'Haboob Havoc' attracts pilots from afar, generations

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  In 1909, the Aero Club of America sponsored exhibitions and races and issued licenses to U.S. pilots. The same year the first fly-ins took place in France, setting a tradition that returned to Luke Air Force Base last week.

"I was probably the oldest guy in the room," said Russ Westphal, 71, civilian aviator from Chandler. "In my flight suit, I got some interesting looks from the younger pilots."

Brig. Gen. JD Harris, 56th Fighter Wing commander, provided the driving force behind reinstating the tradition of gathering pilots, past and present, to share knowledge with one another. He hopes to make this an annual event.

"Fighter pilots used to get together," Harris said. "We've gotten away from those days. There is a considerable amount of experience and lessons-learned that our older pilots can give to the new pilots."

The fly-in, called "Haboob Havoc," was similar to an event held here in January. This one consisted of a full day of events including air-to-ground competition on the Barry M. Goldwater Range, classroom academics, a guest speaker and a social gathering, attended by Westphal.

"I sent out a formal e-mail invitation to all wing commanders in the U.S. on behalf of General Harris," said Maj. Chad Sebero, 62nd Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations from Marinette, Wis., and fly-in organizer. "The event was open to all U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots, young and old, along with their spouses."

A fly-in with an air-to-air focus was held at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, Va. Luke's event included air-to-ground competition with fighter pilots from Operation Desert Storm and Vietnam.

"I enjoyed talking with the guys who'd been there and done that," Sebero said. "I've been in the cockpit for five years and have never seen this before. The whole idea was to pass on knowledge."

The younger F-16 pilots call their older mentors the "old craniums," a jab at their longevity behind the stick.

"It's great to meet a lot of the guys who flew in Vietnam," said Capt. Sean Canfield, 62nd FS instructor pilot, who grew up in an Air Force family and never lived in any one place more than a couple of years. "When they're around us, we take them back to their younger days and they make us humble."

The air-to-ground competition on the range was scheduled to last four hours but was cut short because of poor weather conditions and a real haboob, a desert wind storm.

The one-day Luke fly-in included 25 aircraft not assigned to the base and four F-16 pilots from Nellis AFB, Nev., four pilots from Hill AFB, Utah, and an active-duty pilot and a Guard pilot from Tucson. Tight budget constraints played a part in keeping a number of pilots from attending.

"This was my way to give back," Westphal said, who is the 62nd FS honorary commander and flies Citation jets and rotary wing aircraft (helicopters) and is co-pilot qualified on the B-25 Mitchell flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces. "Most F-16 pilots never get to talk with a stick-and-rudder aircraft pilot. I fly the planes with round engines."

The tradition of pilots flying to an airfield, trying to break air records and spending time socializing has returned to the 70-year-old Luke field. A part of aeronautic history not lost with the 21st Century F-16 pilot.