Military, civilian pilots aim to keep meetings on ground only

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jonathan E. White
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Air Force flyers met with their civilian counterparts on the ground here to ensure their next meeting doesn't occur in the air.

Proper communication goes a long way in reducing the chances of mid-air collisions. That is why nearly 50 civilian pilots participated in a program here on June 23 with a simple mission, to reduce mid-air collisions.

The purpose of the mid-air collision avoidance program is to stress the high potential for mid-air collisions in the airspace surrounding the base and provide ways of reducing this risk. The program is a joint effort by the 305th and 514th Air Mobility Wing to bridge the communication gap between civilian and military pilots who share the same airspace.

Since October of last year, there have been 473 civilian aviators who participated in the program.

Lt. Col. Dean Owens, 514th Air Mobility Wing chief of safety, said that it is important to educate civilian and military aviators together on their respective roles in airspace. Open communication and dialogue through the mid-air collision avoidance program have helped prevent mid-air catastrophic incidents from occurring between the two groups here.

Owens said there is enough airspace for military and civilian aviators to share.

"Our airspace is a big pie, and we want everyone to have a piece," he said. "But there are inherent challenges that we all have to understand to operate safely."

Members of the wings' safety offices regularly give on- and off-base airspace presentations to civilian pilots in the region, but June 23 marked the first time the program had their civilian guests fly onto the installation since 2001.

After three months of planning, 25 aircraft flew-in from parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware to participate in the safety seminar and tour.

The seminar included a presentation on various relevant topics such as airfield operations, rules of engagement and air traffic control issues.

Master Sgt. Ben Atkinson, 514th Air Mobility Wing ground safety manager, said the seminar gave aviators a better understanding of maneuverability and how to avoid the close calls that can happen in the skies.

After the presentation, the aviators took a tour of flightline, visiting the air traffic control tower, the radar approach control and the aircraft that are assigned here.

"We want our surrounding civilian aviation friends and neighbors to come in and be part of the base's airspace family," Owen said. "We want them to talk to us and understand our air constraints."