phase I of their training they will master formation, instrument, and navigation training during the day and night.  The runways at NAS Kingsville are equipped with the Improved Fresnel Landing Optical System, same as on the aircraft carrier, and students use this visual guidance, nicknamed the “meatball,” to practice landing the jet on an exact spot on the runway hundreds of times prior to heading to the aircraft carrier.  As they advance to Phase II, they will be introduced to weapons training, Air Combat Maneuvering, and finally Carrier Qualification.  The skies over Kingsville are a very busy place, with about 60 T-45s flying any given day and night.

I was very fortunate to be able to fly with VT-21, but before I was approved for a flight in the T-45, I attended the Navy Survival Training Program at MCAS Miramar, in San Diego, Calif.  There I learned aviation physiology, “flew” in the altitude chamber, and was given very thorough ejection seat training.  Arriving at VT-21, I met with Commander Brian Beck, the Squadron XO, and Lieutenant Mike Galdieri, one of the squadron’s top instructors. 

Lt. Galdieri arranged for me to fly in the T-45 simulator located on base.  The simulator is located in a large room, and although it has no motion, the graphics on the very large screen in front of the T-45 cockpit was excellent and provided a real sense of flying the Hawk.  I jumped in and Lt. Galdieri stood next to the cockpit and pointed out the controls and instrumentation. I taxied onto the runway, which was “NAS North Island, San Diego,” and blasted off.  I didn’t say anything to the sim operator or Lt. Galdieri, but leveled off real low, turned right down the San Diego harbor, and “flew” under the Coronado Bay Bridge; something I have always wanted to do living in San Diego! 

I climbed up and tried a few rolls and found the T-45 to be very responsive and a joy to fly.  After a few minutes getting the feel of the Hawk, the sim operator put me on final approach to an aircraft carrier.  I tried to get on speed, with the proper angle of attack or units of AOA, which was indicated on a gage on the glare shield.  With a lot of coaching from Lt. Galdieri, I managed to get the amber donut “on speed” indication on the AOA meter, at least for a second or two.  I looked up and saw the back of the ship approaching fast; it looked very real with the ocean, the ship’s wake and deck getting large in my windscreen!  Too late, I realized I was high as I touched down and “Boltered.”  This meant I didn’t catch a wire and had to go around for another try. 

On downwind, I determined I would “nail” it this time…pilots have to be optimists!  On base to final, I tried to get on speed and center the “Ball” in the mirror lens, and by now I was really thinking this is a lot harder than it looks; but at least I wasn’t high this time.  Well, even worse, I caught the “One” wire, the first one at the back of the ship, and this meant I was dangerously low…but I had made it in one piece!  I taxied to the parking area and turned to face other T-45s tied down….all very real.

The next day, I was very happy to learn I was scheduled to fly with Lt. Galdieri on an “Offensive ACM” training hop which meant that I would be able to observe training for a “dog fight” with an advanced student.  I joined Lt. Galdieri as he briefed his student Lieutenant Junior Grade Wes Tanner.  Lt. j.g. Tanner was nearing the completion of his training and soon would be landing on the ship and getting his wings.  In fact, earlier in the day I was able to see two VT-21 students as they taxied in on their very last flight with VT-21 and get a traditional “wetting down” from their fellow pilots and wives.  As they climbed down from their planes, fire extinguishers, filled with water, were used to “wet them down,” and in the next few days they would receive their Navy Wings of Gold.

In the briefing, Lt. Galdieri went over the lesson plan for our “1v1” (one plane against one other plane) flight with Lt. j.g. Tanner.  He covered ATC and range radio frequencies; our call sign for ATC would be “Hawk 11 and 12,” and in the range we would be “Rage 11 and 12.”  He went over safety procedures if we lost sight of each other, altitudes and speeds to start each maneuver, and required radio communication.

We headed down to the hanger level and suited up.  I had been previously fitted with a g-suit, torso-harness and survival vest, and completed a safety brief so I was able to suit up without too much delay.  It was at least 95 degrees as we walked about an eighth of a mile to our Hawk.  With help from Lt. Galdieri, and the plane captain, I plugged in my g-suit, and oxygen. I connected the eight-point harness with leg restraints that would pull my legs out from under the glare shield in case we had to eject. After engine start, I settled in and selected the display screens Lt. Galdieri had showed me in the simulator.  Lt. j.g Tanner taxied with us to the active runway, and after the required check lists were complete, followed us onto the runway. 

