Air University Review, November-December 1983

NATO Pilot Training in Review

The most significant training project to be undertaken by allies during peacetime is the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT). The nations involved are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The official opening was 23 October 1981 at 80th Flying Training Wing (FTW), Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas. The goal is to produce the best fighter pilots in the world. ENJJPT is the most extensive multinational undergraduate pilot and pilot instructor training program ever conceived.

ENJJPT has been in development since 1973, but its origin can be traced back to World War II. From June 1941 to the end of 1945, the United States provided the personnel and facilities needed to train more than 14,000 Allied pilots.¹ Most of them were from England and France although the graduates also included Chinese, Brazilian, and Dutch pilots. The United States undertook this training program because we were not under daily threat of enemy attack and did not have the poor weather that prevailed over Europe; therefore, training could progress without interruption.

Allied training was provided under the leadership of Major General Henry H. Arnold, then Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps. General Arnold committed one-third of his training capacity to train foreign pilots.² Pilot training was conducted at many locations throughout the United States including Lackland, Lowry, Luke, Maxwell, Moody, Nellis, and Tyndall Air Force bases. Foreign students from diverse backgrounds converged on these bases to be transformed into the backbones of their respective countries’ air forces. The training program was very successful, but the unique cultural backgrounds from which the students came posed complex questions for the instructors. How does an American instructor pilot train a Chinese student who comes from a strictly agricultural society? How does one teach air discipline to a student whose only concept of flying stems from his observations of the flight of birds? In addition to these culturally related problems, American instructors had to face a more serious problem, the language barrier. Many students who came to the United States spoke little or no English. Removing this roadblock proved to be a major task and interpreters were acquired to help conduct training. Even then, a great deal of information was lost through translation. In spite of all obstacles, the World War II training program proved vitally important to the war effort of each country that sent pilot candidates to the United States.

The postwar period brought many changes to the Allied pilot training program. Lend-Lease training was terminated in March 1946, which meant the countries receiving training assumed total financial responsibility for that training.³ As a result, foreign training in the United States has decreased significantly since the end of World War II negated the need for large air forces and countries channeled their financial revenue toward reconstruction. Nevertheless, America’s Allies still required a force of well-trained pilots and continued to rely on the United States for assistance. The United States has been training foreign pilots ever since.

Sheppard AFB, Texas, has been used for foreign flight training throughout the last 16 years. A flight school for the Federal Republic of Germany was opened in 1966 upon the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Hans Opel, Commander of the German Air Force (GAF) Training Group in the United States.⁴ German students arrived in 1967, and the GAF program started training more than 200 students a year. The GAF sent experienced German pilots to Sheppard to serve as instructors; however, most of the instructor pilots were from the United States Air Force. Training was accomplished by using approximately 80 T-37s and T-38s that were purchased and maintained by funds from the Federal Republic of Germany.⁵ The program proved very successful, and other European countries expressed their interest in it. In 1979, the Netherlands decided to enroll students in the GAF program and also sent a Dutch pilot to be an instructor. Throughout the last ten years, Sheppard AFB has also been used as a training base for student pilots from Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.

The goals of all our foreign training programs have been to strengthen our allies in order to deter another global war and be prepared to win if war should occur. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exists to achieve these same goals. The worth of any military organization is based on its ability to train and maintain professional soldiers in any arena of combat.

In 1970, the EuroGroup established the [Eurotraining Subgroup] as a forum for the exchange of views of training matters in general.⁶ This subgroup was expanded in 1971 into the EuroNATO Training Group. In 1973, the idea of a

NATO-wide flying program was adopted by the Euro-NATO training—Air Force Sub-Group (ENT-AFSG). A subsidiary of Euro-NATO Training, the ENT-AFSG formed a multinational working group from potential participating nations (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to study the feasibility of establishing a multinational pilot training program. The ultimate objective would be a NATO-wide air force accustomed to flying and working together using the same concepts, tactics, and rules of flight.

