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Wichita Falls question

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gerrychuck

Well Known Member
Has anyone flown into Wichita Falls/Sheppard AFB? It looks pretty intimidating to a guy like me who normally flies from an uncontrolled strip, but I am considering a trip there some time this fall or winter, as my son will be training on the T-38. Just wondering if it's as hairy as it looks; I live beside the RCAF's main training base here in Moose Jaw, and I wouldn't want to try to mix with their traffic, which is significantly less than Sheppard's. Thanks in advance.
 
Try the alternate

Either Wichita Valley or Kickapoo are a couple airports very close by and are are very GA friendly.
 
I avoid KSPS like the plague myself. Right now the "civilian runway" 17/35 is closed for repaving so all civilian aircraft traffic is sharing the big runways with T-6 Texan-IIs and T-38s whenever the training wings are flying... usually all day long on weekdays. General Aviation using the FBO there also has to deal with some amount of security theater WRT locked gates after business hours, etc.

Typically, on Saturdays, the tower is closed and Sheppard reverts to Class-E and there is little to no military traffic, so those who want to come and play on a 13000' long runway can generally do so.

I'd recommend flying into Kickapoo (KCWC) if you need a fancy FBO with rental car arrangements, or if you don't need a rental car come on in to Wichita Valley (F14). We can probably even find you a spot in a hangar for your RV-6 :D
 
like what Neal said

I spend six years at Sheppard as a T-38 instructor, if you really want to go there then it is just like any other large controlled field. Talk to them 25nm out and tell them what you want. The controllers are pretty cool and they will help you out. They have experience with civ traffic since we have american eagle landing here regularly and when the wx is bad the diverts from DFW. On the other hand as an RSU controller I can tell you that you are messing up the flow pretty significantly, especially when 17/35 is closed, plus the security is like what Neal said.

Like Neal I would suggest the Valley, only a couple minutes drive from the base... it is one of the T-38 pattern entry points, its that close. Besides that it is a very quiet airfield with 5 RV's and most likely a hangar to put your baby in.

Kickapoo has all the amenities that you would expect from an FBO, good friendly service with a smile, but is also a little more expensive.

Let us know when the trip is imminent and we'll help you out as best we can.

Good luck to your son! Its hard work but very rewarding, congratulations!

Marco
RV-7
Wichita Valley
 
Thanks so much, guys! Exactly what I needed to know. Wichita Valley sounds like my kind of place:)

Marco; thanks for the good wishes for my son. He's completed training on the Harvard II (what we call the T6 up here) and SHOULD, at this point, be moving onto the BAE Hawk jet before eventually going to Cold Lake to transition onto the F-18. However, our Hawks have developed a bad habit of blowing low pressure turbine blades on a discouragingly frequent basis, so all of them were grounded for a couple of months. Course dates got pushed back so far that they decided to shorten the lineup a little by sending two groups of students to Sheppard instead. He's been there now for 2 weeks, and starts on course Oct. 11. This week is fun for them; the Snowbirds are at Sheppard all week, and the Canadian students are their servants for the duration, and will share a slightly early Canadian Thanksgiving with the team on Sunday. In addition, they get to fly a full practice program with the team tomorrow. Two of the Birds are friends of mine and RV pilots, so my son will be flying with the lead solo, Brett (Laser) Glaeser; my buddy, hangar partner, RV8 owner, and VAF member. We'll see if his flight suit comes back dry after the opposing head-on passes;)

Again, thanks so much for the help; knowing there are guys like you down there makes me even more interested in trying the trip!

Gerry
 
aaah

that makes sense! I was wondering about Canadian students down here, we had Instructors/SNR's for a while but in all six years I have never seen a student. Now I understand.

Thats cool! Yeah this weekend is going to be great, he's a lucky guy! I'll be watching the show from my balcony and I'll be taking notes ;).

Had a backseat ride in a Canadian Hornet once (exercise in Goosebay), awesome jet but still.... cant beat the viper :D :eek:

take care,

Marco
 
Graduated!

Just a quick note to those who read and/or responded to my thread on Wichita Falls last autumn; We had the privilege of travelling to Wichita Falls last week (via United and rental car, not RV) for my son's wings grad and promotion. What a great weekend; the Canadian students and their families had a couple of separate events with senior officers in attendance (including Gen. Foster, Chief of Air Staff), as well as the full Red Carpet day tour, grad and reception with the whole class and their families. Just a great experience, and one we will never forget. We were treated very well by our own (RCAF) people, by USAF, and by the people of Wichita Falls, who were warm and hospitable everywhere we went.

Special mention has to be made of Dennis and Peg Marquardt, the sponsor family who mother henned the Canadian students while they were at Sheppard; Dennis is a semi-retired USAF Colonel who is an administrator at the base health center, and the two of them are without a doubt a couple of the nicest, warmest people I have ever met, and their efforts to make the Canadian students feel at home were both very successful and very much appreciated. We now have a third group of students at ENJJPTP, and I know Dennis and Peg will look after them as well as they have the first two groups, and I also know that their hospitality will never be forgotten by any of these young pilots. Awesome, awesome people.

Anyway, my son will be driving back to Moose Jaw next week to start training as an instructor on the T6, so his (and our) time at Sheppard is likely over. I would have liked to try flying the 6A down at some point and meeting some of you local RV'ers, but that likely won't happen now (unless he gets posted back there some time to instruct!)

Thanks again to all those who provided info on this thread, and to the people of North Texas for their hospitality.
 
Big airports

Don't be intimidated by large airports. Controllers will help, make sure you tell them that you're "not familiar" with the airport.
I used to fly into San Juan and mix with 767s in my 182 often. No big deal.
 
Gerry,

Congrats on your son's graduation!

My son just started at Sheppard a few weeks ago. I'm heading down to take my tranistion training with Alex in May, so I plan on spending a day in Wichita Falls visiting.

bob
 
Thanks Bob! If your son started training in the past few weeks (I assume that's what you meant?), he probably was at the grad; the most recent class to start the program were in attendance; sort of a passing of the torch from class 12-04 to class 13-04 as it were.

It is a tough, challenging program to be sure, but it has many very good things going for it. The RCAF is already incorporating some changes in our own NFTC program (primarily a change to training by blocks) based on the positive experience of our students at Sheppard.

Good luck to your son!
 
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