58th graduates last FE class

  • Published
  • By Sheila Rupp
  • Nucleus journalist
As four students received their wings, an era came to a close. The last class graduated from the Basic Helicopter Flight Engineer course here Oct. 17.

Kirtland has been the home of the BHFE course since April 1988. The first BHFE course was taught at Sheppard AFB, Texas, in Jan. 1980. Prior to the development of the BHFE course, flight mechanics were selected to serve as flight engineers. Those selected received in-unit training. When the course moved from Sheppard AFB to Kirtland AFB in April 1988, it was decided that all of helicopter training should be consolidated here along with the helicopter mission qualification.

The course has graduated approximately 1,450 flight engineers since its inception, program manager Tech. Sgt. Kevin Clay said.

The course will be consolidated with the fixed wing flight engineer course as the career fields continue to merge. The combined course will be taught at Altus AFB, Okla., and it will eventually move to Lackland AFB, Texas, and be incorporated in the Career Enlisted Aviators Center of Excellence.

58th Training Squadron commander Lt. Col. Tom Marocchini said: "It's the end of an era. I think it's a smart idea to consolidate the course. Having BHFE consolidated at the center of excellence streamlines training and the students will be more immediately prepared to fight the Global War on Terror."

Flight engineers are experts in systems such as hydraulics, engines, electrical and fuel systems, They also compute performance data for all configurations. Helicopter flight engineers also serve as hoist operator, loadmaster, gunner and complete pre-flight checks for the aircraft.

Colonel Marocchini said that often times there is a lag of four to ten months that BHFE graduates go on casual status here before they can report to mission qualifications because of a student backlog. The consolidation of the helicopter flight engineer programs will cut out the waiting period and allow students to have fewer interruptions in training.

This graduation also marked the end of "high school to flight school," where Airmen with no prior service were eligible to enter BHFE. Opening the BHFE course to all Airmen had only happened twice in the course's history, when flight engineers were needed greatly. Other than those two time periods, it was required to have a maintenance background before Airmen could enter BHFE. The course will return to accepting only those retraining in the career field. Airmen in their "cross-training" window are encouraged to apply for retraining into the flight engineer career field.

The graduates left knowing that they weren't only a part the tight-knit group of career enlisted aviators but also a part of history as the BHFE course draws to a close.

"Wear your wings proudly and never forget where you came from," Chief Master Sgt. Dennis Norman, command chief master sergeant of the 58th SOW, told the students just before they received their wings.