B-25 Pilot Training: So, you want to be a bomber pilot?

Looking for a challenge? Larry Kelley and his experienced team at the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation can train you to be a fully qualified B-25 pilot. And, yes, it’s as cool as it sounds.
Okay, who amongst us has not had their “Walter Mitty” moment and dreamed of captaining a B-25 (or warbird of your choice) somewhere in the European or Pacific theaters? You know you have. But, you say, it’s a far cry from the left seat of a modern piston twin to the cramped, noisy, and downright intimidating cockpit of a WWII bomber. Or is it?

Thanks to the efforts and dedication of Larry Kelley and the team of maintainers and instructors at the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation, mere mortal pilots like you and me can actually earn either a second-in-command (SIC) or pilot-in-command (PIC) rating in a North American B-25J bomber.

“I’ve owned my B-25J, ‘Panchito’ for 23 years, and over that time, we’ve had a tremendous amount of interest and interaction with the B-25 community,” Kelley explained. “I’m also an A&P I/A and have been deeply involved with its maintenance. I know how important it is for pilots to completely understand how everything works, so if they have an issue or failure, they are better equipped to deal with it right away. All that has led to the development of our B-25 flight training program.”

But, before we go too far, I must make it clear that the training that Kelley and this team offer in
Panchito is nothing like other “learn to fly (insert warbird name)” programs you’ve come across. This is not a weekend warrior-type program. In Kelley’s well-earned opinion, sitting in the right seat and getting a few hours or so “stick time” does not make a qualified pilot. The B-25 Flight Training Program offered by the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation is the opposite of that. This is an FAA-approved flight training curriculum that just happens to be wrapped around a “bucket list” type airplane.

“In the B-25 community, you have a lot of retired airline pilots, and the only ‘training’ they receive is OTJ in the airplane,” he said. “There is no formal aircraft or systems training. I know of pilots who have never even done a stall in the airplane or other maneuvers found in the B-25 training syllabus. So, we decided that a program like ours would be a very good thing for the community – real, formal, airline-style training in a B-25. We train to approved standards, and our curriculum is carefully outlined and detailed as to what is done when. Everyone trains to the same standards.”

The Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation’s B-25 flight training program was developed by its Director of Flight Training, Sabrina Kipp (a 20-year Captain with Southwest), Calvin Peacock (a retired US Air Captain) and a team of experienced airline pilots and training professionals.

“We submitted our course to the FAA, and they commented that this is how training is supposed to be done,” he said. “We received an exemption to be able to provide flight training for hire in a limited category aircraft – our B-25. We have that course, and we stick to it. Everyone trains the same.”

Kelley stated that while the course’s professionalism stands out to students, the real differentiator is the strict adherence to airline-style Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) processes and procedures.
“We use CRM in everything we do. The responsibilities go with the seat you are in. You need to understand what your seat is going to do in the event of a problem,” he explained. “If you go through our program and don’t use CRM during your check ride, you’ll get busted. We believe in the benefits wholeheartedly.

Know Before You Go
If you’ve ever gone through a FlightSafety-style training program, you’ll be familiar with the level of detail and professionalism the team has put into the B-25 program. And the teaching starts before you even head to Delaware. You can earn either a second-in-command (SIC) or pilot-in-command (PIC) rating and both start with the in-depth ground school.

Once your deposit for the tuition is paid, they send you a copy of the B-25J’s POH along with other information and documents to begin your pre-program study. There is a lot of information you need to know, or at least know where to find, to be ready for ground school. And, yes, there’s a test.

“Well, it’s not really a test, but there are 60 questions that students need to answer to prepare for the course,” Kipp explained. “Many are not familiar with this type of training, and we want them to be familiar with the various aircraft systems. The questions just show them all that is contained in the manual.”

Kipp said that while there is no “grading” for the quiz, it does give her an idea about where the student stands as they begin the one-day ground school. “We begin our ground school at 7:30, and it goes until 5:30 or so,” she said. “We take time to go into the hangar to see the systems on the aircraft and their operations.”

“The history of the B-25 is very important. We go through all of the various systems in detail – fuel and hydraulics, engines, landing gear – we cram a lot in,” Kelley added. “We have a big table full of cutaway parts to demonstrate how many of them work and what happens when they don’t. Knowing that can make a big difference in how you handle an emergency.”

Kelley illustrated the importance of understanding the various systems’ workings by sharing a recent experience with a new to the B-25 co-pilot on a night, IFR, flight from Florida to Delaware.

“We were cruising at 9,500 feet, and suddenly the oil pressure reading on the right engine showed a low pressure indication. The right seat asked if we needed to cage the engine – that was his immediate response,” he said. “I asked if the oil temperature was okay. He said yes. But he still wanted to shut the engine down. If it’s not necessary, not a good idea at night in IFR conditions.”

