European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1963, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Another Pilot sets up a test problems a photos by Tony Evanoski Kenworthy ready for Takeoff i after a briefing capt Loyd l. Kenworthy climbs into the cockpit of the ft02 simulator for a Stormy "flight.1 ft02 simulator leaves pm Limp weathering storm of problems by Ray Wrights a Ramstein Bureau the Pilot hunches Over the dials inthe cockpit of his f102 fighter Jet. He Weathers an electrical storm and finally locks onto his target Only to find a Short circuit has started a fire. Within afew minutes the fire is extinguished and a continues his flight. It s just to Day test Day for a Pilot of the 526th fighter interceptor so Fis at Ramstein air base Germany. The test itself is Given in the f102 flight simulator that reproduces the sound and fury of the electrical storm signals the fire and creates effects so realistically that the Pilot could forget he s still on the ground. There is even the effect of air turbulence the Pilot s reactions to the make be Lieve flight must be As Quick and effective As though he were actually High in the sky As soon As a Pilot seats himself in the red lighted simulator cockpit he be gins to sense the realism said capt Loyd l. Kenworthy a 526th Fis Pilot. Every thing looks and feels the same unlike the real aircraft however the canopy is opaque giving the illusion of flying either at night or through soupy  Pilot must rely completely on his instruments and his Only Contact with monday july 15, 1963 the world is through the simulator radio system. Before Long any sense of Security is erased by the same aggressive desire that the Pilot has in the sky to prove that he is a capable Well trained master of his aircraft and his Mission Kenworthy explained further. Every f102 Pilot is required to go through an emergency procedures Check at least once a month regardless of How Many flight hours he May have logged during that time pilots of the 526th Check each other out in the simulator. The Pilot taking the test files a Normal Mission just As though he were in a real aircraft. From the time he starts his engine until he completes his attack and lands he is Given emergency conditions. Of course the simulator can t duplicate the sensations of flight but it can create every problem a Pilot might encounter capt Harold d. Wilson another 526th Fis Pilot said. The Mere fact that his skill is frequently graded by a fellow Pilot i enough to increase tension. Many enter the simulator cockpit relaxed but they come out wide eyed a Little Limp and fully aware of what errors they made and what could have happened the pilots Are too Busy solving prob lems to remember they had never left the  Wilson said. A Mission in the simulator is like a Tough workout before the big  when you walk into the building that houses the simulator at Ramstein your first thought is that you be wandered into a Telephone Exchange by mistake. Rows of cabinets Are filled with intricate wiring systems tubes glow and there s the hum of Power passing through some 4,500 tubes and 1,200 plug in units Are bottled up in the 21 cabinets. The cabinets Are kept closed to maintain con trolled ventilation and they Are opened Only for checking or repair of equipment. Two 28-Volt and two 300-Volt direct cur rent generators and one 114-Volt alternating current 400-Cycle Generator provide primary Power for operation of the Simu Lator. It s no wonder the building gets rather warm technicians say the Maze of tubes and wires produce around 38,000 Btu of heat an hour. Fans and air conditioners Are a must. In the Section housing the cockpit of the simulator an airman sits at a con Trot panel feeding problems to the Pilot being tested. At his right is seated the testing Pilot or instructor Pilot who creates Thunder and lightning air turbulence another emergencies. His Middle name is problem for the Pilot being tested the Pilot must solve every situation the stars and stripes exactly As outlined in his Pilot s hand Book. Most of the flight engine navigation communication and fire control characteristics of the simulator Are electronically computed and activated. That s the Why of the Miles of wire in the simulator building. The average person readily understands the use of a simulator for training new pilots it s the same principle As the widely known link Trainer. In fact the Simu Lator is made by the link company. How Ever its use for testing pilots who Are already accomplished flyers and who Are regularly flying missions is something  pilots Are required to spend several hours monthly in the Simu Lator according to capt Charles Peters 526th Fis executive officer. Actually we spend much More than just several hours. It s an excellent and comparatively Inex pensive training to keep pilots reflexes reactions and proficiency at a High level Peters said. The Complex simulator costs a big chunk of taxpayers Money but not As much As the f102 Jet. The simulator costs around $850,000, while the f102 runs some where above $1.1 million. The simulator has been at Ramstein for the past four years and before that saw service at Tyndall fab Fla. Ramstein pilots give it a workout of at least 120 hours a month according to Peters Page 11