We rolled first and after ten seconds, he followed.  As we climbed out he joined on our wing as we headed to the practice area at 300 knots and 15,000 feet.  It was a great day for flying with a lower layer of “popcorn” cumulus clouds at around 8,000 feet. The red and white Hawk next to us was a beautiful sight against the bright white clouds.

Soon, we were in the practice area at 15,000 feet and Lt. Galdieri performed a few hard turns to check our G tolerance and called for Lt. j.g. Tanner to take “combat spread” which put him about a mile away, and level with us at 300 knots. As briefed, we would now start today’s lesson with a “Snap shot drill,” high aspect gun training.  This lesson would show him how an attacker (us) would look as he passed in front of us in range of our guns and how it would look to him as we tried to ‘lead” him in our gun sight. On command, Lt. j.g. Tanner made a hard turn into us and I heard Lt. Galdieri call “trigger down, snap.”  This meant our guns were ‘firing.”  “Snap” meant that Lt. j.g. Tanner’s aircraft was in our “pipper,” or gun sight in the head-up-display.  Lt. Galdieri then called where we “hit” him – fuselage, canopy or missed high or low. 

Next, came training in the “flats,” which meant we would perform a flat scissors maneuver or a series of level S-Turns with Lt. j.g. Tanner at the same altitude and fairly close range. Flat scissors result from a mistake by the aggressor (us) due to the fact of an in-close horizontal over shoot. Lt. Galdieri purposefully put us into this position slightly behind Lt. j.g. Tanner and now the student had to try to either win, keep the fight neutral, or find the right time to “bug-out,” or disengage from the fight.

I should probably note that Lt. Galdieri is a very experienced fighter pilot in the  F/A-18 Hornet and not someone easily out flown. Lt. Galdieri is an excellent instructor and his job was not to “win” this fight but to train his students to win.  Lt. j.g. Tanner did very well and we set up for the last lesson, the “Rolling Scissor” or “Roller.”  Again, Lt. Galdieri set us up with purposeful over shoot but this time the in-close over shoot resulted in a “series of horizontal and vertical over shoots.”  This was very dynamic from my point of view; the sky and ground kept changing places as we rolled, climbed and descended.  We pulled about 7 Gs as we “cork-screwed” through the sky with Lt. j.g. Tanner’s jet opposite us as we rolled around each other.  As long as Lt. j.g. Tanner’s jet was slightly ahead meant we were still winning the fight but he managed to keep us from a clear shot until the very end when I saw him move out in front of our nose.  He put up a good fight and I was sure he would soon be unbeatable.

 We “knocked it off,” as they say, and headed back to base. Lt. Galdieri let me try my luck with a couple of rolls and hard turns.  The Hawk was a pleasure to fly and I turned the controls back to Lt. Galdieri. Now that I was not flying and the skies were safe, Lt. Galdieri made an awesome rejoin on Lt. j.g. Tanner; one that I was sure came from his F/A-18 fighter days!  Lt. Galdieri later told me he did a barrel roll to rejoin on Lt. j.g. Tanner to lose airspeed and also to get inside of the other Hawk’s turn. He said, “By trading airspeed for altitude and rolling during the maneuver I can effectively slow down while keeping the other aircraft in sight ultimately ending up in a position on the inside of his turn to expedite the rejoin and save fuel.” Well, whatever the reason, it sure was impressive to me!

Lt. j.g. Tanner led us back to NAS Kingsville and I was able to get some good shots as we followed him in a “fan” break over the runway.  Lt. j.g. Tanner touched down on the parallel runway and turned off as we made an approach to the runway equipped with the “meatball.”  I could see that Lt. Galdieri had us on speed and the “meatball” was centered all the way to touchdown. 

In the post-flight debriefing, Lt. Galdieri went over the flight with Lt. j.g. Tanner and pointed out what happened during each maneuver and the training objectives that were accomplished.  For my benefit, he explained a few terms such as lift vectors, corner speed, angle of attack, and turn circles during the ACM engagements.  Though I didn’t understand all the terms, one thing was certain: Air Combat Maneuvering is a deadly science and our Naval and Marine Aviators come out of this school as the best in the world!

I would like to thank to Commander Quino Alonzo, Commanding Officer of VT-21, Commander John Kelsey, former CO of VT-21, Lieutenant Commander Brian Beck, XO, and Lt. Galdieri for making this flight possible.