25th Flying Training Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 25th Flying Training Squadron (25 FTS) is part of the 71st Flying Training Wing
based at Vance Air Force Base
, Oklahoma
. It operates T-38 Talon
aircraft conducting flight training.
, Air National Guard
, Air Force Reserve, and selected foreign allies since 1 November 1972.
at a college football game in Iowa City, Iowa
between the University of Iowa
and Ohio State University
. The formation was led by Christopher Kopacek and the other three pilots were Otto Gerdeman, Eric Yape, and Kevin Cossey. An investigation found that the flypast was conducted at 176 feet above ground level, far below the 1,000-feet minimum for flying over a congested area. Also, the formation's speed approached 400 knots, far above the limit of 300 knots for the flight. As a result, Kopacek was given an Article 15 punishment which included a reprimand and forfeiture of $3,158 pay per month for two months. Kopacek was also removed permanently from flying duty. The other three pilots and involved ground controllers were also disciplined, but were not removed from flying duty.
missions in the Southwest and Western Pacific from, 5 February 1944 – 14 August 1945. It was active but not operationally manned or equipped from, November 1945 – February 1946. The squadron also conducted photographic reconnaissance in western United States between 1955 and 1957.
71st Flying Training Wing
The 71st Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma where it also is the host unit....
based at Vance Air Force Base
Vance Air Force Base
Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 6 km south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about north northwest of Oklahoma City...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It operates T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
aircraft conducting flight training.
Overview
The squadron has provided Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) for active dutyActive duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
, Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, Air Force Reserve, and selected foreign allies since 1 November 1972.
Iowa college football incident
On 20 November 2010, four jets from the squadron executed a flypastFlypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
at a college football game in Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
between the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. The formation was led by Christopher Kopacek and the other three pilots were Otto Gerdeman, Eric Yape, and Kevin Cossey. An investigation found that the flypast was conducted at 176 feet above ground level, far below the 1,000-feet minimum for flying over a congested area. Also, the formation's speed approached 400 knots, far above the limit of 300 knots for the flight. As a result, Kopacek was given an Article 15 punishment which included a reprimand and forfeiture of $3,158 pay per month for two months. Kopacek was also removed permanently from flying duty. The other three pilots and involved ground controllers were also disciplined, but were not removed from flying duty.
History
The 25th flew combat reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
missions in the Southwest and Western Pacific from, 5 February 1944 – 14 August 1945. It was active but not operationally manned or equipped from, November 1945 – February 1946. The squadron also conducted photographic reconnaissance in western United States between 1955 and 1957.
Lineage
- Constituted as 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 5 Feb 1943
- Re-designated as 25th Photographic Squadron (Light) on 6 Feb 1943
- Activated on 9 Feb 1943
- Re-designated as: 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 Aug 1943
- Re-designated as: 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 24 Jan 1946
- Inactivated on 1 Apr 1949
- Re-designated as 25th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Fighter, on 4 Nov 1954
- Activated on 24 Jan 1955
- Inactivated on 1 Jul 1957
- Re-designated as 25th Flying Training Squadron on 14 Apr 1972
- Activated on 1 Nov 1972.
Assignments
- 6th Photographic (later 6th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping; 6th Photographic Reconnaissance; 6th Photographic; 6th Reconnaissance) Group6th Reconnaissance GroupThe 6th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with Fifth Air Force, stationed at Irumagawa Air Base, Japan...
, 9 Feb 1943
- Attached to V Fighter CommandV Fighter CommandThe V Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Fukuoka AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946....
after 10 Feb 1946- V Fighter CommandV Fighter CommandThe V Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Fukuoka AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946....
, 27 Apr 1946 - 315th Composite Wing, 31 May 1946
- 71st Reconnaissance (later, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance) Group71st Operations GroupThe 71st Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 71st Flying Training Wing. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma....
, 28 Feb 1947 – 1 Apr 1949
- V Fighter Command
- Attached to 315th Composite Wing to Nov 1947
- 71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 24 Jan 1955 – 1 Jul 1957
- 71st Flying Training Wing71st Flying Training WingThe 71st Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma where it also is the host unit....
, 1 Nov 1972 - 71st Operations Group71st Operations GroupThe 71st Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 71st Flying Training Wing. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma....
, 15 Dec 1991 – present
Stations
- Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado, 9 Feb – 22 Oct 1943
- Sydney AirportSydney AirportSydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
, Australia, 19 Nov 1943 - Archerfield AirportArcherfield AirportArcherfield Airport is a small airport located 7 1/2 miles at Archerfield in the south west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For some time it was the primary airport in Brisbane. During World War II it was used as a Royal Australian Air Force station. Airport traffic peaked in the 1980s...
, Brisbane, Australia, 25 Nov 1943 – 19 Jan 1944 - Lae AirfieldLae AirfieldLae Airfield is a former World War II airfield and later, civilian airport in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The airport was closed in the 1980s, in favor of Lae Nadzab Airport, which was able to accommodate larger jet aircraft. The facility is now being redeveloped.-History:Built in the 1930s...
, New Guinea, 3 Feb 1944 - Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 7 Feb 1944
- Mokmer Airfield, Biak, Netherlands East Indies, 23 Jul – 16 Nov 1944
- Dulag AirfieldDulag AirfieldDulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.-History:The airfield was built by the Japanese during the Occupation of the Philippines in 1943...
, Leyte, Philippines, 24 Nov 1944 - San Jose Airfield, Mindoro, Philippines, 3 Jan 1944
- Detachment at Dulag AirfieldDulag AirfieldDulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.-History:The airfield was built by the Japanese during the Occupation of the Philippines in 1943...
, Leyte, Philippines, to 6 Feb 1945 - Air echelon at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 14 Jun – 14 Jul 1945
- Hamasaki (Motobu Airfield)Motobu AirfieldMotobu Airfield is a World War II airfield on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa, near the East China Sea coast. The airfield was deactivated after 1945.-History:...
, Okinawa, 9 Jul 1945 - Chofu Airfield, Japan, 27 Sep 1945
- Itazuke AB, Japan, 10 Feb 1946
- Itami Airfield, Japan, 30 Mar 1946 – 1 Apr 1949
- Larson AFB, Washington, 24 Jan 1955 – 1 Jul 1957
- Vance AFB, Oklaholma, 1 Nov 1972 – present
Aircraft
- F-5 Lightning (1943–1945)
- B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
(1944) - F-6 Mustang (1946–1949)
- L-5 SentinelL-5 SentinelThe Stinson L-5 Sentinel was a World War II era liaison aircraft used by all branches of the U.S. military and by the British Royal Air Force. Along with the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, the L-5 was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWII that was purpose-built for military use and had no...
(1946) - F-2 Expeditor (1947–1948)
- RF-84 Thunderflash (1955–1957)
- T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
(1972 – present)