New Azores center is pit
stop
for pilots, crews crossing AtlanticBy Scott Schonauer
Rota bureau
Senior Airman Michael R. Holzworth
/ USAF
Senior Airman Tim Watson, a 65th Operational Support Squadron Transient Alert crew
chief, marshals an A-10 to its parking spot at Lajes Field in the Azores. |
Call it a
rest stop for weary military pilots and crews traveling across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Air
Force opened a new center this month at Lajes Field in the Azores for aviators who need to
make a pit stop when flying between the Middle East and the States.
The
$150,000 center accepted its first group of fliers earlier this month and received rave
reviews. Many aviators didn’t know about the place until they landed.
"I
showed them the facility," said Maj. Tim Green, the 65th Operations Support Squadron
commander. "And they said, ‘This awesome. What’s the catch?’ "
There is no
catch.
The
2,500-square-foot Aerospace Expeditionary Force Center has everything that pilots and
crewmembers need in one place: a full kitchen, a conference room where pilots can draw up
flight plans and an area they can relax as their planes are fueled up and ready to
complete their journey.
It includes
Internet access, up-to-date weather and airfield information, storage for aircraft
equipment and secure telephone lines for voice and fax communication.
It’s
in a good location, too.
Senior Airman Michael R. Holzworth
/ USAF
Staff Sgt. Eric Watts, the 65th Operation Support Squadron Transient Alert crew
chief, helps A-10 pilot Capt. Chris Thompson out of the aircraft at Lajes Field in the
Azores. The aircraft was en route to the United States from Kuwait. |
The center
is in the same building as maintenance crews, giving aviators 24-hour access to
maintenance support.
It also is
not too far from lodging.
"I’ve
never seen anything this nice," said Green, who used to fly reconnaissance aircraft.
"They can do everything here."
Plenty of
aviators will use it.
Last year,
2,500 U.S. and NATO aircraft — 320 of them fighter jets — landed at Lajes Field,
Green said. In addition to Air Force planes, the base supports Navy P-3 aircraft, which
come to Lajes to train with aircraft carrier battle groups on their way to the
Mediterranean Sea.
Aircraft
and crews deploying to Turkey or the Middle East to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq
typically land at Lajes Field on the way there.
Pilots and
crewmembers need their rest. For example, a trip from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to
Turkey could take as long as 17 hours. Lajes Field is considered a good stopping point to
sleep and get fuel.
Senior Airman Michael R. Holzworth
/ USAF
An F-15 pilot gives the thumbs up after arriving at Lajes Field in the Azores. |
The base
traditionally has given visiting aviators a good welcome, offering burgers and
refreshments when they arrive.
But Col.
Bill Percival, the base commander, came up with the idea of a center that would have
everything in one place that fliers might need to make their journey easier. So, base
officials drew up plans for the AEF center in an existing building — an unfinished
storage facility. They began construction in October and finished last month.
A group of
23 aircraft on its way to the United States from a deployment in Kuwait was the first to
touch down at the center about two weeks ago. This week, British fighter pilots stopped
by.
"The
pilots loved it," said Senior Master Sgt. Martin Page, chief of maintenance.
"They had everything they needed at their fingertips. They don’t get better
service than this anywhere in the Air Force."
Back to March's stories
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