By 1st Lt. Tim Moran
Public Affairs Officer
Selfridge Cadet Squadron
Michigan Wing
 

&

2nd Lt. Maurice Moulton
Public Affairs Officer
Willow Run Composite Squadron
Michigan Wing

 

MICHIGAN – The roar of afterburners and the sight of five Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets launching in the dark with a plume of blue-white flame behind them drew applause from 30 cadets and 10 senior members who were guests of the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

     Cadets from the Detroit 100th, Selfridge Cadet and Willow Run Composite squadrons received some hands-on experience with pilot flight clothing and survival gear, including night-vision goggles. The cadets also got to experience the F-16 simulator -- “flying” the plane before being taken for a flightline tour before the evening sortie.
     If the cadets were impressed with the novelty of their tour experience, their hosts found themselves as equally excited by the military bearing and orderly inquisitiveness of their visitors.
     “I’m impressed with their discipline. You just don’t see that anymore,” said Air National Guard Maj. Bill Henderson.
     Henderson ordinarily pilots one of the F-16s, but took personal time to introduce the cadets to his squadron. The familiarization tour was the brainchild of Maser Sgt. David D’Arcy, aviation resource manager for the squadron and himself a Michigan Wing first lieutenant. Sergeant D’Arcy’s responsibility with the 107th is to keep track of pilot qualifications and training, determine flying status, and to handle pay for the pilots.
     For many of the cadets, it was their first opportunity to learn about the inner workings and mission of an actual fighter squadron, and to learn about the opportunities that National Guard flying might represent. They also learned from Major Henderson that Civil Air Patrol is respected as a good starting point for aviation – and that many of the cadets had already done something the major had not -- piloting a civilian light plane during orientation flights.
     “No matter what, anytime you get in the air is great! Flying is awesome; it’s incredible,” Major Henderson told the cadets.
     F-16 pilot 1st Lt. Erik Simpson backed that up as he helped cadets experience the simulator. Flying is the easy part, he warned. He told the cadets that keeping track of everything going on as part of a mission and keeping proficient to be ready to fly is more difficult and detail-oriented.
     The cadets also got safety advice from Master Sgt. Ed Stone, a life support specialist, who demonstrated pilot equipment and took apart the contents of a survival vest to show the signaling and emergency tools carried by fliers.

     “We tell the pilots ‘dress to egress,” said Sergeant Stone, noting that flights may start from a good-weather location, but emergencies may leave a pilot stranded in snowy terrain with freezing temperatures.

     Sergeant Stone also clarified the team relationship that runs throughout a fighter squadron, and talked about how each unit member takes care of each other. He demonstrated so-called “firefly” personal rescue beacons, letting cadets use night-vision goggles to see the strobe flashes of the otherwise invisible beacon, and he talked about escape-and-evasion ideas that pilots must be aware of.

     He also talked about the importance of doing things “by the book” so that crucial equipment is always available in the same position and form. As a life support leader, Stone carefully adjusts pilot equipment including oxygen masks, and even tailors flight clothing to precisely fit the pilots for their mission.

     “They’re my kids. They know I’m one of their ‘last chances’ as they walk out the door. It’s a fabulous relationship,” Sergeant Stone told the cadets.