Columbus Air Force Base, MS, has been training Air Force pilots since 1941. Throughout the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, Columbus was one of the Air Force's premier Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) bases where student pilots learned to fly in the T-37 "Tweet" before advancing to the supersonic T-38 Talon.

Life at Columbus meant early morning briefs, endless hours in the simulator, and the constant roar of jets overhead. The humid Mississippi heat and fast-moving thunderstorms created challenging conditions that made for better pilots. IPs and students alike remember the camaraderie of the squadrons, the thrill of that first solo ride, and the intensity of check rides.

These are the stories from the men and women who trained and worked at Columbus—the moments of triumph, the close calls, the characters who made the base unforgettable, and the bonds forged in the cockpit that lasted a lifetime.