NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. –
The 479th Flying Training Group tested their emergency response plan during an aircraft mishap exercise Feb. 16 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Majs. Amy Husmann and Greg Voelkel, 479th FTG Plans and Programs, spent four months planning the exercise, which fulfilled the group's annual requirement to practice aircraft mishap response.
The exercise simulated a midair collision between a T1-A Jayhawk and T-6A Texan II and involved the 451st and 455th Flying Training Squadrons with support from the NAS Pensacola air operations, fire department and command staff. The 12th Flying Training Wing, the 479th's parent unit, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, provided off site command support for the exercise.
Practicing contingency response plans is vital because "these operations are rarely executed," said Voelkel. "Any plan or checklist that sits on the shelf quickly becomes dated. Exercises allow us to solidify procedures and fix checklists so we are better prepared for actual emergencies."
The exercise also gave the group a chance to identify and iron out potential kinks that they might encounter during a real incident response, according to Husmann.
The 479th serves in a tenant status on NAS Pensacola, which makes the exercise all the more important, according to Col. Neil Allen, 479th FTG commander.
"While I hope we never have to execute one of these responses, it's reassuring to know that if an incident ever occurs we are ready to work in concert with the 12 FTW and our Navy hosts to respond to the situation," he said.