A look inside U.S. prep for Avalon Airshow 2013

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kenna Jackson
AVALON, Australia --  Airshows spectators watched in jaw-dropping amazement as U.S. military aircraft sored through the skies above Avalon International Airport, where pilots demonstrated the unique aerial capabilities of their aircrafts during the Australia Airshow 2013, March 2.

"I love coming to the air show," said Dean Bedford, an Australian native, husband and father of two children, who's been to this air show since he was a child. "It's great seeing all the aircraft and men and women in the military. It's great for family trips. That's why I reckon we'll make it a family tradition."

Like the Bedfords, thousands of others spectators harbored the same feelings of excitement about witnessing the aerial demonstrations, but few are aware of the level of detailed planning evolved with orchestrating a demonstration of this magnitude, and few, like Lt. Col. Allen Crawford, had a front row seat in the start-to-finish planning of such an event.

Crawford, the USAF AVALON airshow lead planner, from Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, was the man responsible for getting the U.S. military geared up and ready for the airshow. The process wasn't easy, and took many months of planning to get here.

"The planning of this air show official begins approximately 18 months before the due date," said Crawford. "The first thing I have to do is gain approval from the highest levels of authority."

This would include coordinating with Secretary of the Air Force, Defense Security, Defense of Policy, and Cooperation Agency to determine if participation in the airshow meets the strategic needs of the military. Without meeting such strategic criteria, U.S. military participation would be scrubbed, said Crawford.

As the lead planning officer, he was responsible for ensuring a cross section of U.S. military aircraft and equipment, include the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, C-17 Globemaster III, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Statotakner, and the U.S. Marine CV-22, were a part of the international airshow.

But, that's not the hardest hurdle Crawford had to overcome to get this air show and expeditionary trade show on the roll. Next, he had had to gather the list of aircraft, pilots' mission support and volunteers from multiple nations together. This, according to Crawford, is a task that is getting increasingly harder to do with the sequestration going on in the United States.

"The money spent on this event comes from money that would usually be spent on [air-to-air and air-to-ground) exercises," said Crawford.

"PACAF [Pacific Air Forces] doesn't just decide 'Hey, we're going to take some airplanes down to Avalon," said Col. Steve Kornitzer, U.S. Air Boss for the Avalon International Airshow, division chief of PACAF international affairs. "Every nation is volunteering their service members, aircraft, time, flying hours, and money to be here."

However there's "...a lot of bang for your buck," at these events, said Kornitzer, According to the division chief of international affairs, the political security of U.S. international relationships are a compensation equal to the sacrificial costs.

Like the Australian International Airshow, Crawford isn't new to the game. For a little over two years, Crawford has been planning air shows in various countries. Yet, despite this being the 10th biennial AIA, Crawford says the planning process for this event hasn't gotten any easier.

"There's no easy route or shortcut to planning this event," said Crawford. "There are too many changing variables that need to be considered, whether it's the economy, aircraft availability or politics."

Despite that, Crawford said that he did gain something that made planning this event easier; learning not to panic.

For a man who's always got a plan, planning such a big event that is forever changing can be pretty stressful. Especially, when said event is one of the largest international shows in the world.

"As a planner, when a jet breaks during an event, I would find myself panicking and thinking, 'Oh, my, gosh. Things are not going the way I planned it,'" said Crawford. "Now, I just take a breath. With these events, nothing goes as planned. The only thing you can do is work with what you got."

According to Crawford, although the process is very complicated, there's a magic to it, which makes it worthwhile. That magic is seeing everyone enjoying themselves and getting a chance to strengthen the relationship the U.S. has with its international counter parts.

"If I could just do this, I would. It's a very rewarding experience and I love every moment of it," said Crawford.