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33rd Fighter Wing flies first training sortie

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 33rd Fighter Wing flew their first training flight here Jan. 18 one and a half years after the unit first stood up.

Lt. Col. John Wilbourne, 58th Fighter Squadron commander, led Maj. Matthew Renbarger, deputy of operations, on an area orientation flight to familiarize the new instructor pilot with the area.

"I'm going to show [Maj. Renbarger] some of the flight paths in the area, they we'll fly over to Tyndall and shoot some approaches," said Colonel Wilbourne. "This flight is just to familiarize him with the area. It's a standard flight when a new pilot comes in."

The pilots flew in borrowed F-16s from Luke Air Force Base.

The F-16s were brought to the wing because of its similarity to its descendant, the F-35. Its flying characteristics are similar to the F-35 so the training and mindset pilots are going to have in a single-engine fighter transitions from the F-16 into the F-35.

"This is a great day for the 33rd to be back in the flying business again," said Colonel Wilbourne.

Now that sorties are being flown, another tradition has begun again - updating the 33rd Fighter Wing public sortie board. The board, which is prominently displayed along Nomad Way has been empty for a year and a half. It displays the sortie goal, number of sorties flow, number remaining, and if the wing is ahead or behind.

"The 33FW sortie board has been showing 'Goal - 2' for over a year now in anticipation of flying again," said Colonel Wilbourne. "Changing it to 'Flown - 2' is symbolic of over a year's worth of hard work and preparation from the wing, our Marine and Navy partners, Air Education and Training Command and Luke AFB in order to make flight training a reality in the 33rd Fighter Wing."