City of Pleasanton executes agreement with U.S. Airforce




Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall hands the mike to Congressman Henry Cuellar during the U.S. Air Force Welcome Ceremony at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport, Saturday, Feb. 29. The 12th Operations Group at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio initiated the Military Agreement to use the airport for training exercises. From left are Pleasanton Councilmember Britni Van Curan, Col. Rob Ludington, Commander 12th Operations Group; Col. Mark Robinson, Commander 12th Flying Training Wing; Cong. Henry Cuellar, Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall, Atascosa County Judge Bob Hurley and Pleasanton Councilmember Diana Prasifka. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall hands the mike to Congressman Henry Cuellar during the U.S. Air Force Welcome Ceremony at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport, Saturday, Feb. 29. The 12th Operations Group at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio initiated the Military Agreement to use the airport for training exercises. From left are Pleasanton Councilmember Britni Van Curan, Col. Rob Ludington, Commander 12th Operations Group; Col. Mark Robinson, Commander 12th Flying Training Wing; Cong. Henry Cuellar, Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall, Atascosa County Judge Bob Hurley and Pleasanton Councilmember Diana Prasifka. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

The City of Pleasanton, working through the Office of Congressman Henry Cuellar, has executed a formal agreement with the U.S. Air Force to use the Pleasanton Municipal Airport for training operations.

The City of Pleasanton, Airport Manager John J. Roberts and the city’s government relations consulting firm, EMC Strategy Group worked together with the 12th Operations Group based at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio to execute an agreement to use the Pleasanton Municipal Airport runway for “touch-and-goes.” In aviation, a touch-and-go landing, or circuit, is a maneuver that is common when learning to fly a fixed-wing aircraft. It involves landing on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop. Usually the pilot then circles the airport in a defined pattern known as a circuit and repeats the maneuver.

The 12th Operations Group uses the T-38 Talon training jet and the T-6A Texan II fixed wing aircraft to train U.S. Air Force pilots.

The request to Congressman Henry Cuellar’s office for a formal agreement also included use agreements with the U.S. Navy Flight Operations at NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Kingsville, U.S. Army, and Customs and Border Patrol. The U.S. Navy began its “touch and goes” in September and the Air Force will begin its flights in March.

Pierce and Parker Leach, sons of Greg and Marcia Leach, speak with U.S. Air Force pilots after the ceremony on Saturday morning. Pictured, from left, are 2nd Lt Tanner Homan (partially hidden), Capt. Daniel “Frenchy” Bourgeois, Pierce (4 years old) and Parker (7 years old). NOEL WILKERSON HOLMES | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

Pierce and Parker Leach, sons of Greg and Marcia Leach, speak with U.S. Air Force pilots after the ceremony on Saturday morning. Pictured, from left, are 2nd Lt Tanner Homan (partially hidden), Capt. Daniel “Frenchy” Bourgeois, Pierce (4 years old) and Parker (7 years old). NOEL WILKERSON HOLMES | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

“The usage agreements between the Air Force and Navy are going to provide important support for our national defense,” says Mayor Travis Hall. “The Pleasanton Municipal Airport has seen increased use over the years, and we are thinking out of the box to position the city to seek greater resources from the state and federal government as we conduct additional capital improvements at the airport. We are certainly grateful to Congressman Cuellar for his continued support” adds Mayor Hall.

Commander Colonel Mark Robinson, Wing Commander for the 12th Flying Training Wing out of Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, spoke at the Ceremony, Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport. Robinson told the crowd of civilians and dignitaries that their pilot trainees who have already graduated need significant amount of instruction, training, and preparation.

Posed by a T-6A Texan II fixed wing aircraft used to train U.S. Air Force pilots are, from left, Capt. Daniel “Frenchy” Bourgeois, Col. Mark Robinson, Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall, Col. Rob Ludington and pilot, 2nd Lt. Tanner Homan. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

Posed by a T-6A Texan II fixed wing aircraft used to train U.S. Air Force pilots are, from left, Capt. Daniel “Frenchy” Bourgeois, Col. Mark Robinson, Pleasanton Mayor Travis Hall, Col. Rob Ludington and pilot, 2nd Lt. Tanner Homan. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

He said this training requires runways. “What is so significant about this airport and makes it so special to us and makes us so proud to be able to partner with the airport and the town are frankly the dimensions and the length of the runway,” said Col. Robinson. “We can be here in 10 minutes to come practice touch and goes after we have practiced loops and turns and climbs and descents. We can practice patterns and different scenarios. The dimensions of the runway are such that it allows us to practice certain types of approaches and certain types of landings that we can only simulate somewhere else other than at Randolph Air Force Base,” said Col. Robinson.

Pleasanton High School JROTC members at the United States Air Force Welcome Ceremony. The JROTC also includes members from Jourdanton and Poteet High Schools. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

Pleasanton High School JROTC members at the United States Air Force Welcome Ceremony. The JROTC also includes members from Jourdanton and Poteet High Schools. LEON ZABAVA | PLEASANTON EXPRESS

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