For the second year in a row, Cadets and Seniors from the Omaha Composite Squadron were invited to participate in the Wingnuts Flying Circus air show at the Gould Peterson Municipal Airport in Tarkio, Missouri. The air show took place from July 10th to the 13th.  The four day trip exposed the cadets to all the logistics involved in putting together a 3 hour air show several days in advance.

Day one
13 OCS members departed early Thursday morning in two separate vehicles and arrived at Tarkio around noon.  Cadets were soon getting tasked with locating and flagging low spots on the taxiways which could pose a hazard to any aircraft which would be arriving for the air show.

Cadets and Seniors also helped deliver tables and several hundred folding chairs for the Dinners, Breakfasts and meetings which would be provided for performers and VIPs over the next couple of days.

Following a half day of work, OCS members headed to the local High School, where the air conditioned Gym became the sleeping quarters for the remainder of the weekend.  Cadets were able to unwind and play some basketball during their free time.   Separate facilities were provided for Female and male cadets, as well as a 10 person tent for the females to enjoy some privacy during the evenings.

Day two Preparations
The Second day of the trip consisted in getting aircraft moved into position and helping airport ground crews setup barriers and crowd lines as well as performing a F.O.D. walk on the taxiways and tarmac.  Meals for OCS members were provided by the folks at the Gould Peterson Airport.  Due to the extremely high temperatures, cadets and seniors were also provided with free water and power drinks in order to stay hydrated.  Periods of rest were also set aside so cadets could work in shifts throughout the day.  That same evening, a few performers practiced their aerial routines and aerobatics which also gave the cadets a chance to practice crowd control and marshaling prior to the main event on Saturday.

Day 3 – MainEvent.
Day three began at 6am with a delicious pancake breakfast and preparation for arriving aircraft.  A quick safety briefing was followed by pairing up teams of cadets to work together marshaling and directing all arriving aircraft directly from the runway to their respective parking area.  FAA inspector, Mr. Marvin Moore, briefed the cadets on what items he was there to oversee and what safety precautions he would expect to be in place throughout the day.  The FAA also provided a couple of controllers to provide sequencing of aircraft, which began to arrive in a ready flow after 8am.  Well over 150 aircraft arrived before noon.

Once the Airspace was closed, the Cadets transitioned to their positions for the Airshow.  The OCS Color Guard was invited to present the colors at the beginning of the air show.  The color guard performed flawlessly and proudly.

After four grueling hours in the sun,  cadets helped marshal the very same aircraft that arrived in the morning, out to the runway for takeoff, putting an end to another successful annual event.

Day Four
Day four is the highlight of the Tarkio Air Show as far as the cadets are concerned.  As a reward for providing their invaluable time and energy for a successful weekend, the members of the wing nuts Flying Circus provide each of the cadets with a ride in a vintage WWII aircraft.  The cadets were able to fly aboard one of the T-6 Texans, PT-19 or BT-13 available on the field.  The following photos provide an insight into the amazing experiences available to the cadet of the omaha Compostie squadron.

As can be witnessed by the pictures and smiles, the Cadets of the Omaha Composite Squadron had en enjoyable and rewarding weekend at Tarkio.   None of this could have been made possible without the support and dedication of Senior members such as Lt. Col. Robert McCartney who volunteered to drive the squadron van and spend 24 hours a day for four days with the cadets and helping coordinate tasks with the folks from the Gould Peterson Airport.

The Omaha Composite Squadron would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the members of the Wingnuts Flying Circus, especially, Brooks Hurst, Chad Bosworth (line crews), Capt. Chris Goodrich, Gus, and all the pilots, who went above and beyond to provide our cadets with an unforgettable experience.

Tarkio Airshow 2014 photos

The Nebraska Wing held its 2014 Encampment between June 22nd and 28th.  13 Cadets from the Omaha Composite Squadron attended, with approximately half of them serving in staff positions during the week long activity.

The cadets reported on June 22nd for in-processing and were quickly moved into their week-long living quarters.  Cadets were organized into flights. After in-processing, the flights were given time to settle in and get to know each other.  After dinner, the first encampment meeting was held to kick off the training.

After the first day, encampment activities began with Physical Training, Drill, Core Values and Leadership training.  Cadets had a guest lecturer from Offutt Air Force Base who spoke to them about US air power.  And a color guard class was offered where cadets learned the proper way to raise and lower a flag.  Other activities during the week included a class on Vortex Generators, Frisbee, Rappelling, fire arms display, K-9 demonstration, Radio Controlled Airplanes, Offut AFB Control Tower tour and Helicopter rides.

On the last day of encampment, the cadets marched in review before the Nebraska Wing Commander, Col. Darrell Nelson.  The graduation Ceremony was taken indoors and our very own cadet C/2d Lt. Kacey Dwyer was presented with the Billy Mitchell Milestone award by the Wing Commander.  C/CMSgt Ty Sarvis was also named the Bravo Flight Honor Cadet for the Encampment.

Congratulations to all the graduating cadets and we look forward to the next Nebraska Wing Encampment.

On Monday, June 16, 2014, the Omaha Composite Squadron Color Guard was invited to present the colors at Game 5 the College World Series.  This was the third year in a row that the squadron has been invited to the Nationally televised tournament.  Cadets C/CMSgt. Kacey Dwyer, C/CMsgt. McKenna Krueger, C/Smsgt. Ty Sarvis, and C/SrA. Elizabeth Nelson were there to represent the squadron.  The Color Guard team spent several weekends practicing ahead of the event in order to perfect the commands and movements, as well as various scenarios in the event that any last minute changes were required by the organizers.   Congratulations to the OCS Color Guard on a job well done.