JAG CENTRAL

In a case that sort of hits home to this former aviator, the Biloxi Sun-Herald ran this article about an Air Force instructor pilot who decided to give the answers to a very important test to his student pilots:

Capt. Richard Brimer, allegedly a key figure in a cheating scandal at Columbus Air Force Base last year, Thursday waived his right to a hearing and now faces court-martial, base officials said.

Brimer, an instructor pilot with the 41st Flying Training Squadron, initially was accused of failure to obey a lawful regulation, making a false official statement and conduct unbecoming an officer by distributing controlled test answers, according to an earlier base statement.

Officials said Brimer waved an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury hearing, and the commander of the 14th Military Flying Wing accepted the decision.

The Air Force will proceed with court-martial although a final decision on the actual charges still is being negotiated, said Sonic Johnson, chief of public affairs at CAFB.

This wasn't any ordinary test, either:

Eleven officers in the T-37 phase of specialized undergraduate pilot training were accused of cheating on emergency procedures examinations that are a small but important part of pilot training. Brimer was the pilots' instructor on the training jet.

The pilots, ranging in rank from second lieutenant to captain, received nonjudicial punishments including forfeitures of pay ranging from $250 to $1,675 per month for two months and reprimands for unacceptable conduct offenses.

The investigation began when base officials were alerted that the officers may have been given answers to at least one and possibly more of the tests.

Johnson, a former instructor at the base, said pilots need to know emergency procedures "off the top of their head for when they fly solo. Not knowing them, they may not be able to properly recover an aircraft in an emergency situation."

ANALYSIS: No kidding. An inability to perform emergency procedures verbatim from memory in an actual emergency could prove disastorous. There's no time to consult the checklist when an engine flames out. Unlike other parts of the manual, which can be demonstrated through general knowledge, the student pilot must be able to recite emergency procedures verbatim. Any deviation is considered a serious deficiency and usually will hold someone back during flight training. It's even more important in the Air Force, where competition for the top fighter slots is fierce. Obviously, the potential for abuse exists, and CPT Brimer allegedly took advantage of that opportunity.

Categories: Air+Force, Cheating