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Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian (center), United States Air Forces Europe and United States Air Forces Africa commander, uses a virtual reality flight simulator during a visit to Detachment 24 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, June 24, 2019. PTN is an Air Education and Training Command program to explore and prototype a pilot training environment that integrates various technologies to produce pilots in a learning-focused manner. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

Pilot Training Next 2.0 underway in Austin

Capt. Ray Stone (right), Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, ensures Second Lt. Naji Bseiso, PTN student, is properly strapped into the T-6 Texan aircraft prior to a training mission at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, Feb. 5, 2019. The current PTN class, which began Jan. 17, 2019, is comprised of 26 students, including 16 active duty officer students (six of whom are participating in a remotely-piloted aircraft only track), two Air National Guard officers, two U.S. Navy officers, one Royal Air Force officer, and five enlisted Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

RAF participates in PTN 2.0 in effort to accelerate pilot training, increase production

Royal Air Force Flight Officer Syd Janota (fore), Pilot Training Next 2.0 student, observes a fellow student flying a virtual-reality training sortie at the PTN facility at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Austin, Texas, March 18, 2019. The RAF have both a student-pilot and an instructor pilot participating in the class as they look to introduce PTN lessons learned into their flying training pipeline. (U.S. Air Force photo/Dan Hawkins)

Pilot Training Next 2.0 underway in Austin

Capt. Ray Stone (right), Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, and 2nd Lt. Naji Bseiso, PTN student, go over flying procedures prior to a training mission at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, Feb. 5, 2019. The current PTN class is comprised of 26 students, including 16 active duty officer students (six of whom are participating in a remotely-piloted aircraft only track), two Air National Guard officers, two U.S. Navy officers, one Royal Air Force officer, and five enlisted Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

RAF participates in PTN 2.0 in effort to accelerate pilot training, increase production

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jonathan Leetch, Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, debriefs students Royal Air Force Flight Officer Syd Janota (center), and Airman 1st Class Micah Daniel, after a virtual-reality training sortie at the PTN facility at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Austin, Texas, March 18, 2019. The RAF is participating in PTN's second iteration in an effort to accelerate learning and increase pilot production. (U.S. Air Force photo/Dan Hawkins)

Pilot Training Next cadre discuss lessons learned, way forward

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeffery Kelley, Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, and 2nd Lt. Brett Bultsma, PTN student, look over the flight plans for their training mission at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas June 18, 2018. PTN is an Air Education and Training Command initiative to explore and potentially prototype a training environment that integrates various technologies to produce pilots in an accelerated, cost-efficient, learning-focused manner. Air Education and Training Command officials announced the second iteration of Pilot Training Next would begin in January 2019 during a panel at the 2018 Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

Pilot Training Next 2.0 underway in Austin

Capt. Christine Durham (left), Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, gives a briefing to her students prior to a training mission at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Austin, Texas, Feb. 5, 2019. The current PTN class is comprised of 26 students, including 16 active duty officer students (six of whom are participating in a remotely-piloted aircraft only track), two Air National Guard officers, two U.S. Navy officers, one Royal Air Force officer, and five enlisted Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

Pilot Training Next cadre discuss lessons learned, way forward

U.S. Air Force Capt. Johnathan Joern (standing), Pilot Training Next instructor pilot, trains PTN students on flying procedures at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Austin, Texas, June 22, 2018. Air Education and Training Command officials announced the second iteration of Pilot Training Next would begin in January 2019 during a panel at the 2018 Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

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Students from the second iteration of Pilot Training Next on the flight line at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Aug. 19, 2019. PTN is Air Education and Training Command’s experimental program with a focus on understanding how Airmen learn, as well as exploring and potentially prototyping a flying training environment that integrates various technologies to produce pilots in an accelerated- and learning-focused manner.

Pilot Training Next begins third iteration next month

Published Dec. 18, 2019
By Jennifer Gonzalez
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas - Pilot Training Next begins its third iteration here in January 2020. But, before moving forward, Detachment 24 officials are looking back at lessons learned from PTN version two.

The PTN program is part of Air Education and Training Command’s initiative to “reimagine” how learning is delivered to Airmen.

“As we innovate, we must take stock in the lessons we’ve learned through our first two classes,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Riley, Detachment 24 commander. “We are finding ways to transform the way we learn in pilot training and doing so, we are defining our challenges, finding our successes and identifying our failures so we continue to evolve our training.”

The second iteration of PTN capitalized on lessons learned from the first class by integrating new and emerging technologies, as well as more individualized access to learning.

“Our second class demonstrated the value of emerging technology like artificial intelligence for pilot training and PTN version three will build upon its success,” Riley said.

PTN version two began Jan. 17, 2019, with 10 active duty Air Force officers, two Air National Guard officers, two U.S. Navy officers, one Royal Air Force officer and five active duty enlisted Airmen.

Of the cohort, 14 graduated Aug. 29, with one moving to extended training and graduating in September, and five not completing the program.

Of those from version two, seven graduates were assigned to fighter aircrafts (four U.S. Air Force Combat Forces, two U.S. Navy, and one Royal Air Force). Three were assigned to Mobility Air Force aircrafts, three were assigned to Air Force Special Operations aircrafts, and one was assigned to a bomber aircraft. One student is awaiting assignment after completion of an undergraduate degree and completion of OTS. Throughout the class, several encouraging lessons learned emerged, including the importance of students’ early access to immersive training devices (ITD).

Prior to the class start date, PTN offered an ITD-only distance-learning program to students at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Eight students interested in joining PTN had full access to relevant learning materials and artificial intelligence-supported training.

PTN officials selected four of the eight students to join version two and officials found upon the students’ arrival to PTN, the students possessed a much greater working knowledge of ITD functionality, T-6 basic contact and T-6 basic instruments. Two of the early access students were also the first to complete every milestone for the flying training.

“There is no doubt that there is great benefit in the use of ITDs in training,” said Lt. Col. Robert Knapp, Det 24 operations officer. “We noticed that students with early access had a rapid ability to ingest data and perform - meaning they can perform faster and improve quicker.”

In addition to early access, another key lesson learned wasthe value of students’ access to ITDs 24 hours a day, seven days a week in their living quarters. While the access was invaluable, the home ITDs were underutilized because of the students’ lack of time due to their on-duty training schedules.

“Unlike traditional undergraduate pilot training which can take up to a full year to complete, PTN students only have six to eight months to learn the content,” said Knapp. “This leaves little downtime so we will need to re-evaluate the need for in-home devices. Ultimately, we want to make sure we don’t lose the vital element of 24/7 access.”

Another lesson learned was that while PTN’s curriculum is executed in a student centric learning style, the need for instructor development is critical.

“The instructor pilot role here is more important now than ever,” said Riley. “The individualized approach to training can expedite the learning timeline and it alsocreates unique scheduling challenges that our instructor pilots will need to to address.”

In addition to training provided by IPs, students also took advantage of an artificial intelligence instructor tool known as VIPER, which played a vital element for the individualized and continuously accessible training environment.

“PTN provides an individualized training approach driven by student preference to accelerate learning,” Riley said. “We are graduating students based on competencies, not time. Technologies like VIPER, immersive training devices and innovative students and instructor pilots are making it possible.”