The United States was finally selected as the best location for at least the next ten years. As mentioned earlier, our weather is consistently better than Europe’s. Additionally, we have been in the business of large-scale national and international flight training longer than any other country. Furthermore, the United States has greater resources available in terms of facilities, airspace, and instructor pilots.

In 1980, Sheppard AFB was selected as the logical USAF base for ENJJPT. The 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard AFB had the capacity to expand its flying operations to meet the needs of the ENJJPT program and a sizable cadre of American, German, and Dutch instructors to begin the program. The German Air Force T-37s and T-38s could be turned over to ENJJPT, and the GAF syllabus needed only minor modifications to make it suitable for the program. The 80th Flying Training Wing also had an operational PIT (pilot instructor training) program that could expand to meet ENJJPT’s instructor requirements. A final point worth mentioning is that the German Air Force program at Sheppard enjoyed an excellent rapport with people in the surrounding communities. Experience gained through past foreign training programs at Sheppard helped the 80th Flying Training Wing anticipate and solve the problems it faced as it expanded to become the only multinational organization of its kind.

In February 1980, representatives of the twelve NATO countries met at Sheppard to set operational policy for ENJJPT. A variety of issues concerning finances, student quotas, support facilities, legal arrangements, housing, etc. had to be resolved among all twelve nations. In December 1980, ministers of defense from each country met in Brussels, Belgium, to sign the memorandum of understanding. After the Brussels meeting, plans were completed to ensure ENJJPT’s success, and each country began selecting personnel who would ultimately be the ones to make ENJJPT work. ENJJPT was under way. It is a truly joint cooperative, cost-sharing project with a NATO-developed syllabus, a joint NATO staff and faculty, and facilities dedicated to NATO.

The key ingredient for a successful pilot training program is found in quality instruction. Instructors for ENJJPT are carefully screened and selected according to their military records. Many European instructors chosen for ENJJPT have between 10 and 15 years of experience in fighter aircraft. American instructors include top undergraduate pilot training (UPT) graduates plus a cross-section of experienced pilots from all major weapon systems. The 80th Flying Training Wing enters all instructor trainees into its own PIT course in lieu of the standard American PIT course at Randolph AFB. Although the local PIT course at Sheppard is the same length as PIT at Randolph, the course is specifically tailored to prepare a pilot to be an ENJJPT instructor.

The ENJJPT UPT course is significantly different from standard American UPT. Among other things, the students are among the best qualified from each NATO country. For example, only 5 percent of German applicants and 8 percent of qualified American UPT applicants are chosen. Other nations select students in an equally stringent manner. Then, during the 55 weeks at Sheppard AFB, students complete approximately 450 hours of classroom academics, 260 hours of actual flight instruction, and 115 hours of procedural and ground training. The ENJJPT syllabus has a strong emphasis on low-level navigation and formation. During the T-37 phase, each student solos in low-level navigation and formation. During T-38 training, two of the low-level navigation sorties are flown as a flight of two aircraft at an altitude of 500 feet. During the formation phase, each T-38 student receives a flight evaluation in formation flights of two and four aircraft. Emphasis in formations of four aircraft is placed on the basic tactical maneuvers that students will use throughout their careers in fighter aircraft.

The first UPT class consisting of 4 Norwegian, 15 American, and 17 German students actually began training on 1 October 1981. The same day pilots from Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the United States entered instructor training. Every six weeks a new class of 36 NATO students enters training. ENJJPT’s second student class was composed of Norwegians, Dutch, Danes, and Americans. The second PIT class included pilots from Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Great Britain, and the United States. Throughout fiscal year 1982 students arrived from all countries except Canada, Greece, Portugal, and Italy. Until now Italy has not participated; however, Italy is entering the program in FY84 with UPT students and instructors. Some of the nations (Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany) will depend on the ENJJPT program to train all of their fighter-oriented students. Other nations expect to retain their own flight schools and will depend on ENJJPT to train only a portion of their UPT students (subject to further consideration). The full impact that ENJJPT will have on the NATO alliance awaits the test of time, but some observations have already become apparent within the 80th Flying Training Wing.

