At Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Maverick and his wing-man Goose from Top Gun were nowhere to be seen. But on Jan. 30 and 31, 18 students from the Aviation Club and class at FHS did get a good look at modern aircraft and technology - and even a lofty view from the control tower.
"The planes were awesome," said junior Breanna Roberts. "They were huge. When we were touring them, more than 10 students could stand on one wing of the plane."
The students traveled to Spokane and back via a bus provided by the U.S. Air Force. While the base had excellent accommodations, the journey to Spokane was less than pleasant.
"They can keep their planes in the air," said senior Anthony Butlett. "But they sure can't keep their vehicles running."
The normally quiet four-to five-hour-long trip to Spokane became a nightmarish eight hours.
"It was terrible," said senior Cody Hickenbotham. "Both headlights quit working. It was like a school bus from the Sixties."
After the hectic trip, the students arrived at the base and were ushered to their rooms. Meals were also provided at the base's mess hall at a low cost.
"I got a big breakfast for only $1.10," said Roberts. "The food was incredibly cheap and good."
On Friday, the students were briefed at the main headquarters, the "White House." During the briefing, and throughout the day, the students were recruited by Air Force personnel.
"The recruiting made me sick," said Roberts. "It was way too much. We weren't there because we wanted to join. We wanted to see the airplanes."
After the briefing, the group did just that. They toured the hangar and were able to crawl around in the cockpit and on the wings of a KC-135, a refueling plane.
"The best part was going out to the airstrip," said Roberts. "We were able to talk to the pilots. They were so willing to answer any questions we had. I wanted to find a Tom Cruise, but there were none as good looking as Maverick."