LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Col. Andrew Katz, now former 47th Flying Training Wing deputy commander and oldest T-1A Jayhawk First Assignment Instructor Pilot (FAIP) at Laughlin, took his final flight with Team XL’s youngest and finalT-1A FAIP, Capt. Cory Villarreal, 86th Flying Training Squadron, marking a historical end to a distinguished career.
The final flight was onboard Laughlin’s T-1A FAIP heritage tail, which bears both their names to symbolize the T-1A FAIP legacy.
Katz was the 26th T-1A FAIP at Laughlin. During his 24-year career, he logged over 3500 flying hours, including 900 combat hours, in the T-1, T-37B Tweet, F-16 Falcon, U-2 Dragon Lady and KC-10A Extender. Katz celebrated his retirement from active-duty July 12, 2024
“I attribute my flying success to having been a FAIP,” said Katz. “Most of my flying hours are Instructor Pilot (IP) hours. That is because since the beginning of my career, all my hours were IP hours. That is not the case with those who go directly to major weapons systems. They have to become co-pilots, aircraft commanders, and then IPs. Or in the fighter world, they have to be two-ship, then four-ship flight leads, and then become IPs. So being a FAIP has been a tremendous success.”
FAIPs are known as the workhorses of pilot training, where they step into a demanding role, requiring a high level of dedication and proficiency. Sometimes flying up to 20 hours per week, they are, what Katz describes as, the heart and soul of the unit.
Villarreal, Laughlin’s 215th, and final, T-1A FAIP, has 1,186 hours as an IP. After completing Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Laughlin in March of 2022, Villarreal became assigned to the 86th FTS, where he instructs and produces the next generation of heavy aircraft pilots for the Air Force.
“I knew it was going to be a great opportunity to expand my airmanship and become an instructor,” said Villarreal. “I’ve always loved instructing and was excited for the challenge.”
Becoming a FAIP means joining a unique group within the Air Force. Not only has the pilot undergone the rigorous coursework that is required to earn their silver wings at graduation, but they have also demonstrated an ability to immediately return to the training environment to instruct and mentor those that follow them.
Lt. Col. Tory Lodmell, 86th FTS commander, notes how T-1A FAIPs must be in the top third of their graduating class, chosen from a merit-based system.
“Our FAIPs are a prized possession in the UPT enterprise, and they have been closely monitored throughout training,” said Lodmell.
Both Katz and Villarreal share the sentiment that being a FAIP is a rewarding experience, even more so with becoming a part of the culture and what is affectionately known as “FAIP Mafia.”
“Being part of the FAIP Mafia is a badge of honor,” said Katz, “If you take a look at most of the senior leader bio’s, you’ll see that most of them were prior FAIPs.”
Beyond the lifelong friends, memories and experiences that being a FAIP provides, both pilots noted how the most rewarding aspect of being a FAIP is the impact that they have on their students.
“Teaching students how to fly, especially when I knew they didn’t know much about flying, to when they finished the programs and ready to be combat-ready pilots [has been] extremely rewarding,” said Katz “Also, having seen some of my former students in the OPS world and going into combat with them was very rewarding!”
Villarreal describes it as a rewarding and humbling experience, as FAIPs take student pilots with little flying experience and turn them in to combat-ready aviators.