The 2015 Joint Base San Antonio Air Show, Open House
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Graphic by Tommy Brown PAGE 2 2015 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO AIRSHOW Table of Contents Commanders' Welcome Page 2 12th Flying Training Wing Page 4-5 USAF Thunderbirds Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta Col. Matthew Isler Pages 6-7 Welcome to the 2015 Joint Base San Antonio Air Show, Open House USAF Wings of Blue On behalf of the men and women from the Department of Defense’s largest and most diverse joint Page 8 base, we are proud to welcome you to Joint Base San Antonio’s 2015 Air Show and Open House. This year’s theme, “Taking Military City USA to New Heights,” is certainly befi tting as we have dedicated an Expeditionary City entire weekend to showcasing air, space and cyber power by opening the gates of JBSA-Randolph to our incredibly supportive public! Page 9 It’s no secret that the region and surrounding community have established a tremendous partnership with all 266 Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force missions that reside on Joint Base San Antonio. The fascination and collaboration with air power started more than 105 years ago when Lt. Benjamin Foulois U.S. Army conducted the fi rst military fl ight at Fort Sam Houston March 2, 1910. Since that historic fi rst-fl ight, the Golden Knights support for air power expanded dramatically as the Army Signal Corps and the newly created Army Air Page 10 Corps constructed fl ying operations and training platforms across San Antonio. Today, JBSA-Randolph is home to the 12th Flying Training Wing, which trains 850 instructor pilots, fi ghter wingmen and remotely piloted aircraft aircrew every year as the "Source of America's Airpower." Air show maps We’re very proud of our people and this open house is our opportunity to highlight the professional- Pages 12-13 ism, dedication and skill of the world’s fi nest military. Our JBSA air show committee carefully planned an event that will be fun for kids of all ages. There will be 20 aerial performances, 30 static displays and numerous exhibits. Included in the performances are our very own Wings of Blue and the Army’s Golden JBSA Safety Message Knights parachute teams who will display their daring aerial prowess during our two-day celebration. Most notably, our headlining demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, is guaranteed to take Page 14 your breath away as you witness their power and precision maneuvers in the skies above! What you’ll see on our fl ight line is the evolution of air power and the incredible advancements in List of prohibited items technology that has occurred throughout the Air Force’s extraordinary history. There will be war birds on static display representing the World War II, Korea and Vietnam eras, along with today’s remotely pi- Page 15 loted aircraft, trainer and fi ghter weapon systems. A new feature for this year’s air show is the addition of a “Futures Hangar,” that will underscore the importance of our emerging cyberspace mission, plus an “Expeditionary City,” offering a closer look at how the Air Force operates in a deployed environment. Schedule of Events Again, we’re honored to open the gates of JBSA-Randolph to all of you and know that you will enjoy Page 16 learning more about “Your Air Force” – its rich history and proud heritage. Most signifi cantly, this ex- hibition provides you the opportunity to see and meet the magnifi cent Airmen who execute the mission every single day! Aircraft Fact Sheets Thank you for your support and for being our guests! Pages 17-23 Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander For photos, video and more information on the air show, visit Col. Matthew Isler http://www.jbsa.mil/Home/ 12th Flying Training Wing commander at JBSA-Randolph 2015JBSAAirShowandOpenHouse.aspx 2015 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO AIRSHOW PAGE 3 PAGE 4 2015 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO AIRSHOW 12th FTW continues JBSA-Randolph’s educational legacy By Robert Goetz Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs “The next-generation Air Force pilot has to be able to take in an incred- Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s reputation as ible amount of information and quickly make sound and correct decisions one of the Air Force’s fl ying training hubs was rooted within seconds with little to no room for error. The instructor’s role is in the service’s Army past, more than 80 years ago, when Randolph Field was dedicated and became head- critical in teaching skills like situational awareness, decision making quarters of the Army Air Corps Training Center. and risk management in addition to all the basic pilot skills.” For more than half of JBSA-Randolph’s existence, the 12th Flying Training Wing, which marked its 43rd year Lt. Col. Joel