Luke Air Force Base plans to invite civilian pilots to the first fly-in to its military base since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Luke used to host civilian fly-ins to increase awareness between military and civilian flying operations and also to highlight important issues. It was also an excellent way for pilots from different airports and training centers to meet and network. However, after 9/11 it became next to impossible to fly a civilian aircraft into Luke. The program was discontinued, according to Major Steve Wilinksi, an event organizer.
However, the base will have to limit the total number of people and the number of aircraft that can land there, Wilinski said. “Both limits are yet to be determined but attendance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Right now, we’re hoping to accommodate 250 people and 40+ aircraft,” he said.
The tentative dates for the event are 19-20 Oct (Fri-Sat). There is some flexibility for attendees. First, you can either fly or drive in. Arrival will be on the morning of the 19th (Fri). If you drive, you can leave at any time; if you fly, departure options are discussed below.
There will be a BBQ lunch on Friday starting around noon. Lunch will be followed by a series of briefings/forums/discussions- THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WE’RE ALL GETTING TOGETHER AND IS THE ONLY MANDATORY EVENT FOR ATTENDEES. The briefings will consist of subjects such as Mid-air Collision Avoidance, Range Management, Approach Control, F-16 capabilities, and desert Survival/Rescue. The forums and discussions will branch off from there.
After the briefings, attendees are free to leave if they wish; there will be a Friday evening departure window. For those who would like to stay, there will be a social hour and dinner at the Base Club. Lodging will be available on base for those that wish to stay until Saturday. Attendees may depart first thing Saturday or take part in some of the F-16 mission-oriented tours and activities.
On Saturday, the base will have two groups. One group will have the opportunity to fly in an F-16 simulator and take a base tour. This group will be determined by lottery and will be small (approximately 30 people) based on the simulator limitations. The other group will take a bus down to the tactical ranges in southern Arizona and will see what the operations down there look like. Unless attendees would like to arrange their own transportation, this group will be returning to base around 2 p.m. Regardless of which group pilots are in, there will be two aircraft departure windows (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).
Logistics and cost are still being worked out. Lunch on Friday will probably be free; Friday dinner, lodging, and Saturday meals will be paid for by attendees. There will be no parking fees but we’re still working the fuel and maintenance issues.
Registration should start sometime in the next two months. “We have to start it early for logistics planning and because background checks must be accomplished for everyone attending,” Wilinksi said.