COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Over 150 of former and current First Assignment Instructor Pilots FAIPs from across the Air Force gathered here for three days during the FAIP Fly-In, an event blending professional development, mentorship and camaraderie for the community of young officers who serve as the backbone of the pilot training mission.
The multi-day forum featured senior leader keynote speakers, career development briefings and one-on-one mentorship sessions, offering FAIPs a rare opportunity to connect directly with general officers and command-level leaders. Organizers say the Fly-In is designed to both celebrate and develop the instructors responsible for training the Air Force’s newest aviators.
Col. James Blech, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, urged them to embrace their role. "Every second you invest in our Airmen matters. Your enthusiasm for flying and dedication to excellence will leave a lasting mark on the entire force."
FAIPs are unique in the Air Force. Instead of moving directly to an operational unit after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training, they remain at training bases like Columbus, Laughlin, Vance, or Sheppard as instructors, teaching student pilots while simultaneously sharpening their own skills. For many, the Fly-In is the first chance to step away from the day-to-day grind of sorties and syllabi to see the bigger picture of how their work impacts the Air Force mission.
“Having the opportunity to connect with other members of the Air Force pilot training community in a forum like the FAIP Fly-In encourages both new and old instructors to share common themes, lessons learned, and to build connections that will span careers,” said Capt. Mack Galvin, 37th Flying Training Squadron flight commander.
Leaders emphasized that the event is more than just a networking weekend. Sessions focused on leading through change, embedding positive organizational culture, self-awareness, and leadership principles they can take through their careers.
The goal: ensure FAIPs leave the event not only motivated but also equipped with the tools to excel in future roles.
“FAIPs often roll into their new operational squadrons as young co-pilots and wingmen while their peers are already aircraft commanders and instructors,” said Lt. Col. John Powers, 41st Flying Training Squadron director of operations. “It’s important for them to know and understand that the leadership and airmanship they’ve developed throughout their hundreds of sorties as FAIPs will translate quickly in their follow-on assignments and throughout the rest of their careers.”
Still, the community aspect was just as important. Informal socials, small-group discussions and shared experiences helped build esprit de corps among FAIPs from different bases. Organizers said those connections are vital in a career field where young officers watch their peers move directly to fighter, bomber, or mobility units.
Galvin emphasized the unifying effect of the event, noting that it "forged connections across the FAIP core, from U-2 pilots at Beale AFB to instructors training the next generation of FAIPs at Randolph AFB."
By instructing early in their careers, they not only help produce the Air Force’s next generation of aviators but also gain leadership, instructional, and flying skills that will benefit them and the service for years to come.
“FAIPs are not just instructor pilots, they are officers, leaders, coaches, and future combat-ready wingmen and co-pilots. It’s critical to provide deliberate development like this FAIP Fly-In to grow them, to educate them, and to better prepare them for this assignment and the next,” said Col. Nicholas S. Lofthouse, 14th Flying Training Wing operations group commander. “We are in a critical time of consequence in the Air Force. Ours is a strategic imperative to produce competent military pilots in greater numbers, ready to leave Columbus and succeed in a formal training unit, then advance to become combat mission-ready wingmen and co-pilots. Every second counts, every sortie, every sim, every brief and debrief, every mentorship opportunity needs to add maximum value. Our FAIPs are critical to this core mission.”
As the weekend closed, both senior leaders and participants highlighted the unique bond shared by FAIPs, a group entrusted with training others while still at the beginning of their own operational journeys. The FAIP Fly-In, they agreed, provides the professional reinforcement and morale boost needed to carry that demanding mission forward.