Making Dreams Come True on the Promised Land

Currently, together with four comrades of theirs, Áron and Balázs are training for their future vocation in the United States of America. The training consists of several phases: a language course at the English Language Center of the Defense Language Institute in Texas, which is to be followed by three flying phases in the cockpits of three different types of aircraft.

The first flying phase is called Initial Flight Training (IFT), and is to be accomplished by flying a Diamond DA20 trainer in Colorado. The next phase is the Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT), which is to be performed aboard a T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft. Insofar as the students successfully complete this close-to-eight-month phase, they earn their wings. The aircraft of the last phase, the Advanced Pilot Training (APT), is a T-38 Talon jet trainer, and here the officer cadets receive basic-level training for this type.

Examinations, tests and checkrides are continuous throughout the phases. If a candidate does not pass a checkride, they must prepare very well for the next one, because unfortunately, in most cases pilot candidates have only one or two opportunities to improve their ratings.

But what is the phase currently conducted by the students of the Ludovika – University of Public Service, Faculty of Military Science and Officer Training? One of them is taking a language proficiency course, another two are in the UPT, while three of them are in the APT phase. Áron is flying in the UPT phase and Balázs in the APT phase.

We are crossing our fingers for students Sergeant First Class Richárd Papp, Warrant Officer Bende Gubucz, WO Zsolt Czaczarda, WO Péter Fehér, WO Balázs Vimpek and WO Áron Toldi to be able to make their dreams come true.