ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Thursday was a busy day at Robins Air Force Base with the high-flying acts performing in the air show landing on the tarmac.
Paul Lopez, better known as "Loco" Lopez, has wanted to be a pilot for as long as he can remember.
"Oh, man, the very first time I flew the Raptor, it was exhilarating because it’s almost like seeing your dream come true," he said.
Lopez and his team landed the F-22s at the Robins Air Force Base Thursday ahead of the Thunder Over Georgia show this weekend.
“I definitely get butterflies before every flight because I’m thinking about the magnitude of what I’m about to do," said Lopez.
He began his career as an Air Force fighter pilot eight-and-a-half years ago, maneuvering F-22 demo flights for the last two. Saturday marks his 45th performance.
"I’m crazy about what I do in the Air Force. I love being a fighter pilot," he said.
The F-22s are faster than the speed of sound and defy the laws of gravity, and that, Lopez said, is what drew him to the jet.
Lopez isn’t the only one living out his dream.
Warner Robins native Whit Collins is in town as a Thunderbird pilot.
"I went from server at Cheddar's to Air Force Thunderbird," he said.
The Houston County High School graduate joined the force 13 years ago, performing for the Thunderbirds for the last three.
"It means a lot to come full circle and come back home, and I look forward to telling anyone out there who wants to be a pilot that they can grow up to live their dreams," he said.
Collins remembers seeing the Thunderbirds in Warner Robins for the first time in the 4th grade and meeting one of the pilots.
He was too shy at first to say anything, but his mom pushed him over to the pilot.
"I said, ‘Hey, I want to be a pilot just like you,’ and he said, ’You know what, you’ll be a great pilot one day if that’s what you want to do,’ Collins said.
Now, he’s performed in more than 100 shows.
"Our mission is to show the pride, precision, and professionalism of the United States Air Force," said Collins.
It's a feeling he said never gets old.
Collins said when he meets people who want to be pilots like him, he tells them three things: work hard, listen to the people who love you, and don’t be afraid to fail.
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