Laughlin pilots step up, fly over California NASCAR race

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  At 40 seconds past 3:02 p.m. Feb. 24, the skies over California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., were empty as the last notes of the Star Spangled Banner rang out.

At precisely 3:02:45 p.m., a formation of four T-38 Talon jets from Laughlin screamed overhead, officially opening the 2008 NASCAR California Sprint Cup.

While the precise timing and execution of the maneuver may have impressed the thousands of race fans at the track that day, it was the ability of Laughlin's pilots to react quickly and accept challenges that made the flyover possible.

Lt. Col. Jon Counsell, 87th Flying Training Squadron assistant director of operations, said the tasking came about as a last-minute request for volunteers from the 19th Air Force.

"What usually takes two to three months to coordinate was done in eight hours," the colonel said. "We had to get command approval, work with maintenance to get additional planes to support this, add pilots, coordinate with air traffic control, adjust the schedules for two of our jets already going to California for training and more."

The last-minute request for a flyover came about when the previously scheduled Navy flight had to cancel for unspecified reasons. That's when the Air Force stepped up, Colonel Counsell said.

Maj. Andrea Jensen, 19th AF, was excited to get a response from Laughlin after putting the word out to Air Education and Training Command bases that the Air Force Recruiting Service was asking for volunteers to fly fighter-type jets in California over the weekend.

"We were really glad they were able to roll [the flight] into their weekend training," she said.

At Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service, Master Sgt. Larry Wright said the flyover had further-reaching effects than just a crowd-pleasing spectacle.

"Thankfully Laughlin jumped on board," he said. "The flyover was absolutely perfect. They saved the day for sure."

The master sergeant explained the Air Force receives free recruiting space at events where it performs flyovers. He said NASCAR races usually have anywhere from 80,000 to 90,000 people in attendance, and recruiters can get anywhere from 50 to 250 "leads" on potential recruits from one race.

"The flyover is pivotal to our mission," Sergeant Wright said. "It allows us access to a venue we wouldn't have otherwise."

The fans and recruiters weren't the only ones who enjoyed the four-ship flyover. Colonel Counsell said the flight was not only an "incredible experience," but that it also provided a great training opportunity.

"This was a great lesson in adjustments to timing and flexibility," he said. "It's very dynamic training and exposes pilots to real-world situations. Timing is crucial for a pilot, whether he's flying over a crowd of thousands of people or leading a strike package to put bombs on time on a specific target."

The mission was almost identical to real-world alert situations, where pilots sit ready to launch at a moment's notice, due to the precise timing needed to put the jets in the sky over the racetrack at a very specific moment, the colonel added.

"I had several pilots sitting in a room in full flight gear waiting for a phone call telling us to scramble," Colonel Counsell explained. "When that call came through, we grabbed our gear, fired up the jets and took off without hesitation."

In addition to the practical training the pilots received, they were also privy to VIP treatment on the ground at the race track.

"The crowd's reaction to us was awesome," Colonel Counsell said. "When we went to the race after the flyover, we met fans, visited pit road, met the drivers and rode in some of the official vehicles during caution periods."

The benefits of Laughlin's involvement in the events could have longer-lasting benefits than immediately visible. Sergeant Wright said California Speedway typically only requests Navy flyovers, but will begin considering the Air Force for future requests.

"Those pilots were point-on perfect," he said. "The next time they [California Speedway] need a formation of jets to fly over their event, they'll have the Air Force on their mind."