Wing flying hours close out day early

Published Jan. 22, 2007
By SrA Amanda Mills
Public Affairs

Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Vance Air Force Base flying hours for fiscal 2004 zeroed out Tuesday, one day ahead of Air Education and Training Command's set schedule.
The T-1As completed 28,498 hours, the T-37s completed 44,391 hours and the T-38s completed 17,518 hours.
AETC directs the number of hours Team Vance must complete each year, according to Maj Don Kirkham, 71st OSS wing programmer.
"We've already been given the numbers for fiscal '05, so the flying squadrons, maintenance and everyone else involved could develop the annual flying program," Major Kirkham said. "Fiscal '05's flying hour program (or FHP) has already been planned, coordinated and submitted to the wing commander (Col Mike Callan). He approved and signed it Sept. 21."
"Because of a reduction in pilot requirements for next year, there are some reductions in Vance AFB's fiscal '05 FHP," said Col Kevin Kriner, 71st Operations Group commander. "These reductions will create some challenges for Team Vance, but I'm confident that our outstanding troops will tackle these challenges to make fiscal 05 another successful year."
Because squadrons can possibly lose hours to unexpected weather or unforeseen circumstances, the flying program is always planned to finish one day early.
"This gives us a one-day buffer, on the chance our numbers aren't down to zero by the day we planned to finish," Major Kirkham said.
Flying hours are set to ensure proper pilot training and to help maintenance keep the base's fleet healthy, Major Kirkham said. AETC Instruction 21-104 states the flying plan is a contract between the wing commander and AETC and must be met to "conduct high quality student training and maintain high aircraft mission capability."
"Team Vance's total for 2004 was 90,407 hours," Major Kirkham said. "It's impressive that we can plan out that many hours and that Team Vance comes together to accomplish the annual plan down to the minute.
This year was also the best I've seen in three years for the student timeline position. Each squadron did an excellent job of managing the flying hours while still ensuring student training stayed on schedule."
"Vance AFB had a great year using its fiscal '04 FHP to accomplish our primary flying mission: graduating new pilots for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps," Colonel Kriner said. "Through the hard work, dedication and cooperation between operations, maintenance and support functions, Team Vance continued its perfect record of graduating 100 percent of our Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training students on time."