The United States Air Force tried to save money by implementing a new pilot training system designed to better identify pilot candidates; by better identifying candidates earlier in the process, money would be saved by removing non-performing candidates and would therefore cost the Air Force less money by reducing training time and resources. This new flight training system was the T-3A Firefly, but instead of achieving its stated goals, it cost the government $40 million, many man hours, reputation and the lives of 6 people. This project could have been saved if good risk management had been implemented. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The first question that should have been asked is, “Is it necessary to switch to this type of trainer?” as most pilots do not fly the highly maneuverable fighter/attack aircraft for which this type of trainer was designed. While the general's sentiment is understandable, training at an appropriate level might prove more cost-effective. Next, the Firefly was dubbed to have a multitude of problems, including: brake effectiveness, climb ability, and cruising speed; however, the Air Force applauded the machine for its maneuverability and stability and decided to choose the Firefly over the competition. The problems were known at the time, and instead of considering them, and perhaps implementing fixes before purchase, the Air Force had to try to fix the problems as they went along. 'they introduced themselves. The patches, in turn, caused far more issues with the trainer, as one piece of equipment had major effects on every other piece of equipment and was a major technical risk that should have been discovered sooner. While the original Firefly was a commercial release, Shelf (COTS) product, the add-ons made it much less similar to its original product and should have been in testing for longer. Additionally, the Air Force authorized the contractor to perform most of the testing on its own product; this is an external risk that should have been negated by designating its own staff to oversee the testing. Further testing was halted due to late delivery, but the trainer aircraft was still in preparation, where officials discovered it could not handle rotations (one of the main goals of the purchase of the Firefly) when a student and an instructor were killed. should have considered the objectives of the plane, and the plane itself, as a single project, where the parts influence each other and everything must fit together. Risk identification, risk assessment and response to risk assessments should have been completed before the initial objective, this way only risk monitoring should take place after system implementation. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essay I believe that the reasons for the failure could have been avoided, at least in part, by following the four steps of risk management planning. Risks should have had a proper plan outlining who manages them in what areas, how to track risks throughout the project and contingency plans. It seems that there was no clear strategy at the beginning of the project, since the Air Force purchased a COTS aircraft, but then improved it without thinking about the consequences, while..