VT-2 Doer Birds
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VT-2 Doer Birds - 1963
Patch drawn by Bud Southworth
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Patch
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Heritage
- Training Squadron TWO Doer Birds were never assigned the A-4 Skyhawk;
but the Rooks were in the training pipeline for many Skyhawk pilots.
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Home Ports
Air Wings
Deployments
Aircraft
Commanding Officers
Events
- 194?
Basic Training Group TWO (BTG-2) established.
- May 1, 1960
Basic Training Group TWO (BTG-2)
redesignated Training Squadron Two (VT-2).
- 1963
Training Squadron Two was redesignated from Basic Training Group TWO
(BTG-2) in the 1950s and is located at
Naval Auxiliary Air Station Whiting North Field. VT-2
provides instruction in TPA - Transition, Precision flight and
Acrobatics. Transition, Precision flight and Acrobatics phases take
approximately six to eight weeks, depending on the weather and other
factors, to complete.
- New student Naval Aviators start life at Whiting in
ground school. Students attend
class full days for the first couple of weeks and then half
days when flight instruction commences.
- Learning to fly the North American T-28C Trojan at
Training Squadron Two is called the transition stage. The T-28C is a
much heavier aircraft, has a larger and more powerful engine, and
climbs and cruises much faster than the smaller Beechcraft T-34B, which
the student flew in primary instruction at Saufley Field.
- Transition phase is nine 1.3 hour instructional hops.
The first eight flights are dual (with instructor in the back seat
screaming at the stud). In the Transition phase the student is taught
climb and let down procedures, simulated high altitude emergencies,
preflight inspections, outlying field entry and full flap landings. The
student Naval Aviator solos the T-28C on the ninth flight.
- The eight Precision phase flights take an average of
9 flight hours to complete. In Precision stage basic air work is
smoothed and wing-overs practiced. The student learns to make precision
landings at one of Whiting's outlying fields. The precision landings
are in fact carrier landings made on the runway. A box is drawn on the
runway and the student pilot attempts landing in the boxed area. All
landings from this point are simulated carrier landings -- no other
type landing is taught.
- The acrobatic training phase is a ten flight syllabus
consists of four dual hops and six solo flights. There are four
standard acrobatics maneuvers performed --- loops and barrel rolls; and
the Immelmann and the half-Cuban eight. The stud learns that acrobatics
is basically the same for all aircraft, the fundamental difference
being power settings and air speed.
- At the completion of TPA the student Naval Aviator is
well prepared for transfer to VT-3 at Whitng South Field for basic
instruments, night flying, formation and gunnery.
- 2000 - the present: VT-2 is alive and well and flying
the T-34C Mentor at Whiting Field.
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Awards
Sources:
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