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OnBase: Columbus Air Force Base

By Sarah J. Schmidt

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Summer 2007

As one of only three Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) bases in the Air Force, there’s a good chance every pilot you meet either spent time at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi or knows someone who did.

It’s the place where aviation careers start, where pilots get their wings and first touch the sky.

Columbusboasts a long and distinguished military history. Originally established as an Army air field in 1941, the base later hosted a contract flying school during the Korean War. The mission changed during the 1950s, and Columbus Air Force Base became the Strategic Air Command home to B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers flying in Vietnam. The base transferred to Air Training Command in 1969, and the first class of student pilots entered an Air Force training program that came to be known as SUPT.

Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training

No, this isn’t like Top Gun. This is what happens before Top Gun – way before! SUPT – Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training – is where students actually learn to fly. For most, this is their first real assignment in the Air Force, having graduated college only a few months prior. Many come from ROTC programs, Officer Training School or the Air Force Academy. A select few come with prior enlisted experience after demonstrating the maturity and professionalism to be recognized and referred by their commanders.

For all, it is a make-or-break opportunity that will determine the course of their Air Force careers.

SUPT students spend an intensive 52-weeks submerged in classroom, simulator and flight training. The first phase of training involves six weeks of academics, followed by about five months of basic aircraft instruction in the Cessna T-37, affectionately known as the “Tweet” because of its high-pitched engine noise. The T-37s are slowly being replaced by the newer, more efficient T-6A Texan II, which arrived at Columbus last October. By November 2007, the Texan IIs will have replaced all the Tweets. In these aircraft, students learn takeoffs and landings, aerobatics, instrument flying and navigation.

Instructors evaluate students during this phase and determine which aircraft they’re best suited to operate: airlifters/tankers or fighters/bombers. Instructors also may recommend some students as First Assignment Instructor Pilots, or FAIPs. Students, of course, voice their preferences but the final selection depends on the projected needs of the Air Force at the time the student is scheduled to graduate.

The last phase of training is tailored to the aircraft a student has been selected to fly. Those slotted for fighter or bomber assignments train in the T-38C Talon, while those bound for tanker or airlift assignments train in the T-1A Jayhawk. This part of the training consumes another six months, culminating in a formal graduation ceremony and weekend celebration that students often invite friends and relatives to attend.

The highlight comes when the new pilots receive their first silver wings. Tradition dictates that this set of wings must be broken, not worn, in order to secure the pilot’s continued safety and supremacy in the sky.

Scarlett O’Hara For A Day

The graceful southern lifestyle of Columbus and the surrounding area provides a nice escape from the frantic pace of SUPT training. But don’t underestimate this sleepy little town – there’s plenty to do here.

For the outdoor enthusiast, there’s everything from world-class golf to world-class fishing. Old Waverly, recently named by Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 greatest courses, is only 20 minutes from base. Columbus Lake, only 15 minutes from base, hosts fishing tournaments throughout the year. The lake formed when the Army Corps of Engineers built the scenic Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, popularly known as the Tenn-Tom, which connects 16,000 miles of mid-America with the Gulf of Mexico. Some 9,000 acres of flooded timber and brush lie under Columbus Lake, forming the perfect habitat for bass, crappie, catfish and bream.

For history buffs, Columbus is a living museum. Thanks to its status as a medical center during the Civil War, most of the city’s oldest structures escaped damage. Today, more than 200 beautifully preserved antebellum homes grace Columbus’ city streets. Several open for tours year-round, and many more open for two weeks during the city’s Pilgrimage celebration each spring. Costumed hosts and hostesses, including many volunteers from the base, bring history alive through tours and re-enactments that attract visitors from around the world. One wealthy resident even donated an entire wardrobe of expensive antebellum gowns solely for use by Columbus Air Force Base volunteers during Pilgrimage. Where else will you have the opportunity to dress like Scarlett O’Hara for a day?

Columbuscalls itself “the center of the South” and for good reason – just about every major Southern city is within a day’s drive. That makes it easy to come back for a visit long after pilots complete SUPT.

And many do, because it feels a lot like coming home.           

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Attorney and military spouse Sarah J. Schmidt writes regularly for Military Money and other business publications. She enjoyed two busy years at Columbus but couldn’t get enough of the local BBQ and catfish.

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Columbus At A Glance

Housing: Three residential areas on base offer ranch-style duplexes; one area includes new homes with garages and sunrooms. Furnished dormitories house single SUPT students but many obtain permission to rent/lease off base. The off-base housing market is rather tight. More rentals are projected as downtown renovation projects produce upper-level apartments in the heart of historic Columbus.

Cost of living: The very affordable lifestyle, along with the mild climate, lures many military retirees back to the area.

Employment: Opportunities are better here than you might expect. A regional medical center and three nearby educational institutions offer jobs in a variety of professions. Some local shops welcome SUPT spouses for short-term employment.

Schools: There are no schools on base, so students attend public schools off base or carpool to one of many private or parochial schools in the area. In 2002, Columbus began efforts to improve its public schools, paying special attention to the needs of military children. Changes have included ongoing training for counselors and teachers, open forums for military parents and school officials, and new communication tools such as an orientation DVD distributed to all military families upon arrival.

Higher Education: Mississippi State University, East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) and Mississippi University for Women are all within a 30-minute drive from base. Each offers a wide range of certification, undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Classes not available at the base education center can be easily attended at nearby campus locations. EMCC even offers special access for military spouses who want to audit classes.

Must Do: Columbus Pilgrimage features antebellum homes open to the public each spring. (Spouses, volunteer to be a guide and wear a hoop skirt!) Market Festival turns Main Street into a pedestrian plethora of food, fun and concerts every first weekend in May. At Friendship Cemetery, drama students re-enact historic “ghost stories” from the lives of 18th-century citizens buried there (great for kids because it’s educational and not really scary, but not suitable for pre-schoolers).

Must Eat: You’ll love the BBQ at PJ’s, potato soup at Sweet Peppers, catfish at Rueben’s and sweet tea anywhere it’s served! Try Woody’s on the Water for a romantic meal at sunset. The Saturday morning downtown farmer’s market is the place for fresh vegetables, flowers, etc., but everything’s gone by noon.

Must See: Picnic under the stars during the lighted boat parade on the nearby Tenn-Tom Waterway each Christmas. The Rosenzweig Art Gallery on Main Street features ongoing exhibits and classes.

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