WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — At the Thunder Over Georgia Air Show, there's no doubt planes are the biggest attraction. But if you're looking at what's flying, there are pilots who make it all happen.
Whether it's just a few years in or a longstanding career, there's no denying these pilots' passion.
"Growing up watching the planes fly, and then wanting to do it, and actually getting to do it myself is a dream come true," said Captain Chris Whitehead, a JSTARS pilot.
He earned his wings in January 2017.
A lot of pilots at Robins Air Force Base have a similar story to Whitehead including Major Jeremy Adams, who is also a JSTARS pilot and has been flying for eight years.
"My grandfather took me to my first air show when I was about 8-years-old, and since then I was hooked," Adams said.
Across the base, it's a the same for Monroe County native and F-15 pilot Lieutenant Colonel Matthew A. Griffin, who came to the Robins air show every year as a kid. He's been a pilot with the U.S. Air Force for about 15 years.
"It definitely piqued my interest to attend the Air Force Academy and then ultimately become a pilot," Griffin said.
While air shows got them in, their experiences made them stay.
"Our job is to take a big picture of the battlefield and present that in a readable format to the commanders on the ground," Whitehead said.
"You are truly in combat at that point," Adams said.
It's a feeling Griffin knows well.
"I spent about seven months in Afghanistan," he said.
Now, Griffin's job is to take care of the other pilots who are in that position by making sure their planes are safe.
"It can be a month after they leave Robins Air Force Base, they're over the skies of Syria, they're over the skies of Iraq doing the mission," Griffin said.
But before a pilot gets to that level,it may start with a simple 'hello' at an air show.
"If you have a goal, stick with it, work hard, you can achieve something like this," Adams said.
Here's a little taste of what you'll see.
"We accelerate about 415 miles an hour off the end of the runway, and we'll point straight up and go to 15,000 feet in less than 15 seconds, so it's the best roller coaster you've ever ridden," Griffin said.
The JSTARS pilots say you can check them out at 10:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday morning. They will also be giving ground tours of their planes throughout the weekend.
Click here for more information on the Thunder Over Georgia Air Show.
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