The Last Flight

I don't want to over do it with two posts in the same day, but I wanted to share some of the pictures and thoughts from my last formation flight, my final flight, and the 189th's last flight. My last formation flight was supposed to be the last formation flight for the squadron, but they ended up forming up for a short time on the last flight just for old time's sake.

My last formation flight was during March drill weekend. It was a great flight and we got to drop actual equipment.

My last flight, March 27:

189th last flight, March 31 (via my camera phone, so sorry for the quality):

My last formation flight was very similar to my last flight in the fact that we went down through the southern parts of Idaho and Oregon and then up to the snow covered mountains north of Boise. However, on my last flight, I flew over my in-law's house, family in Emmett, and then did touch and goes at Mountain Home AFB. My final landing was the best landing I have ever had. I literally had one of the crew members ask if we had touched down. You could say I went out on top!

I will really miss flying at least once every week. Somehow I don't think the A-10 simulator will quite be the same. If you are wondering why these were my last flights, please read the blog entry prior to this one. If you are new to reading my blog, you really haven't missed too much. This was basically a forum to keep friends and family informed of my life's activities while I was away for training. However, I have and will continue to use this as time permits to keep thoughts and pictures of everyone (in addition to Facebook). Once we head off to A-10 training, I will be back in full blog force. Check back every so often to see what Candi and I are up to, since I am sure you don't have anything better to do. Thanks for reading!

My Future and the 189th Closure

Well, it has been a very long time since I posted something here, but I had so many questions about my future that I thought I should come out of retirement. I also figured if I got this out there, I wouldn't have to explain it a million times. Although, I do like to talk...especially if it is about me.

As those in the Boise area saw on the news, the 189th Airlift Squadron stood down on March 31st. It was part of the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) and we have known about the possibility for several years, with the final decision coming down in 2007 while I was in pilot training. Our squadron started taking on a new type of mission in addition to its normal mission, in hopes that we would show that we were willing and capable. We proved to be very willing and very capable, but it is more about funding and political issues. The 189th continued on flying, knowing that the normal mission was going away for sure on March 31, but with the hopes of getting a new mission. We went so far as to find four aircraft going to the bone yard, spend our money to get them in flying shape, get them transferred from the regular Air Force to the Air National Guard, and then fly them to Boise for storage. Even four C-130s on our ramp couldn't secure the funding needed. The higher ups still think there might be a slight chance that we could get the mission, but our pilots, navs, engineers, maintenance, etc. aren't going to hang around forever just waiting. Many are doing just that for a year or so, while looking for other opportunities. The 124th Wing has picked up most of our folks, with many just getting out altogether and others transferring to other guard, reserve, and active duty units.

As for me, I was one of two selected to transfer to the 190th Fighter Squadron. I was selected to go through training to become an A-10 pilot. I am very excited for the opportunity, but at the same time not looking forward to going back to school. Yep, it is back to school for me. The logistics of things will keep it at bay for another ten months or so, but come Spring of 2010 I will be off to train.

Training consists of going to the centrifuge to give you a chance to make faces...actually to see how many Gs you can take. It is a device that spins you around and you have to try to stay conscious. Not to be confused with the Barney chair that I had the unfortunate opportunity to sit in many times in the beginning of pilot training. (See Fall 2006 entries for that fun)

Once you prove that your face can look like Methuselah's in his latter years, it is off to get qualified in a T-38. The T-38 will be used at the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course, where you learn how to deploy an aircraft versus just flying one. I know this is under about 200 pounds of cheese it is so cheesy, but it is kind of like a "Top Gun" school. Only I don't think it is required that we play volleyball in jeans, no shirt, and dog tags.

Finally, comes A-10 school at Davis-Monthan AFB in the Tuscan area. Here you learn to fly and deploy the A-10. The equivalent of my Little Rock training in the Herc. Then back to good old Idaho for two years of MQT (Mission Qual Training). Long story short, it will be another three years before I will be a part-time traditional guardsman, like I am now.

Well, this is how I got to here and where I go from here. There is still a possibility that the new C-130 mission may still be handed down to the Idaho Air National Guard. If that happens any time before I get to Davis-Monthan, I will go to that squadron because I will still be a qualified pilot for that airframe. I had a blast with the 189th and wouldn't trade the last year for anything. I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me, but I am looking forward to the next chapter.