Last month I had a tour of Columbus AFB Mississippi, home to the USAF's 14th Flying Training Wing.
This is one of 4 main pilot training bases with T1, T6 and T38 (Randolph, Laughlin and Vance being the others), and two more with only two of these types (Sheppard and Pensacola). The scale of the operations makes for interesting comparisons with our training activity - they have around 220 (yes 200!) aircraft based at Columbus and train around 300 pilots per year there. Compare those figures with what RAF Valley will be doing next year.
Student pilots start on the T6 and then move on to either the T1 or T38 dependent upon the type of aircraft they will eventually fly. The 14FTW is also responsible for the Moody based squadron of A29 Super Tucanos that train overseas pilots.
Of course, the T38s are due to be replaced in the coming years by the Boeing T-X, some of these aircraft are over 50 years old - current thinking is maybe in the next 5 years.
Both the T6s and T38s are housed under sun shelters, which is common in the southern US and really not helpful for photography, but the T1 ramp is open.
My tour was on a Friday morning and I arrived mid afternoon on the Thursday to photograph a few hours on the approach - the busiest military airfield I've been to recently. There are three parallel runways, which makes photography tricky. Landing from the north, the T6s were bashing the circuit on the right hand runway, T1s and some T38s using the centre runway and T38s using the left hand runway. Everything stopped just before 1800 and had restarted the next morning by 0730. Friday flying and weather was more variable.
They don't get many visitors at Columbus, but I'd thoroughly recommend it. One translation issue, when I asked if I could photograph the gate guards they were concerned about what (and why) I wanted to - preserved aircraft might have been a better term!
Here's a selection, that gives a flavour
IMG_0036_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3535 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3515_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_0028 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3501_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3508_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3484_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3631_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3609_edited-1 by david santhouse, on Flickr
IMG_3324 by david santhouse, on Flickr
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Columbus AFB 14FTW
Re: Columbus AFB 14FTW
I'd like to do something like this, how did you get a base tour? I wonder what other bases do tours.
Re: Columbus AFB 14FTW
An interesting article and images. Cheers
Re: Columbus AFB 14FTW
Hi David
Any set containing gorgeous little Northrops floats my boat
Thanks for posting
Paddyboy
Any set containing gorgeous little Northrops floats my boat
Thanks for posting
Paddyboy
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