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Crane lifting simulator

A new T-1A Jayhawk flight simulator is lifted over the 71st Operations Group building Feb. 22 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., by a crane from Taylor Crane Rigging in Coffeyville, Kan. The simulator is the second Vance has received from the L-3 Communications company. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Frank John Casciotta)

Crane lifting simulator

A new T-1A Jayhawk flight simulator, built by the L-3 Communications company, is lifted through the side of the 71st Operations Group building Feb. 22 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., by a crane from Taylor Crane Rigging in Coffeyville, Kan. The simulator is the second Vance has received from L-3. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Frank John Casciotta)

Crane lifting simulator

A five-ton section of the new T-1A Jayhawk flight simulator is lifted through the side of the 71st Operations Group building Feb. 22 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., by a crane from Taylor Crane Rigging in Coffeyville, Kan. The simulator is the second Vance has received from L-3. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Frank John Casciotta)

Crane lifting simulator

An exterior cockpit view of the T-1A Jayhawk flight simulator built by the L-3 Communications company and delivered to Vance Air Force Base, Okla., Feb. 22. A second part of the simulator, the visual section, is scheduled for delivery and installation in early May. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Frank John Casciotta)

New T-1 flight simulator delivered to Operations Group

Published Feb. 28, 2012
By Airman 1st Class Frank John Casciotta
71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Vance's newest T-1A Jayhawk operation flight trainer was delivered through a hole in the side of the 71st Operations Group building via a 120-ton crane Feb. 22.

The T-1 simulator is the second new one Vance has received in the past two years as part of a contract with L-3 Communications. The simulator will increase training capabilities for T-1 training programs, said Michael Rathmann, the simulator project officer and quality assurance representative with the 71st OG.

"This simulator has the ability to allow students to link multiple simulators together," said Rathmann.

Not only will the new simulator increase the 71st OG capability to provide simulated missions, it will reduce the overall cost of fuel and wear and tear on the aging fleet of T-1 aircraft here.

The new simulator provides a realistic flight-training environment with 240 degrees of state of the art visual flight and airfield simulation. It can simulate more than 200 operational airfields and a variety of weather conditions, said Rathmann.

Taylor Crane Rigging, out of Coffeyville, Kan., lifted the five-ton, $3.7 million simulator over the three-story 71st OG building and placing it almost inside the building itself, thanks to removable exterior walls.

Once inside, workers stripped the protective packaging from the simulator and revealed a sleek 20-feet wide, 20-feet long and 13-feet high black cockpit.

More than $300,000 of renovations to the operations building were required to accommodate the new simulator, said Rathmann.

The next part of the simulator, the visual section, is scheduled for delivery May 5 by MEI Rigging and Craning, out of Plano, Texas.

Employees from L-3 Communications will install the new simulator over the next six weeks. Students are slated to have use of the simulator sometime in April.