A Blue Angels’ F-18 “Hornet” aircraft preps for take off at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse. The Blue Angels are only one of the scheduled performances for this weekends N’awlins Air Show.

The 2011 N’awlins Air Show will be held Saturday May 7 and Sunday May 8 at the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, and will celebrate 100 years of Naval Aviation with a variety of activities and events to promote the U.S. Coast Guard and their mission.

The flight plan
This year’s show, marking the centennial anniversary of Naval Aviation, includes Guard pilot Lt. Col. John Klatt, who completed three combat tours in Iraq, logging over 2000 hours in the F-16 fighter. At N’awlins, Klatt will fly a Panzl 330 acrobatic plane.

“My office has the best view in the world,” Klatt said, taking the plane over Belle Chasse, upside down.

The plane itself can do more than 300 mph, sustain pressure up to 20 G’s, and weighs less than most cars.

Other acts scheduled for N’awlins include The Red Bull Air Force, The U.S. Army Golden Knights, and The U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Guard Recruitment
Aside from showcasing the various acrobatic feats of the Navy and Guard aviators, the event will also draw attention to the Coast Guard’s recruitment incentives and critical positions the Guard seeks to fill.

While not every enlisted man and woman receives their own aircraft, those candidates who sign on with the Guard are eligible for 100-percent reimbursement on college tuition through the Montgomery GI Bill . The Louisiana Coast Guard also offers candidates the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) “Kicker” as part of the package. The kicker provides eligible men and women with an additional $687 per month, tax free, for college and university related obligations.

In addition to those incentives offered, the Guard is advertising a $20,000 signing bonus for those men and women that fill positions in critical fields. A few examples of the critical fields are Power Production and power related fields, as well as Tactical Air Party Control (TAPC). TAPC, or “TAP-C” in the Guard’s lingo, are special forces groups.

“They go into Special Forces training, get the black berets,” Master Sgt. Miapatrice Allen said. The rigorous training schedule is necessary, Allen said, as the TAPC personnel are dropped into forward areas, where they target areas for military strikes.

The Guard provides the training for these critical positions to qualified men and women once they have completed their Military Entrance Processing (MEPS) and have discussed the careers they qualify for prior to full enlistment.

The N’awlins Air Show will be held at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse. Admission and parking are free. For more details, visit nawlinsairshow.com.