From the viewpoint of an instructor, the most significant observation concerns language. Students arrive with a good working knowledge of the English language in both reading and comprehension. Although their vocabulary may sometimes be limited and flying opens a whole new chapter of words and phrases, students aggressively tackle the challenge to master the language. This is no small task since one publication alone, the Department of Defense General Planning document, for example, contains hundreds of aeronautical terms that students must learn. Learning new terminology in an international environment such as ENJJPT does have its humorous moments. For example, a recent radio conversation between Fort Worth Center and a student pilot went as follows:

FORT WORTH CENTER: "Snort 34, when will you depart your area, sir?’’

STUDENT (replying in a heavy accent): "In roundabout two minutes."

FORT WORTH CENTER: "Was that two or ten, sir?"

STUDENT: "Two minutes!"

FORT WORTH CENTER: "I can’t understand you, sir, two or ten?"

STUDENT: "Two; one plus one!"

In spite of occasional misunderstandings, students are becoming remarkably adept in handling radio calls and many other flying terms associated with the program.

Another significant observation deals with the sense of comradeship created among the students by the intense pressure of training. Students have been transplanted from unique backgrounds into a common environment that is equally demanding for all. The "melting pot" effect, that has characterized America’s history continues today in ENJJPT. Each ENJJPT class is sharing a year’s worth of hard work, long days, and the ultimate joy of success. Their common goal to become fighter pilots is enabling these students to overcome the cultural and social barriers of their varied backgrounds.

The ENJJPT Pilot Instructor Training program brings together the same cultural backgrounds but under different circumstances. The trainees entering PIT are experienced pilots; many have performed prior duties as instructors in a variety of NATO fighter aircraft. Their rank ranges from second lieutenant to colonel. The challenge in PIT is for each pilot to tailor his instruction and standardize his grading practices to the level of a UPT student. The diverse backgrounds of flying experience among PIT trainees provide an inherent advantage in the ENJJPT program. The European instructor trainees bring with them valuable experience from flying in European weather conditions under European flight rules in NATO fighter aircraft. The variety of techniques and practical knowledge each instructor has learned from his previous flying makes a significant contribution to the ENJJPT program.

As in the ENJJPT Undergraduate Pilot Training program, language and communication differences have required attention, but they are generally viewed as an opportunity to interact. American instructors face the challenge of communicating without overusing colloquialisms. A U.S. instructor would accomplish little if he debriefed an allied student’s landing by saying, "You started out in the ball park, but when you landed we almost bought the farm." Even the three English-speaking NATO countries (United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom) find themselves separated at times by a common language. For example, if a British pilot requested an "overshoot, visual circuit with undercarriage for a roller," and after landing asked for a "bowser," he has requested a low approach, followed by a closed pattern, gear down for a touch and go. After landing he wants to refuel— everyone’s vocabulary grows in ENJJPT.

When we compare ENJJPT with its predecessor flight program during World War II, the most significant achievement has been to reduce the problems caused by the language barrier. "ENJJPT English" is a way of life. Furthermore, the cohesion already apparent within ENJJPT with its people working together is particularly significant when one considers the political differences and problems between some of the participating nations in the past. The Warsaw Pact will probably never enjoy the spirit of unity demonstrated within ENJJPT. But what of ENJJPT’s future?

Foreseeable problems are now being faced so that ENJJPT will not only survive but will fulfill the aims and goals envisioned by each parent country. Within the working level of ENJJPT, the 80th FTW is becoming a uniquely organized unit. An American second lieutenant instructor may have a Norwegian flight commander, a Dutch section commander, a Danish squadron commander, a German deputy commander for operations, and an American wing commander. That may sound nice to the ambassador of each country, but the young instructor may have a hard time getting help from his supervisors for a serious personal problem. In matters pertaining to pay, base housing, promotion, career planning, etc., he may not receive much help from his immediate supervisors because they probably know less about the USAF system than he does. Likewise, most American supervisors know little about the career-planning decisions that other nations’ officers must make. To help deal with such problems, each country has a senior national representative (SNR) who assists in meeting needs of personnel from that country. There is help available to the junior officer, which may come from his immediate supervisor or from his SNR. Personal and professional matters all are dealt with tactfully and diplomatically. In a sense, everyone in the program is an ambassador.

