News

FAIPAPALOOZA swarms Columbus AFB

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Laura Bouchard
  • 14th Operations Support Squadron
COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. --  Graduation is an event that Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training students at Columbus AFB look forward to before they even begin their year of training. 

Graduation is the doorway to the bigger operational world. They go on to fly fighters and drop bombs, refuel F-16s miles up in the sky or deliver cargo and people to destinations around the globe. But for many aspiring young pilots, graduation from SUPT brings them right back to walk the same halls, fly the same sorties and deliver the same scathing criticisms imparted to them just a few short months before. These few brave souls are First Assignment Instructor Pilots. 

After toiling through a long year of training they are asked to wait even longer to be assigned to an airframe and operational squadron and are instead relied upon to teach the next few classes of our professional military pilots. Naturally, these types of instructors find a lot in common with one another and have immediate connections with both current and former FAIPs as well. The strong bond that develops between FAIPs along with their shared anticipation of aircraft assignments in the future led to creation of a fun and beneficial annual event called FAIPAPALOOZA. 

FAIPAPALOOZA brings together FAIPs from all across the Air Education and Training Command to discuss aviation related issues, meet with senior leadership and foster camaraderie. This year Columbus Air Force base will host the event. More than 20 years ago, a group of FAIPS started FAIPAPALOOZA, which has developed into an Air Force tradition, as an informal social gathering of FAIPs focused on building camaraderie. 

Temporarily lost, this great tradition was brought back to life by Moody AFB, Ga., in 2004. Since then, subsequent FAIPAPALOOZAs have been wildly successful and have been endorsed by upper leadership within AETC and 19th Air Force. Senior leaders see this event as a chance for FAIPs to gain valuable insight and increase esprit de corps and have therefore given support and funding to annual FAIPAPALOOZAs. 

FAIPAPALOOZA festivities will take place the today through March 2. Events will include a visit from keynote speaker Maj. Gen Mark Welsh, Air Education and Training Command vice commander, briefings from aircrews from various aircraft and bases and plenty of time for socializing with current and past FAIPs. 

General Welsh was a FAIP himself and will be addressing the FAIP forum and answering questions on Saturday afternoon. An A-10 and F-16 pilot by trade, General Welsh, has served as Commandant of Cadets at the USAF Academy and Director of Plans and Programming at Headquarters USAFE, as well as several high level staff positions before becoming the vice commander of AETC. His wealth of experience will make Saturday's forum invaluable to the many FAIPs and Columbus AFB permanent party who will be in attendance. Also in attendance will be another former FAIP, Col. Martin Schans, 47th Operations Group commander at Laughlin AFB, Texas. He will be sharing his experience and wisdom with AETC's current FAIPs. 

For years, FAIPAPALOOZA has provided a forum for young instructor pilots to interact with one another, to hear and learn from senior leadership and to continue developing their own flying careers. Columbus AFB is looking forward to hosting this event that is quickly becoming an important part of FAIP culture and tradition.