Upper Class Update
Hey Families of Upper Class Cadets!
I know you have been waiting to see the photos from Jump, ESET, Powered Flight, RPA's, Soaring and Cadre. Well for most of you the wait is over. For parents of Cadre from the various programs, your wait will be a little longer if you want to see them all in one place. WebHatter tells me that we are still consolidating all those photos from the various programs to put them in one Cadre Gallery. There are already photos there, but it is a time consuming process and will likely not be done until after the March Out. If you would like to see those photos now, you are free to put your hunting shoes back and and look through the BCT galleries from the various squadrons, as they are there also. For Soaring, we have completed our coverage for the summer. All those photos from every summer soaring class are now up. Having said that, here we go for the upper class programs that have not concluded yet.
ESET
Expeditionary Survival and Evasion Training (ESET) Through this 10 day program, cadets complete their ESET and Commissioning Education Program requirements during the summer after their freshman year.
Cadets in ESET go through extensive training and are taught how to understand and execute necessary "deployed combat skills" and at the same time learning how to stay calm, coherent and be incredibly effective at thinking through things under pressure. Officers and Enlisted personnel as well as Cadet Cadre will work together to teach these skills throughout the summer. Below are some photos from the most recent class. The remainder are up in the ESET gallery.
To view the rest of the pictures from ESET go to, Classes - 2019 - ESET. Or click the link below.
Jump
3rd Class Cadets this summer will participate in AM-490, in other words Jump! It is one of the more challenging programs provided by USAFA, a parachuting training course that is the only location in the world where students perform their first jump all by themselves. Its purpose is to develop leadership traits through overcoming their own fears. They will be given instruction in basic free fall parachuting and familiarization with emergency parachuting. The successful completion of 5 Jumps results in award of the Air Force basic parachutist badge and completion during summer before sophomore year fills one of the few military training requirements that Cadets at USAFA have. Several hundred Cadets over the course of this summer will have to "STAND IN THE DOOR."
We covered group during a Ground Training Day, as well as their 5th Jump day! We know you have been waiting for this!
To view the rest of the pictures from Jump go to, Classes - 2019 - Jump. Or click the link below.
Powered Flight
The Powered Flight Program is a capstone course that serves as a culmination of a cadet’s aviation education. Lessons in Air Force heritage and principles of engineering are applied in real-life scenarios during nine flights in a single engine propeller driven aircraft. The training includes ground and flight instruction using T-53s, military instructors provide a basic introduction to Air Force pilot training and the experience of powered flight. Based on proficiency, approximately 50% of these students will solo. The training includes ground and flight instruction under an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) flying syllabus.
To view the rest of the pictures from Powered Flight go to, Galleries - Airmanship - Powered Flight. Or click the link below.
RPA
Cadets who take the Summer UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Program, otherwise known as RPA (Remote Piloted Aircraft) learn basic employment of UAS-RPA for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This program is revolutionizing the ability to monitor and understand the global environment. These aircrafts are operated by remote pilots and range in wingspan from less than six feet to more than 115 feet. UAS can also collect data from dangerous or remote areas. Ground school and RPA flight training using actual small RPAs, includes general airmanship concepts, basic RPA piloting skills training, and an introduction to real-world RPA tactics, techniques, and procedures. The flying portion includes approximately 7 sorties comprising 7 flight hours where students control UASs and UAS sensors using RPA strategies and procedures. Completion during summer before third-class year fills one military training requirement and following their years at USAFA will help prepare them to meet battlefield challenges they may encounter as officers in the Air Force.
To view the rest of the pictures from RPA go to, Classes - 2019 - RPA. Or click the link below.
Soaring
The Basic Soaring program (Airmanship 251) provides a motivational experience for all 3rd class cadets. This program is the largest Glider operation in the world and its mission is to build character, and help motivate cadets as well as form the foundation of cadet exposure to military aviation, which is what many of them will do in their Air Force careers following their 4 years at the Academy. The cadets first experience soaring in the TG-10B or TG-16A which familiarizes them with aircraft controls, the ever-present crew checklists, area/pattern work, and the perspective to earth.
Cadets at Soaring are making their way through their 10-14 Flights. Once they have completed and passed 10 accompanied flights, they are able to go for their solo flight. Cadets will cycle through this program every two weeks. We were able to get coverage of two of the three groups currently going through the program, be sure to check back next week for our coverage of the third group currently in Airmanship 251.
To view the rest of the pictures from Soaring go to, Classes - 2019 - Soaring. Or click the link below.