Probably the most significant concern each country has in the ENJJPT program is in the product. Each graduating class is being carefully evaluated by everyone involved. The abilities of the ENJJPT graduates are directly dependent on the specific maneuvers they were taught coupled with the judgment that was imparted to them while performing such maneuvers and the minimum standards they had to achieve in order to graduate. Twelve different countries like those in ENJJPT would have 12 different courses of training if each country conducted its own training. For example, in the United Kingdom the Royal Air Force flight school introduces its pilots to low-level navigation at an altitude of 250 feet above ground level when a student is in his initial phase of flight training. Additionally, they do not assign aircraft individually to a block of airspace for training as the American UPT bases do. Instead, their training takes place with all aircraft assigned to operate within the same area. (It certainly teaches a student to watch where he is going.) It is common to hear an instructor say, "Well, in my country we do it this way." The point is that ENJJPT must be a compromise. The program must take advantage of every country’s experience and not lose the value of separate programs through compromise.

The current ENJJPT syllabus was derived from the previous German Air Force program at Sheppard. In 1980 each country’s representative on the ENJJPT steering committee approved adoption of the GAF syllabus to initiate the ENJJPT program. Since that time instructors and SNRs have recommended changes to the syllabus, which are presented to the ENJJPT steering committee during its semiannual meetings. These circumstances are the opportunities that make ENJJPT both worthwhile and unique. How they are handled by the steering committee and within the 80th FTW impacts the whole ENJJPT concept. Program success is being realized at the worker level, within the wing, and the dedication and commitment of all ENJJPT personnel are very evident. The overall future of ENJJPT depends on its ability to produce a pilot that meets the needs of each country’s defense, but there is one final consideration: ENJJPT’s future is also dependent on the future of NATO.

In his inaugural speech at the ENJJPT commencement ceremony, United States Senator John G. Tower of Texas said, "I wish politicians could emulate the splendid international cooperation that is displayed by the military leadership [which has enabled NATO to] survive the political problems that have afflicted NATO from time to time." As long as NATO members share the common commitment to deter tyranny and aggression in Western Europe, ENJJPT stands to contribute to that goal.

If deterrence fails, ENJJPT-trained pilots will be the first line of defense. As General Lew Allen, Jr., recent USAF Chief of Staff, said,

In the critical early days of any conflict that might come, the skill of NATO fighter pilots may well determine the tide of battle. The NATO allies must fight as one if war should come. Fighter pilots must react in a similar way; they must understand the principles of flying, of tactical fighter flying, in a similar fashion. And there’s no better way to start that cohesion, that common basis for integral combat, than this initial joint training.⁷

That statement summarizes the purpose of the world’s most unusual flying training program: Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, ENJJPT!

1. Air Training Command Historical Monograph, History of Foreign Training in ATC 1941-1946, pp. 14-33.

2. Ibid., p. 9.

3. Ibid., p. 37.

4. History of the 3630th Flying Training Wing, 1 January-30 June 1966, p. ix.

5. Sheppard Air Force Base History, 1 January-30 June 1967, p. 37.

6. The Eurogroup, published by the Eurogroup, issued by the NATO Information Service, B-1110 Brussels.

7. General Lew Allen, Jr., Speech at ENJJPT Commencement, 23 October 1981.

Captain Dennis L. Danielson (USAFA) is Chief, Pilot Instructor Training Academics. 88th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas. He was a CH-53 pilot while serving in Thailand and at Sembach Air Base, Germany.

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.

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