by M. Dawn
Scott, Navy Office of Community Outreach
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A 1996
Chester County High School graduate and Henderson, Tennessee
native is playing a key role in the lengthy and rigorous training process that
transforms military officers into pilots.
Lt. Sean Lott
is a Coast Guard instructor pilot serving
with the “Wise Owls” Navy Training Squadron (VT-31), based in Corpus, Christi, Texas,
that operates the T-44A Pegasus aircraft. As a instructor, Lott is responsible for teaching student pilots
how to fly both multi-engine and land based aircraft in conjunction with the Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps.
“I get to help mold students that come
through here to be the finest pilots in the fleet,” said Lott. “We teach Navy,
Coast Guard, Marines, and international military students. Teaching is very
challenging but fun, and no matter how many times you fly it’s always different
because the student is different.”
The T-44A is a twin-engine,
pressurized, fixed-wing monoplane used for advanced turboprop radar aircraft
training using two 550 shaft horse powered engines, with a cruising
airspeed of 281 mph.
VT-31’s primary mission is to train future
naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values, Navy
officials explained. Students must complete four phases of flight training
in order to graduate, including aviation pre-flight indoctrination, primary
flight training, and advanced flight training. After successfully completing
the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”
After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how
to fly a specific aircraft, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter
jet, the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft or the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter.
They are later assigned to a ship or land-based squadron.
Many of the pilots will fly aircraft which take off from and
land aboard aircraft carriers, a unique capability which allows the Navy to
operate anywhere on the world’s oceans. Recently, Navy attack aircraft
operating from aircraft carriers sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and
from Middle East waters have launched hundreds of strike missions against
terrorist targets in Iraq and Syria.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s squadrons with the
newest aircraft platforms, Lott said he and other VT-31 sailors are proud to be part
of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“I like the fact that I get to
work with all the different branches of service,” said Lott. “Everyone works
together to bring their training experience into this melting pot of knowledge,
that helps us all become both better instructors and pilots."
Jobs are highly varied at VT-31, according to Navy officials.
Approximately 69 officers and 19 enlisted
men and women make up and keep all parts of the squadron running smoothly --
this includes everything from maintaining airframes and engines, to processing
paperwork, handling weaponry, and flying the aircraft.
“Every day I feel an extraordinary amount of
pride to serve alongside our great nation’s most inspiring men and women,” said
Cmdr. Samuel D. Gage, commanding officer of VT-31. “Our team is filled with
hardworking and highly qualified professionals who hold uncommon levels of
responsibility and accountability in support of our mission: to maintain, fly,
and train future naval aviators. Their work ethic, commitment, enthusiasm, and
esprit de corps are second to none!"
Serving with the Navy, Lott
is learning about being a more responsible leader and person through handling
numerous responsibilities.
“Being in the military has
provided me with countless opportunities to excel and succeed in life,” said
Lott. “When I first joined I was prior enlisted and earned my degree in professional
aeronautics, all paid for by military. This allowed me to become a commissioned
officer and then help me reach my dream in becoming a pilot.”