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315th attends Dubai air show

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Wayne Capps
  • 315th Airlift Wing
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Usually when one thinks of the United States displaying air power in the Middle East, the promotion of economic growth and goodwill do not come to mind. But, that’s exactly why the U.S. Air Force and Navy were on hand during the Dubai 2005 Air Show in the United Arab Emirates. 

More than 300 U.S. military people and some two dozen different U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft were on hand to participate in the world’s third largest air show in Dubai, Nov. 20-24. 

This international air show gave the United States the chance to show off aircraft ranging from the F-16 Falcon and the F-15 Eagle fighters to the C-17 Globemaster III airlifter and the B-1 Lancer bomber. 

“We had the opportunity to show them what our airplane looks like and what it does,” said Col. Gary Cook, who piloted the C-17 that was on display at Dubai. He commands Air Force Reserve Command’s 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
While the event is largely an aviation trade show, U.S. military aviators were thrilled at the chance to display their planes to allies in the Middle East. 

“This air show builds a lot of goodwill and opens up trade between the different countries. It is good to talk to other pilots, compare notes and just get to know each other a little better,” said Maj. William Bundy, an Air Force Reserve C-130J-30 pilot assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss. 

First Lt. Heather Swanson, a C-17 pilot with Charleston’s 300th Airlift Squadron, was excited about getting to participate in her first international air show. 

“It is an international air show with the international aviation community, and we were part of that,” she beamed. “We get to build good will in the world community.” 

Lieutenant Swanson admitted being a little nervous about the cultural differences but found all of the onlookers eager to talk to her about her experiences as a female pilot.
For Colonel Cook, the air show was more than just a marketing opportunity for leaders in the aviation community; it was an opportunity to remind the international community of the role the U.S. military plays in the world. 

“We have the opportunity to remind them that we were the first in to help during the tsunami and the first medical relief into Iran during their earthquake. They get to see a different side of what the American air force is about,” said Colonel Cook.