![]() In addition to overseeing the scheduling of instructors, he ensures their training is up to date, paperwork is properly filled out and orders are cut. Jon Wrinn serves as the full-time flight operations officer for the 15 traditional reservists who conduct T-6 training. They were the student training shock absorbers, cranking out the sorties and answering our rally flag for help.” The traditional reservists provided tremendous support, stepping up to the plate when we needed them. “The active-duty folks were in permanent change-of-station status, taking care of families and homes. “The move from Randolph occurred with minimum loss of training,” he said. We couldn’t accomplish the mission without them.”ĭressel said that having the reservists available to help during the relocation of the active-duty 435th FTS from Randolph AFB to Moody last year was a blessing. Obviously, they augment the active-duty force and fill out the flying schedule to get the pilot trainees out the door. Kenny Dressel, 479th deputy group commander. Stand an active-duty instructor pilot and a Reserve instructor pilot side by side and you can’t tell them apart,” said Lt. … and we are part of it through and through.” They make sure we are treated as an integral part of their operation. “The relationship has been working brilliantly,” Winn said, “thanks to the quality of the reservists and the attitude of the active-duty guys, from the lowest level all the way up to the group commander. We’re just pleased to be able to help out.”Īfter a little more than a year, the major said he is happy with how things are going between his squadron and the 479th FTG. This impressive instructor force is a major contributor to the AETC flying training mission. “There are nearly 500 trained and experienced Reserve pilots within associate units who each fly six days per month, minimum. “The AETC instructors are working their tails off right now,” Winn said. The Reserve has five other associate units - one in Oklahoma, one in Mississippi and three in Texas - flying T-38, AT-38, T-37 and T-1 aircraft. Winn was quick to point out that the 39th is just one piece of the pilot training pie. “April 24 marked a historical first not only for the unit but the Air Force with these pilots finishing as the first class in the Texan II here at Moody.” “Our job as members of the reserve component is to augment the active-duty cadre and train pilots for the Air Force,” Winn said. Afterward, the students progressed on to phase three training at other AETC bases. “What’s more exciting is the fact we are working with our active-duty counterparts to stand up a new operation and produce the next generation of pilots for the Air Force.”Īpril 26 marked a milestone for the squadron as it graduated the first class of 15 students - two Navy and 13 Air Force - from phase two of JSUPT. Stephen Winn, 39th FTS operations officer. “It is very exciting for the unit to be able to fly a brand-new aircraft,” said Maj. The 39th and 3rd at Moody AFB are the only two squadrons in the Air Force flying the T-6 to train both Air Force and Navy pilots. It has tandem seats, a pressurized cockpit and sophisticated electronics including a global positioning system for navigation. The T-6, which features a single, 1,100-horsepower engine, can reach a top speed of 350 mph. Reserve pilots support IFF training in the T-38C aircraft, while they support JSUPT in the Air Force’s newest trainer, the T-6 Texan II. Working side by side with their active-duty partners in the 49th FTS, 3rd FTS and 435th FTS, the unit’s reservists teach student pilots in the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals and Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training courses. Administratively, the Reserve squadron belongs to the 340th FTG at Randolph AFB, Texas. The 39th Flying Training Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., stood up April 2, 2001, as an associate unit to Air Education and Training Command’s 479th Flying Training Group. The 39th Flight Test Squadron was one of those units to be shut down, marking the eighth time the squadron had been deactivated since its inception in 1940.īut just like a cat with nine lives, the squadron, which had 22 aces in World War II and Korea, is up and running once again, this time with a new mission. Bases were closed, manpower authorizations were trimmed, and many squadrons with long and distinguished histories were deactivated. In the early 1990s, the Air Force went through a downsizing period. Associate unit teaching the art of flying at South Georgia base ![]()
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