Lakeland Tower: “SPAR 28, you are cleared for a Practice Instrument Approach to Runway 05, Circle to Runway 09, cleared for the Option.”
SPAR 28: “Roger. SPAR 28 is cleared for the Practice Instrument Approach to Runway 05, Circle to Runway 09. Cleared for the Option.”
In the Spring of 2002, the 310th Airlift Squadron was busy training new Gulfstream pilots to fly the 4-star military commanders from our home base at MacDill AFB on the south side of Tampa Bay. Each weekday morning a training flight departed at 0800 for two hours of practice approaches at Ft Myers Airport and Lakeland Airport, rather than just beating up the pattern around MacDill. We called this “exporting the noise,” and it allowed our new pilots to train in the relatively new RNAV GPS approaches, as well as older NDB, TACAN, and ILS approaches.
Opportunity for a ‘collab’, but it wasn’t allowed
In late March 2002, Lakeland prepared to host their annual Sun -N- Fun Fly-In, second only to Oshkosh in size and spectators. One morning our Chief of Training, Major Bob Giddings, was conducting a training flight with numerous touch-and-goes and low approaches to the Lakeland runways. One of our favorite training scenarios was to fly the non-precision NDB approach to Runway 05, a fairly short runway, then level off at 500 feet and enter a left downwind for a circling approach to Runway 09. This usually ended in a touch and go landing for a practice short field landing to a full-stop and taxi back for another takeoff before returning to MacDill.
As Major Giddings completed the training profile, Lakeland Tower asked him if MacDill would be sending the new C-37 to the Sun-N-Fun airshow the following month. Bob said he didn’t know about that but would ask the question.
Regs are Regs
Upon landing at MacDill, Bob stopped by my Director of Operations (310AS/DO) office to tell me about his short conversation. Bob and I had both flown the Gulfstream at Andrews AFB prior to moving south a month earlier to create this new VIP airlift squadron. We both knew that our regulations prohibited using VIP aircraft, such as the C-37 (a brand-new G-V), the C-32 (B-757), or any other fancy blue and white aircraft in airshows. Whether it was for security reasons, or not wanting the public to damage our mahogany wood and blue leather interiors, I don’t know. We only knew it was “against regulations.” But Bob is a clever pilot.
“Well, you know Dave, I could file a flight plan with a 20-minute instrument delay at Lakeland and request the NDB to 05, Circle to 09, for a low approach.”
I told him that if the Sun-N-Fun Air Show Coordinator was okay with that request, then I was, too. Bob headed out the door to make some phone calls.
I love it when a plan comes together
A few weeks later, as hundreds of general aviation aircraft descended upon Lakeland Airport, Major Giddings prepared for another routine training mission, departing in the afternoon, instead of the usual morning takeoff. VIP pilots pride themselves in on-time arrivals down to the second and Bob approached Lakeland Airport right at the coordinated 3:00 ETA. Ten minutes earlier, the Air Boss directed that all aircraft land for a special inbound fly-over. With the skies now clear of small aircraft, SPAR 28 made its approach request. To cover our bases and prevent any possible accusations, Major Giddings radioed, “SPAR 28 requests a Practice Instrument Approach to Runway 05, Circle to Runway 09, for the option.” This emphatic request was unusual but it was on tape that this was a legal training maneuver and “not an airshow.” Clearance for the option allowed the pilot to land or go around.
Bob’s student descended toward the airport and began the NDB approach to Runway 05, which was now closed and only used to park hundreds of small aircraft. Leveling off at a chosen altitude of 500 feet, Bob and his trainee could see thousands of spectators in lawn chairs or standing alongside the stanchions gazing upward as the gleaming blue and white jet whistled overhead. Passing over show center at 500 feet the C-37 banked left, rolled out briefly, then banked left again, lining up with Runway 09. The sleek executive jet with United States of America painted above the six oval windows descended to 50 above the landing threshold when Bob commanded, “Go Around.”
The trainee thumbed the TOGA button on the autothrottles and the Rolls Royce engines revved up to 14,000 pounds of the thrust each as they pitched to 20 degrees nose high, pointing into the blue Florida sky. After a quick climb to 4,000 feet the Air Force crew thanked the Lakeland Tower for accommodating their ‘training request’ and switched frequencies to Departure Control for the short hop back to MacDill. Who knew training could be such a crowd-pleaser? The things we do for our country.