DeBoer of service this year, has furthered the JBSA location’s 560th Flying Training Squadron commander commitment to educational excellence as the “Source of America’s Airpower.” The 12th FTW will share that educational excellence Isler said the air show will provide a showcase for graduate fl ight training candidates. and airpower with the community at the 2015 Joint Base the 12th FTW’s Airmen, “including the instructors fl ying The wing is responsible for four single-source avia- San Antonio Air Show and Open House Oct. 31 and Nov. our JBSA-Randolph aircraft to open the show and our tion pipelines: combat systems offi cer training at Naval 1 at JBSA-Randolph. own Air Force Wings of Blue parachute demonstration Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and pilot instructor training, “We’ll reconnect the community with all the mis- team from the U.S. Air Force Academy,” as well as the remotely piloted aircraft pilot indoctrination and basic sions that we conduct at JBSA-Randolph, from train- world-famous Air Force Thunderbirds. sensor operator qualifi cation at JBSA-Randolph. ing all the Air Force’s primary fl ight instructors in The 12th FTW, which is headquartered in the Taj Pilot instructor training is a major component of the the T-1A, T-6A and T-38C to training fi ghter wingmen Mahal, JBSA-Randolph’s most iconic landmark, com- 12th FTW’s education mission. in the fundamentals of air combat in the T-38C and prises one operations group, two fl ying training groups The 12th Operations Group consists of fi ve fl ying training all the Air Force’s remotely piloted aircraft and one maintenance directorate. squadrons and an operational support squadron, in- pilots and sensor operators,” Col. Matthew Isler, 12th The wing graduates more than 1,200 instructor cluding three fl ying training squadrons that provide FTW commander, said. “We will share fl ying dem- pilots and combat systems operators, undergraduate pilot instructor training. onstrations and static displays that will connect our remotely piloted aircraft pilots and enlisted sensor The 99th Flying Training Squadron, the Depart- neighbors with each of those missions and the Airmen operators each year. It also trains more than 2,500 ment of Defense’s sole provider for T-1A Talon pilot that execute and support them.” U.S. Air Force Academy cadets and 2,200 under- See 12TH FTW P5 2015 JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO AIRSHOW PAGE 5 12TH FTW from P4 which is responsible for the Air Force's only instructor training, prepares instructors for undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft train- students in Joint Specialized Undergraduate ing program. Pilot Training who will pilot tanker, mobility DeBoer said all of the 12th FTW’s fl ying and and reconnaissance aircraft. fi ghter training squadrons are united by the de- The 558th FTS conducts all USAF remotely pi- sire to develop leaders and instructors. loted aircraft pilot and sensor operator training. “We are here because we love fl ying and The 559th FTS uses the T-6A Texan II to love to instruct,” he said. “We fi nd pleasure train instructor pilots who will teach pilots in spending hours briefi ng, fl ying and debrief- basic fl ying skills, while the 560th FTS quali- ing in order to see the student succeed and fi es fi ghter and bomber pilots as instructor become a better pilot and better offi cer. We pilots in the T-38C Talon. understand that the people we are teaching Lt. Col. Joel DeBoer, 560th FTS commander, will have a signifi cant impact of the next gen- said pilot instructors play an “incredibly im- eration of Air Force pilots.” portant” role in the Air Force because they The 12th FTW’s reach extends beyond JBSA- are “producing the next generation of Air Randolph. Force pilots and offi cers. The 306th Flying Training Group, which com- “The next-generation Air Force pilot has to prises an operations support squadron and four be able to take in an incredible amount of in- fl ying training squadrons, is based at the Air formation and quickly make sound and correct Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. decisions within seconds with little to no room The 479th Flying Training Group at NAS for error,” he said. “The instructor’s role is criti- Pensacola, the Air Force’s only training pipeline cal in teaching skills like situational awareness, for combat systems offi cers, consists of an opera- decision making and risk management in addi- tions support squadron and two fl ying training tion to all the basic pilot skills.” squadrons. The wing’s other fl ying squadrons are the 435th The 12th FTW traces its lineage to the 12th Fighter Training Squadron, which conducts Bombardment Group in World War II. The 12th Photo by Airman 1st Class Stormy Archer Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals student has also been activated as a fi ghter wing at Turner Second Lt.