Navy’s Fleet Fly-In Concludes

November 1, 2014

When pilots and aircrew from about 20 different helicopters boarded their aircraft and departed NAS Whiting Field Friday morning, it marked the completion of another successful Fleet Fly-In for Training  Air Wing FIVE.

The annual event is one of the most anticipated events on the calendar for the installation and 2014 marked another memorable occasion. For about three days, the skies above NAS Whiting Field were peppered with gray and black aircraft amidst the orange and black training aircraft that continually fly above the base and its 13 outlying fields. With flights to outlying fields in Brewton and Evergreen, the different helicopters were sometimes spotted from the North Escambia area.

Helicopter Training Squadron EIGHT coordinated the function, and HT-8 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Rob Sinram was pleased with how the Fly-In turned out.

“This year’s Fleet Fly-In was a big success,” he said. “We got the fleet turnout we were hoping for and students got a lot of flight time and interaction with the fleet crews.”

While the Naval Helicopter Association Fleet Fly-In encompasses a variety of panel discussions on large scale aviation issues, detailer presentations on future assignments, and industry displays showcasing helicopter technologies; the thrilling part is for the TRAWING-5 flight students having an opportunity to touch, ride in, and potentially fly Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard fleet helicopters. More than 300 future aviators received such flights during the open flight periods Wednesday and Thursday.

Picture top: Student Naval aviators and pilots of a Navy MH-60R Seahawk brief before a demonstration flight at the Fleet Fly-In. Pictured below: Multiple MH-60R and MH-60S parked on the ramp at South Field shortly after sunrise. Photos by Jay Cope for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News