Dunkel named 'Instructor of the Week'

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  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  1st Lt. Dave Dunkel, 459th Flying Training Squadron flight standardization and evaluation liaison officer and T-6 Texan II instructor pilot, has been in the Air Force for two years and is the Instructor of the Week at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for the week of Nov. 10-16, 2015.

How he impacts the training mission:

"Lieutenant Dunkel hit the ground running since graduating pilot instructor training as a newly trained first assignment instructor pilot," said Maj. Geoffrey Anderson, 459th FTS assistant director of operations. "He currently leads the entire T-6 instructor pilot force with 30 day total flight time. During his short tenure as an instructor pilot in the Squadron, Lieutenant Dunkel has expertly handled two in-flight emergencies and the safe return of the aircraft and aircrew during both events. He set the bar high for his flight room by challenging the young student pilot's with extensive general knowledge sessions in order to foster better Airmen. Dunkel upgraded quickly to runway supervisory unit observer and is one of the key instructor pilot's in the T-6 community that maintains currency and accuracy of the low level maps used for both student and instructor pilot navigation sorties around Sheppard. Finally, Dunkel has been the go-to guy for many squadron events including the base-wide Trunk or Treat, the Hotter-than-Hell 100 race in Wichita Falls, Texas, and July's Freedom Fest."

Most significant accomplishments:

- T-6 Texan II 30-day flight time leader (as of mid-October).
- Expertly handled two inflight emergencies.
- Upgraded to RSU observer.
- Devised a continuation training meeting for instructor pilots entering a new student training phase.
- Squadron navigation officer responsible for maintaining T-6 Texan II low level navigation maps.
- Volunteer for Freedom Fest and Hotter-than-Hell 100.
- Squadron Trunk or Treat coordinator.


"I was inspired to fly by my grandfather, who was a pilot that emigrated from Argentina," Dunkel said. "I graduated from pilot training earlier this year with high regarded and was selected to remain at ENJJPT [Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training] for my first assignment as an instructor pilot. I thoroughly enjoying teaching and have a great perspective on how it really feels to be a student pilot at ENJJPT due to my own recent training in the program."