Anyway, the cause of the issue turned out to be a faulty oil pressure transmitter and not a problem with the engine itself. Kelly’s knowledge of the aircraft’s systems helped keep a simple nuisance from becoming a life-threatening situation. That experience is why system knowledge is stressed so strongly throughout the program. Oh, and if you think you don’t have to pay attention and soak it all in, you’re mistaken. There’s a written test at the completion of the ground school. And if you fail, you don’t fly.

Success Starts With Your Feet
Kipp said that the majority of pilots taking the B-25 training come for the two-day SIC program, so we’ll follow that curriculum for the in-flight portion of our story.

On day two, students get their hands on Panchito – or perhaps it’s the other way around. While flying a B-25 may seem daunting to most of us, Kipp and Kelley both stress that it’s taxiing the beast that culls out the skilled from the not-so-very-much.

“Taxiing is the hardest part of handling the B-25. It has a free-castering nosewheel and can get away from you pretty quickly,” Kipp said. “You have to use your feet, throttles, and plan each movement well in advance to stay ahead of the airplane on the ground.”

Oh, and if you’re just figuring to use differential braking in tight spots, forget it. Kelley stressed that relying only on the brakes is a no-no. It’s really easy to overheat the old-style units. In fact, recently, another B-25 was nearly lost due to a brake fire.

Once you successfully make it to the end of the runway, the B-25’s run-up, although lengthy, is pretty typical. So, with everything where it is supposed to be, it’s time to fly.

30 Seconds Over Delaware
This may come as a bit of a surprise, but students handle all of the takeoffs and landings under the close scrutiny of Kipp or one of the other experienced flight instructors.

“Once we’re airborne, it’s off to the practice area to give the students a chance to get a feel for the airplane,” she said. “Gentle turns followed by increasing degrees of bank and ending with steep turns. You have to feel the differences in control forces and the effect of torque.”

Speaking of control forces, Kipp said that one thing that catches students is how unbalanced the bomber’s controls are. The ailerons are very heavy, so it takes two hands to make turns. On the other side, the elevators and rudders are light.

“On top of that, you have the torque of those two big radial engines pulling you one way or another,” she continued. “The stick and rudder part is very challenging for anyone who has never flown radial engines, but it’s a lot of fun.”

After a few turns, students get the whole stall sequence, culminating with a simulated single-engine go-around. A word on stalls is appropriate here.

“It’s dramatically different from anything you’ve ever flown before,” Kelley said. “Its stall characteristics are dramatic – not much fun – and certainly not like any Cessna. Put it into a full stall, and you’re upside down in a heartbeat. This is serious stuff.”

The requisite need to sharpen or re-learn your stick-and-rudder skills is one benefit that every pilot takes away from the B-25 program.

“They are benefits no matter what you fly,” he added. “The more you fly an airplane like this the better you will fly any other airplane. That’s why all kinds of pilots come here. They all leave as better pilots.”

Back in the cockpit, along with other air work, students also practice flying steeper than normal approaches. Because of the need for precise energy management, the B-25’s approaches are flown higher and steeper than the standard three-degree slope we are all used to.

“You have to master energy management during the approach,” Kipp explained. “You can’t drag a B-25 in low and slow. It takes too much power to get flying again.”

“Once we demonstrate what the airplane can and cannot do, we fly to another airport that has wider, longer runways for students to do their takeoffs and landings,” she added. “I can tell you that the students and instructors are worn out at the end of the day. But, still, everyone comes away saying it is one of the best experiences of their flying career.”

“All the flight training through the recommendation ride and the check ride is done in-house,” Kelley said. “Along with our three highly-qualified CFIs, we also have Paul Nuwer, an FAA examiner on staff. It’s important that we have a turn-key operation.”

Ready to Enlist?
So, what kinds of pilots go through the B-25 Flight Training Program? Well, people like us. From pilots who fly B-25s and other warbirds for museums and private owners to corporate and airline pilots who just want to check B-25 training off their bucket list.

The Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation currently offers three types of B-25 Flight Training experiences: an Orientation Flight, the second-in-command (SIC) type rating, and the pilot-in-command (PIC) type rating. The minimum requirement for any of the three is a private certificate with a multi-engine rating. The student must hold at least a third-class FAA medical. The FAA does not allow Basic Med medicals for this training. The PIC program also adds the requirement for an instrument rating.

No matter why they come, Kipp said that pilots leave with the same renewed appreciation for what accomplishments and sacrifices the young men and women of the “Greatest Generation” made when they climbed aboard their aircraft during World War II.

“Those young people flew these aircraft into battle with very little training but an immeasurable amount of courage,” she said. “No one leaves our program without a stronger and greater appreciation for the magnitude of what they did and the capabilities of airplanes they flew.”
For more information, visit delawareaviationmuseum.org.