Student pilots find new meaning to phrase 'taking the bus'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cecilia Rodriguez
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) --  What has a wing, four tires, steer horns, tan couch cushions and makes animal noises?

The answer is a bus for students attending a specialized undergraduate pilot training class here.

“(We) came up with the idea for the bus when we met the night before pilot training started,” said Capt. Andy Builta, the senior-ranking officer of the class. “We thought it might be a good way for us to display class cohesiveness and also prevent any drinking-and-driving incidents.”

Shortly after they fashioned the idea, the class found a bus for sale at a used car lot. To support the effort, each of the 26 students pitched in $100.

“The project was definitely worth the money,” said 2nd Lt. Kim Jones, student pilot. “Working on the bus and deciding how we wanted to present it to the base and the community really brought us together as a class.”

To get the bus ready for new paint, Captain Builta contacted the manager of a local auto body shop for some pointers.

The class held a “sanding party” to prepare the vehicle for new paint. At the same time they began upgrading the interior with a love seat, a stereo and two distinctive horn systems.

“One [system] plays sirens, music and animal sounds, while the other just goes, ‘Aahhhooogggaaa!’” Captain Builta said.

Once the bus was prepared for painting, a local auto-body shop manager helped the crew tape off the windows at his shop and painted it for the students. The manager also helped them mount the wing on the roof and the steer horns on the hood.

Students completed the project while still in Phase One of pilot training. Since then, students have been able to travel together for events such as their first day on the flightline, downtown lunch appointments and weekend outings.

“We always have a designated driver,” Captain Builta said. “We are able to bring people back to the base who should not be driving late at night, even those who didn’t ride downtown in the bus. This helps keep everyone safe.”

One advantage of the bus clearly outweighs other means of transportation, Captain Builta said.

“The biggest benefit is that it keeps our class together,” he said. “Pilot training is a team effort, and this project guarantees that at least once a week, we’ll come back together as a team with the bus.”

The class graduates in April. The students said they plan to sell the bus to another student-pilot class after graduation. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)