ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque is no stranger to CV-22 Osprey’s taking off and training on a weekly basis. For some, to see this aircraft still flying after being in service for many years with an interesting history attached might be surprising.
Here in Albuquerque, the airmen of the 71st Special Operations Squadron at Kirtland AFB are not only piloting the Osprey, but they are teaching the next generation how to come back home safely.
“When commanders need our aircraft in certain situations, we’re the only platform that can usually fill that role,” said Maj. Banks, the Chief Pilot of the 71st SOS.
There’s no need to choose between a helicopter or an airplane because the Osprey gives you both. The mission is even more important as the aircraft has the backs of the special forces troops on the ground.
“It brings us is the ability to land anywhere that we need to,” said Ssgt. Tortorice, a CV-22 instructor with the 71st SOS. “So that gives us the ability to take troops out of wherever they need and put them in wherever they need, without needing a runway. We can kind of create our own runway in that sense.”
Of course, the main eye candy everyone recognizes the Osprey for is its ability to take off and land vertically thanks to unique mechanics. However, each crew find their confidence in each other when stepping for take-off.
“We’re absolutely confident in the aircraft, confident of our maintainers, and confident in our ability to execute the mission,” said Maj. Banks.
“Our maintainers are some of the best in the Air Force,” added Ssgt. Tortorice. “They won’t give us a plane that’s not fully capable.”
While the mission is priority one, these airmen have an even bigger task of instilling the same confidence they carry in the students they train each day. Each instructor is able to take their real-world experiences and turn them into lessons the students can learn from to be even more successful in the field.
“The most fulfilling part for me is being an instructor,” said Tortorice. “Seeing a student show up day one without knowing a thing, and then towards the end, they finally start figuring out, and you can see those improvements made.”
“They might understand the basics, but being able to take them from that level to the advanced level, teach them the tactics, the techniques and procedures that we have, and watch that light bulb go off on a daily basis for them and get better is just priceless for me,” Banks added.
The Osprey arrived at Kirtland AFB in early 2006, so the aircraft has been operating there for almost 20 years.
Each crew member told KOB they not only love what they do, but they love doing it here in Albuquerque and showcasing the Osprey to the community as often as they can.
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