Academy officials open training facility at Pueblo Airport

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Officials from the Air Force Academy's 306th Flying Training Group will officially open a new facility Dec. 15 at the Pueblo Airport Industrial Park east of Pueblo, Colo.

Staff members from Detachment 1 of the 306th FTG have been overseeing a contracted Air Force Initial Flight Screening program in Pueblo since October, designed to determine how well-suited new officers are for pilot and combat systems careers.

Doss Aviation, Inc., of Colorado Springs, Colo., holds the flight screening contract.

The 306th staff currently conducts flight screening for Academy-commissioned officers and cadets at the airfield on the Academy grounds, but the new Pueblo facility will be used for officers who come from other commissioning sources, and overflow from full classes at the Academy.

Currently 15 students are trained per class. The new facility will enable people running the fledgling program to screen up to 200 students per class, and a total of 1,700 students per year.

The 25-year-old, 200,000 square foot facility was originally used for the manufacture of avionics components. The city of Pueblo purchased and remodeled the building over six months for $11 million and will serve as landlord for Doss Aviation, Inc.

The new building houses dormitories, kitchens and dining rooms, class rooms, a chapel, gym and barbershop plus conference rooms. Three hangars eventually will house an expected 44 Diamond DA20 aircraft to be used for the training.

Operations at the Pueblo installation eventually will employ about 200 civilians.

The Air Force began flight screening in 1952 to reduce attrition during later phases of pilot training.

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