Free Republic

Four pilots at Vance Air Force Base in Enid are under investigation to determine if they flew too low over Kennick Stadium in Iowa before the Hawkeyes played Ohio State back in November. "The gentlemen involved are instructor pilots and part of this was a training mission," said 1st Lt. Katherine Roling. Although the fly over was authorized, pilots with the Air Force are required to fly at least 1,000 feet above congested areas such as a sports stadium. Nearly two weeks after the flyover, the Air Force is still trying to determine exactly how low the pilots flew. Since...

Learning to fly is hard, learning to fly a military aircraft is even harder. And learning to fly a military aircraft at night is hardest of all. Because of the fact many combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan are flown after dark, more emphasis has been placed in recent years on training military student pilots to fly at night. As a result, every three weeks the men and women earning their wings at Vance Air Force Base do their flying after the sun goes down. The next night flying week at Vance is scheduled to begin Monday. During a recent...

5/8/2006 - VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) -- The U.S. commander in chief stopped here May 6 en route to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater to give the commencement address. President George W. Bush was greeted by more than 300 servicemembers, civilians and their families. While the event was special for the base, it was the "best 17th birthday present in the world" for Betsy Kriner, daughter of Col. Kevin Kriner, 71st Operations Group commander, and his wife, Mary. “It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said the Enid High School junior, who received a hug and had...