Great model and work !
The conversion to the Thunderstreak in Holland has been called the toughest trainingschool. The trainees usually came from the T33 training.
There is no twin seater for the streak, so the young pilots got a familiarisation in a static cockpit from a crashed thunderstreak, followed by taxi and runway 'runs'. We had a system with a buddy seat on a hinge for the instructor
outside the cockpit to give the trainees some support for the start on the runway. We accelerated and then powered down (of course) and repeated this a couple of times.
For the instructor this was a very cold and windy job
To my knowledge there was no other airforce that used this system.
After this the pilot was headed for his first solo on the streak. The instructor took off too and chased the trainee. During the first landing the instructor flew very low above the grass, next to the trainee to give him advice.
He had to keep an eye on the new pilot, his own heading and his height above the grass. Both pilots were transpiring profusely.
The streak was called 'a ground loving whore', 'heavier than concrete', and she was, especially with full pylon tanks. Difficult to land on a wet strip and a crosswind, she slipped easily.
The OCC (Operation Conversion Course) of the 315th Eindhoven often had more laundry in one day than other squadrons in a month !