Training Air Wing One

Today, TW-1's mission is to train future U.S. Navy and Marine Student Naval Aviators, along with aviators of allies of the United States. Navy and Marine students are selected from top performing students who have completed primary flight training in the T-6B at either Naval Air Station Whiting Field or Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. After joining TW-1, students are trained in the T-45C over a 12 month long syllabus consisting of over 130 flights in the aircraft, accumulating over 160 hours. The training syllabus culminates with carrier qualifications (CarQuals). Upon completion of the training syllabus, Student Naval Aviators assigned to TW-1 are designated as Naval Aviators and earn their "Wings of Gold" and receive follow-on assignments with Fleet Replacement Squadrons before their first fleet tour. The instructor pilot cadre at Training Air Wing ONE is composed of men and women from almost every Navy and Marine Corps aviation community as well as several international military exchange pilots, bringing an enormous array of fleet experience to the training command. Training Air Wing ONE is also tasked with training international military aviators from countries including France, Italy, and Spain. ==History==

Training Air Wing One (TW-1) was commissioned on 2 August 1971, as the first Training Air Wing to incorporate the single-site training concept. Until that time, jet aviation students received only the basic flight syllabus at NAS Meridian prior to being transferred to bases in Texas for advanced flight training. October 1971 saw the arrival of the TA-4J, two-seat trainer based on the A-4 "Skyhawk". In October 1998, VT-19 was re-designated VT-9. In July 1994, Training Squadron Twenty-Three (VT-23) moved from Kingsville, Texas, to NAS Meridian. 1st Lt. Karen Fuller Tribbett received her Wings of Gold on 17 October 1997, becoming the first female strike pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. The TA-4J "Skyhawk" was retired in 1999. In December of that year, VT-7 assumed the advanced training mission using the T-45C "Goshawk." At that time, VT-23 was disestablished. In July 2004, the last T-2C "Buckeye" left NAS Meridian marking the end of Navy strike pilot training in that aircraft. Training Squadron Seven (VT-7) converted to an advanced training squadron and the initiation of air-to-air combat gunnery and carrier qualification instruction in Training Squadron Nine (VT-9), student naval aviators (SNA's) were able to complete the entire jet-training syllabus while stationed at NAS Meridian. The mission of Training Air Wing One is to provide newly designated aviators to the fleet for further training in operational combat aircraft and is conveyed in the wing motto, "Readiness for Victory at Sea Through Training." ==Subordinate units==

TW-1 consists of two jet intermediate and advanced training squadrons. ==Current force==

Fixed-wing aircraft • T-45C Goshawk ==Strike Flight Curriculum==

The T-45 Strike Flight Curriculum consists of 21 stages split between an Intermediate phase and Advanced phase. During these 21 stages students will fly approximately 160 hours in the T-45C Goshawk of which nearly 40 hours are solo. Student naval aviators or SNAs will also fly approximately 96 hours in aircraft simulators before they complete the syllabus. "First the students complete their Ground School and sims, which lasts between 1 and 1.5 months" (This covers aerodynamics, meteorology, engineering, navigation and emergency procedures). This is followed up by some back-seat rides in the T-45 to cover the instruments. "Phase 1 then sees them start doing cross-country flights, Fams (familiarisation flights-aerobatics, approaches, stalls, emergency landings) and Field Carrier Landing Practice". During this stage the students are qualified to fly solo in the T-45C in all weather conditions, day and night, they learn to fly in two and four plane formation flights, and they learn how to land the T-45C the same way they will on an Aircraft Carrier. The next phase is tactical flying, this covers Air combat manoeuvring (ACM), air to surface attacks with inert ordnance and two-ship low-level formation flights. The final phase of training is Carrier Qualification (CarQual). Pilots must complete ten daytime 'traps' (arrested landings), with four touch & goes aboard an aircraft carrier at sea. On successful completion of the course, Student Naval Aviators assigned to TW-1 are designated as Naval Aviators and earn their "Wings of Gold". ==References==