Houston Airshow Brings Unique Training Opportunities, Showcases Alamo Wing Mission

HOUSTON —  

More than 180,000 airshow goers got an opportunity to see the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory during the Wings Over Houston Airshow at Ellington Airport Oct. 26-27. 

22 Reserve Citizen Airmen assigned to the 433rd Airlift Wing and a C-5M Super Galaxy participated in the eighth largest airshow in the country. Visitors experienced dozens of aerial spectacles, headlined by the U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the “Blue Angels”. Dozens more aircraft, such as the C-5, served as static displays allowing airshow goers to see military hardware up close and personal. 

The opportunity enabled Alamo Wing Airmen from the 68th and 356th Airlift Squadrons, and the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron to share their mission with the community, interact with people interested in joining the Air Force, and complete required training. 

Crew members highlighted the completion of two integrated mission sorties, which meant they simulated entering a hostile area then quickly offloading cargo and personnel. In addition to meeting an annual requirement, this training allowed different components of the 433rd AW to enhance their ability to work together smoothly. 

“One of the missions the Air Force wants us to get good at is engine running offload, which is leaving the engines running on the jet while we offload cargo,” said Capt. Britt Talbott, a 68th AS C-5 pilot and aircraft commander for this mission. “When we parked here for the airshow, we were actually able to do that with the AES equipment and it was a really good opportunity… we don’t see that every day.” 

Talbott also noted the airshow provided promising leads on the recruitment front. He said several potential recruits, who had qualities the unit is looking for, approached him to talk about serving.  

Even members of the public not immediately interested in serving said that experiencing the mighty C-5 up close was rewarding. Samantha Smitherman, a marine engineering technology student at Texas A&M University at Galveston, is an experienced airshow goer but seeing the massive aircraft and its flight deck still impressed her. 

“A lot of the systems… sort of reminds me of the bridge on the training ship that we have in Galveston,” Smitherman said. “I’m very thankful for the experience. I have never been up here before. It’s very interesting to look at, very cool to see, and it sort of gives you like a look into how it actually is for service members.” 

For one member of the Alamo Wing crew, this mission was a bit special. Senior Airman Damien Johnson, a 68th AS flight engineer who is training to become fully qualified, lives in Houston and this happened to be his first airshow. 

Johnson, who is originally from New Orleans, moved to Houston with his family in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina. Not only did this mission allow him to undergo necessary training, but it enabled him to share part of his work as a Reserve Citizen Airman with his family. 

“It’s good share what we do, as opposed to just doing what we do,” Johnson said. “It brings me pride to see the joy it brings other people when they see the plane and see what we do… It makes me want to work harder to keep going and finish my training.”