The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) is an air arm with an enviable reputation. With the recent delivery of the first Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft, the RJAF takes a step forward in their future fighter pilot training capabilities.
In 2015 the RJAF placed an order for 9 PC-9 M aircraft with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Stans, Switzerland. The PC-9 M was to replace the CASA 101CC in service since 1987. The order was amended in April 2016 after further review by the RJAF, and it was decided to procure eight PC-21 aircraft instead of nine PC-9Ms. An option for two additional aircraft was converted to an order in October 2016, and in January 2017 Pilatus announced that the RJAF had contracted for two more PC-21s.
The role of the PC-21 is basic and advanced training, to prepare students for operational fighter squadrons. The RJAF has 43 F-16MLU multi-role fighters in its inventory, three squadrons at Al Azraq air base. The RJAF will soon receive another 15 former Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16MLU aircraft that have been upgraded to the M6.5 standard.
By October 2017, all RJAF instructors had converted to the PC-21, initial training taking place at Stans, Switzerland, where two weeks of ground school were followed by 20 hours of actual flying in the PC-21. Training also included 5 simulator flight sessions. The PC-21s will be delivered to No. 11 Squadron as part of the King Hussein College based at Mafraq air base. The first delivery flight of two PC-21s involved six stages flown over three days, with Pilatus ferry pilots landing the two trainers at Mafraq on 23 August 2017. Pilatus production test pilot Reto Amstutz recalled: “The ferry flight was smooth. That third day we flew from Akkaba in a 40 minute flight to Mafraq.” Amstutz is a former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot and has flown the F-18 Hornet. He was also member of the famous Swiss Air Force aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse, and is still a Swiss Air Force reserve pilot flying the F-5E Tiger II.
At Mafraq, both aircraft were put through acceptance flights of 40 minutes each on the day of delivery itself. The flights consisted of an extract from the production flight test programme. Through the production and delivery process, the aircraft bear Swiss civil registrations, and only after customer acceptance are they deregistered from the Swiss civil register. That is also when ELT and transponder codes are changed to customer settings.
The ferry flights included stretches over water, therefore the ejection seat personal survival package (PSP) had a dinghy installed, as well as associated water survival equipment. After the ferry flight the packages were replaced by desert PSPs as per RJAF requirements.
Innovations
The RJAF PC-21s have the new Saab mission computer installed. “With the new mission computer came a new Pilot Memory Module (PMM). In the old days, we did the flight data recording through a separate recorder. Now the recording goes through the mission computer. In the mission planning you can store several missions on this PMM. You can upload approach plates for example, or load different maps in different scales and bring them up in the Multi Function Displays. You can define different mission loadouts and alternate parameters like tactical parameters. Mission loadout can be air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons or what you like for your specific missions or intelligence line,” says Amstutz.
“We have the hardware installed for TERPORM, which is basically a tactical terrain avoidance system. It will work in VFR conditions in any situation, also in inverted flight. It will not only warn you for terrain but also for obstacles. Right now we have started the engineering phase, so it’s not certified yet. Actual testing will start in a few weeks time here in Switzerland. When certification is done the RJAF will get the new software installed,” according to Amstutz.
Pilatus made a ground-breaking move in the turboprop trainer class with the installation of a dual Flight Management System (FMS) in the PC-21. The RJAF has Esterline CMC CMA-9000 FMS, which can be coupled to the auto pilot. Esterline CMC has also been contract to supply the cockpit avionics for the RJAF aircraft.
The early PC-21 models had one Global Navigation System Sensor Unit (GNSSU) installed. The current PC-21 contains two CMA-5024 GNS Landing System Sensor Units (GLSSU). With the GLSSU, RNAV approaches with lateral guidance can be flown. Now the PC-21 can do GPS based precision approaches on a spaced based augmentation system with vertical guidance.
Advanced Cockpit
Both cockpits are equipped with new state of the art 6x8-inch active matrix LCD displays. Both front and rear cockpit have a centre smart MFD-2068 Multi Function Display (MFD) that functions as a Primary Flight Display. Two CHDD-268 side displays can show additional information such as radar images or system pages.
