NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST, Fla. (AFNS) —
U.S. Airmen and Royal Netherlands Air Force personnel from Morris Air National Guard Base, Arizona, traveled to Naval Air Station Key West wrapping up a two week-training occasion in May with the ultimate Dutch B-Course pupil pilots.
This non permanent responsibility happy the over-water training and dissimilar plane training required by the scholar pilot course syllabus of the RNLAF.
“Since we are only flying over land in Tucson, [Arizona] our altitude awareness is really good,” stated Lt. Col. Joost Luijsterburg, RNLAF detachment commander. “Every class goes to a location to fly over water and give them a different perspective.”
While flying over open waters, there are not any floor references comparable to vehicles, buildings, and terrain to find out altitude. This training is essential in getting ready the scholars for his or her return residence to the Netherlands the place most flying happens over the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Two college students discovered themselves loads decrease in altitude throughout the training than that they had thought, Luijsterburg stated.
The different objective for the scholar pilots was to see the arduous work of deploying varied personnel belongings as a cohesive unit, Luijsterburg stated. As an instance, Luijsterburg stated that the scholar pilots have been stunned to be taught that their upkeep crew had introduced a spare plane engine, as a contingency.
The 162nd Logistics Readiness Squadron coordinated the TDY with the 161st Air Refueling Wing and with the 107th Airlift Wing to offer a KC-135 Stratotanker and a C-17 Globemaster III, respectively, for a seamless motion of personnel and tools spherical journey to NAS Key West.
The 148th Fighter Squadron introduced alongside six of their very own F-16 Fighting Falcons from Morris ANGB to fly in opposition to F-18 Super Hornets.
“In Tucson, the students have not had an opportunity to fight against dissimilar aircraft,” stated Lt. Col. Andrew Wittke, the 148th FS commander. “When we are fighting a different platform with different capabilities, it changes things up quite a bit. It is some of the best training you can do as a young lieutenant.”
The journey can also be vital as a result of that is the final Dutch F-16 B-course to graduate earlier than closing out their contract and transferring again to their residence nation.
“This is a big deal and a bittersweet thing,” Wittke stated.
After a 32-year partnership, that is the final TDY that the RNLAF will take part in as a part of the 148th FS earlier than returning residence to the Netherlands.
“I, myself, was a student in the 148th Fighter Squadron in 1991,” Luijsterburg stated. “That was 31 years ago and now I am going to close this unit in a couple of months. It is the end of an era; I think you could say.”
The Dutch have been the primary in a protracted line of international companions to coach at Morris ANG Base. On common, they flew 2,000 hours a yr and graduated 4 pupil pilots each 9 months.
“I will be sad to see them leave,” Wittke stated. “They have been one of our best partners. They are always in combat with us and that loyalty I find incredibly inspiring.”