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Air Mobility Command Civic Leaders gather for a group photo June 17, 2021, on the flightline at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The civic leaders toured Vance AFB for two days to gain a greater understanding of how the Air Force trains the world’s best pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Cameron Schultz)

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Kevin Twohig, right, Air Mobility Command civic leader representing Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, uses a virtual reality headset to fly a simulated mission June 17, 2021, at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Observing Twohig’s mission are Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, left, AMC commander, and 2nd Lt. Leanne Trump, a student pilot at Vance AFB. The civic leaders toured Vance AFB for two days to gain a greater understanding of how the Air Force trains the world’s best pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Cameron Schultz)

AMC civic leaders visit Vance to learn about pilot training

Published June 25, 2021
71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Eighteen civic leaders from Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, visited Vance Air Force Base, June 16-18.

Hosted by Col. Jay Johnson, the commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing, the civic leaders were sponsored by Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, AMC commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Brian Kruzelnick, AMC command chief.

The purpose of the trip was to show high-level civilians how and where Air Force pilots are trained, and the rigors each student and instructor pilot goes through over the course of a daily mission.

During their stay, they toured the flying portions of the base, to include the air traffic control tower and simulators, and contracted aircraft maintenance.

They capped off their first day with Enid, Oklahoma, civic leaders and Vance’s Partners in the Sky at a downtown dinner.

The second day saw the visitors enjoying breakfast with Vance Airmen and lunch with student pilots before shadowing the ground portion of a T-6 Texan II training sortie. They stepped through each portion of an actual mission before proceeding to the aircraft and observing pre-flight checks before the aircraft’s departure.

The tour concluded with hands-on demonstrations with airsickness/spatial disorientation simulators and survival briefings in addition to immersive and virtual reality cockpit simulators.

“We were delighted to host General Van Ovost and her team,” said Johnson. “Airpower begins at Vance Air Force Base, and since eighty percent of our instructor pilots come from AMC, ensuring civic leaders understand the criticality of our mission and can communicate it, is vitally important.”