The front cockpit has a CMC-4000 Sparrowhawk system Head-Up Display (HUD) installed including an upfront control panel. The rear cockpit is equipped with a ‘repeater’ screen, which shows the camera picture of the outside world and the HUD symbology as seen by the pilot in the front. The HUD has various modes such as flight mode, target mode or approach mode where it gives ILS symbology and glide path guidance. A benefit for Jordanian student pilots is that the symbology used has been adapted to RJAF F-16MLU symbology. To further assist students preparing to fly the F-16MLU, the HOTAS throttle has several buttons reassigned through software to operate the mission systems on the PC-21 as they would on an F-16.
The first RJAF PC-21 being marshalled at Mafraq for its acceptance flight (photo: Pilatus)
The PC-21 is fully Night Vision Goggles (NVG) compatible for the latest generation systems. For now, NVG are not used by students yet, but in the future for example operational F-16 pilots will be able to use the PC-21 for recurrent NVG training as an alternative to the more expensive F-16.
Smart Training
A huge step forward in training is the mission briefing and debriefing suite that comes with the PC-21. A student can plan the mission to be flown and load it onto the PMM via the Mission Planning and Debriefing System. Once connected to the aircraft, PMM data can be loaded into the mission computer. Every system page is continuously recorded and cockpit images filmed through the HUD camera are also stored on the PMM. During debriefing this stored data can be retrieved and the student can replay a flight in 3D.
Simulated air-to-air radar training can be accomplished by linking ADS-B signals from other PC-21 aircraft. These signals are computed and presented as realistic radar contacts for students on the mission system displays. Air-to-ground training can be performed by retrieving ground data from a database and presenting it to the student in the cockpit. A training area as large as 100 by 100 miles can be stored in the database.
‘Fighter-like flying’
The PC-21 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68B turbo prop engine with Electronic Engine Control (EEC). The engine delivers a maximum of 1,600 shp, and the power output is speed rated and controlled by the EEC to give the aircraft ‘jet like handling.’ The engine is mounted on the aircraft bulkhead with a 4 degree offset to the right to minimise torque effect and prop wash. The engine drives a Hartzell E8991KX graphite/titanium composite scimitar five-blade propeller.
Two Martin-Baker CH-16C ejection seats with zero-zero capabilities are installed, which can be used up to 400 kts for ejection. Both seats are slightly tilted for crew comfort. The engine drives an air conditioning pump for the updated environmental and pressurisation system. Also crew oxygen is supplied when the engine is in operation. A two-piece canopy gives the crew ample visibility outside the aircraft, and the front windscreen is reinforced with an insert against bird strikes and has detonation cord embedded for when the ejection seat is used.
The swept low wing structure has ‘wet’ wings (integral fuel tanks), and the wing leading edges are filled with foam to minimise the impact of bird strikes. Hydraulically operated spoilers are added to reduce the stick force and to increase roll rate, and an auto rudder trim is installed. Both features add to the ‘fighter-like’ flying characteristics of the PC-21.
RJAF aircraft are equipped with the latest generation LED exterior lighting. Furthermore four fluorescent stripes (‘slime lights’) are installed on each side of the aircraft for night formation flying training.
And so, the RJAF now has a sophisticated aircraft that has the capabilities to train their students up to the level where they can transfer directly to the F-16MLU squadrons, where they only have to get accustomed to fast jet flying and higher G-load handling. As proven by other PC-21 customers, graduation rate also significantly improves by using this next generation trainer aircraft.
Major General Yousef Al-Hunaiti is the current RJAF Commander and head of the committee who sets the configuration and the scope of operation for the future training of RJAF pilots. The RJAF see a benefit in having the PC-21 over the CASA 101CC by transition from analogue to glass cockpit and by mimicing advanced aircraft systems. Plan is to have the first students start training on the PC-21 between January and February 2018. With the PC-21 these new students will be ready for the future!
Patrick Dirksen and Frank Mink, Tristar Aviation (www.tristaraviation.org)
We would like to thank the Royal Jordanian Air Force for their assistance with this article. Also we thank the employees of Pilatus for their help, in particular project manager Mario Aschwanden, regional sales director Frank Beetz and test pilot Reto Amstuz.