Afghans teaching Afghans: First-ever instructor pilots

SHINDAND AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN

09.11.2013

Story by Capt. Anastasia Schmidt 

438th Air Expeditionary Wing

SHINDAND AIR BASE, Afghanistan – After undergoing more than three and a half months of additional flight training with advisers from NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, the Afghan air force graduated its first two instructor pilots in a ceremony Sept. 11, at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan.

First Lt. Khan Agha Ghaznavi and 1st Lt. Najibullah Habibzai, Cessna 208 fixed-wing pilots with the Shindand Air Wing, are the first-ever AAF first assignment instructor pilots. With the continuation training they received, the pair is now qualified to teach future AAF pilots in undergraduate pilot training.

"I'm proud to be an instructor pilot at the Shindand Air Wing and happy to be working alongside the coalition instructors," Habibzai stated about his graduation. "Training students and future pilots is one of the most important things for Afghanistan right now."

With the graduation of Afghan instructor pilots, the AAF takes one more step toward becoming sustainable, as coalition forces prepare to leave the country in 2014.

Ghaznavi and Habibzai were chosen from several co-pilots for this training, and appointment as IPs due to their flying proficiency, operational mission flights and records. Each spent approximately two years in training to get to this point; first attending Initial Flight Screening, followed by UPT, assignments as operational co-pilots at SAB and finally, IP training.

"Ghaznavi and Habibzai were definitely two of the brightest stars that we could pick," said Lt. Col. Kristopher Norwood, 444th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron commander, and 15-year IP veteran. "They were definitely selected among their peers."

Ghaznavi was one of the first pilots in the AAF to complete all pilot training in Afghanistan, while Habibzai completed training both in Afghanistan and at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

The IP program consists of training in the philosophy behind being an instructor, various teaching methods and flying phases such as contact, maneuvers and traffic patterns. According to Norwood, the program follows a normal student's progression, but from an instructor's perspective. Ghaznavi and Habibzai proceeded through the program as if they already had students in order to give them a greater understanding of instructing.

"It takes a good attitude," Norwood said about what it takes to be an effective IP. "You have to have a good outlook and give it your best no matter what may happen."

Ghaznavi and Habibzai will both begin working with the newest AAF pilot trainees later this month.

"My goal is to serve my country, train others as well as I possibly can and be a leader for the AAF and the future of Afghanistan," said Ghaznavi about becoming an IP.

• Date Taken: 09.11.2013
• Date Posted: 09.25.2013 03:23
• Story ID: 114228
• Location: SHINDAND AIR BASE, AF