Lakeland Tower: “SPAR 28, cleared for practice instrument approach to Runway 05, loop to Runway 09, option cleared.”
Spa 28: “Okay. SPAR 28 is approved for Practice Instrument Approach to Runway 05, Circle to Runway 09. Approved for options.”
In the spring of 2002, the 310th Airlift Wing was busy training new Gulfstream pilots to fly four-star military commanders at our home base at MacDill AFB, south of Tampa Bay. Every weekday morning at 0800, training planes departed to make two-hour practice approaches from Ft Myers and Lakeland airports rather than beat the pattern around MacDill. We called this “getting the noise out,” and it allowed new pilots to train on the relatively new RNAV GPS approaches and older NDB, TACAN, and ILS approaches.
Opportunity for ‘collaboration’, but not allowed
In late March 2002, Lakeland prepared to host its annual Sun -N- Fun Fly-In, second only to Oshkosh in size and attendance. One morning our training officer, Major Bob Giddings, was conducting a training flight with numerous contacts and moves and low approaches to the Lakeland airstrip. One of our favorite training scenarios is flying a non-precision NDB approach to Runway 05, a fairly short runway, then leveling off at 500 feet and turning left downwind for a circling approach to Runway 09. It was something to do. To practice short landings, we'll land at a full stop, taxi back, take off again, and return to MacDill.
Once Major Giddings completed his training profile, Lakeland Tower asked him if MacDill would be sending a new C-37 to the Sun-N-Fun Air Show next month. Bob doesn't know about it, but he said he would ask questions.
Regs are Regs
Upon arriving at MacDill, Bob stopped by my Director of Operations (310AS/DO) office to tell me about his brief conversation. Bob and I flew the Gulfstream out of Andrews AFB before moving south a month ago to form this new VIP airlift squadron. We both knew that our regulations prohibited us from using VIP aircraft such as the C-37 (new GV), C-32 (B-757) or any of the fancy blue and white aircraft at air shows. I don't know if it was for security reasons or if they didn't want the public to damage the mahogany wood and blue leather interior. We just knew it was “against the rules.” But Bob is a smart pilot.
“Well, you know Dave, you can file a flight plan with an instrument delay of 20 minutes at Lakeland and request a low approach to NDB at 05 and Circle at 09.”
I told him that if the Sun-N-Fun Air Show Coordinator was okay with that request, then I was okay with it. Bob went out the door to make a phone call.
I love it when plans come together
A few weeks later, with hundreds of general aviation aircraft landing at Lakeland Airport, Major Giddings arranged for another routine training mission to depart in the afternoon instead of the usual morning takeoff. VIP pilots pride themselves on arriving on time by the second, and Bob approached Lakeland Airport right at the adjusted 3:00 ETA. Ten minutes ago, the Air Boss ordered all aircraft to land for a special inbound flight. Now that the sky was clear of small aircraft, SPAR 28 made an approach request. To protect our base and prevent any possible accusations, Major Giddings radioed, “SPAR 28 requests practice instrument approach to Runway 05, Circle to Runway 09 for options.” Such a firm request was unusual, but the tapes said this was a legitimate training course and “not an air show.” Clearance for options allowed the pilot to land or go around.
Bob's students headed down towards the airport and began the NDB approach to Runway 05, which is now closed and only used to park hundreds of small aircraft. Leveling out at their chosen altitude of 500 feet, Bob and his trainees could see thousands of spectators sitting in lawn chairs or standing next to stanchions looking upward as glowing blue and white jets whistled overhead. Past the 500-foot-high Shaw Center, the C-37, leaning left, briefly rolled, then tilted left again to line up with Runway 09. The sleek luxury jet, with the United States painted on its six oval windows, descended at 50 degrees above the landing pad. This is the threshold when Bob commands “Go Around.”
The trainee pressed the TOGA button on the autothrottle and the Rolls-Royce engines produced up to 14,000 pounds of thrust each, nose up to 20 degrees and pointing toward the blue Florida sky. After a quick climb to 4,000 feet, the Air Force crew thanked Lakeland Tower for accommodating their 'training request' and switched frequencies to Departure Control for the short flight to MacDill. Who knew training could be such a crowd-pleaser? What we do for our country.