圖文 / Julian Shen
Seymour Johnson 基地位於 北卡羅來納 首府 洛麗 的東方約一小時多的車程的 Goldsboro 市，該基地為美國空軍第四航空大隊的駐紮基地。Seymour Johnson 這個名字的來由，是紀念多年前一位 Goldsboro 的 海軍 試飛員，也是目前我國空軍基地中唯一個以其他軍種的先烈命名紀念的。
第四航空大隊是在二次世界大戰時，由 陸軍航空隊 轉組成的 空軍大隊，該大隊在二次世界大戰有多項紀錄，像是率先攻入納粹德國領空，並護衛柏林轟炸任務的機隊，也是擁有第一個打下噴射戰機的紀錄，到目前為止有超過 一千架 敵機擊墜的紀錄，並有 三十八 名空軍 “王牌” 飛行員都是從該大隊產生。
筆者目前居住在北卡羅萊納州，過往十數年每當 Seymour Johnson 基地開放幾乎都會前往參訪，本基地的航展都會派出駐紮的機隊，比如說本基地的 F-15E 鷹式戰機 第 333, 334, 335, 與 336 中隊，有時會邀請到隔壁基地的，比如說 Fayeteville 的 Fort Bragg (Liberty) 陸軍基地前來參演，可能就會看到 AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache 的展演，或著是旁邊的櫻桃點海陸航空站的 CH-53 超級種馬直升機吊掛 悍馬車 前來，進行聯合作戰展演。而 Seymour Johnson 的 F-15E 也常會前往附近基地在開放時配合一些展演。
本基地在當年沙漠風暴行動時，整個移防至盟邦沙烏地阿拉伯，其底下的四個中隊都有在該場行動中超過千次以上的任務總合，並在沙漠風暴行動後以輪值的方式，提供了該區域的空防以及各種巡邏維務區域和平的協助。
回到航展，這幾年除了美軍自己本身的展演外，有時候還會邀請友邦國的展演團隊，像前幾年 Canadian Royal Air Force 的 CF-18 展演團隊常常會在東南區的航展露臉，抑或是法國的 Patrouille de France 也會跨越大西洋，前來美國東岸巡迴展演。有時候如果航展無法邀請到軍方的兩大團隊時，也有一些私人的展演團隊可能會前來表演，像是前幾年 Cherry Point (櫻桃點) 因為太晚宣布航展時程，最後是由私人的 Black Diamond Jet Team 來擔綱大梁。
美軍的兩大特技團隊分別由空軍的 Thunderbirds 以 F-16 C/D 型與海軍的 Blue Angels 以 F/A-18 E/F 型為主力機種展演中。空海軍兩大團隊的表演項目略有不同，但有時也因為展演天候影響與地形影響，有可能會選擇不同的表演課目。
區域型的航展通常都會有 Combine Arms Demo ，簡稱 CAD 。以 Seymour Johnson 的 CAD 來說，以往的流程為 F-15 兩架升空作為假想敵，緊接著由四到六架的 F-15E 升空，另外有可能配合前來展演的 A-10 協同展演，以釋放熱焰彈與爆破小組的合作出相當有聲光效果的大型爆破場面。而如果展演當天有隔壁海陸前來協助的話，在爆破後會看到從 C-130 跳傘到地面的傘兵，並由 CH-53 吊掛旱馬車，緊接著 MV-22 Osprey 帶來一個小隊的步兵，到展演指揮台的前方集合， 同時空中還會有 F-15E 與 A-10 繼續徘迴展演，直到指揮官下令全員撤離現場，由 MV-22 把所有的步兵帶走，完成這個表演。由於每日的行程滿長的，通常 CAD 會在午前與下午空海特技小組表演前再施行一次。
一般來說，基地大多數都會在早上九點整開門，強烈建議約早半個小時即可以前往基地大門附近排隊， 但切勿前往大門口，通常大門警衛會要求您離開。進入基地後，請遵循人員的指引停車，接著可能需要步行一到兩英里的路程進入航展安全區，有些航展會因停車區域太遠提供交通巴士，但由於停車區通常沒有標示，請自行記住停車位置。抵達安全區外後，會進行安檢，通常檢查方式與機場安檢無異，航展的前幾天務必密切注意該基地的臉書或著網站，有任何改變會公布給前往參觀的民眾。 目前東南區這裡通常是禁止攜帶 冰桶 ，或著是大型的保溫箱，但是可以攜帶折疊椅，小朋友的尿布袋或著嬰兒食品等則不在此限，不過還是請盡可能把不需要的東西留在車上，避免安檢的問題。
喜歡拍攝的航迷通常都會攜帶大型攝影器材，目前來說，小弟使用 Thinktank Airport Security 登機箱與 Accelerator 大型背包，都還沒有被安檢攔阻下來過，不過常常有要通過安檢兩到三次，給不同的安檢官檢察再檢查，如遇類似情形，請務必面帶微笑保持合作，通常來說安檢官也不會太過刁難。
(註：安檢也有可能不讓您攜帶大型背包進入，但通常來說越早到，人越少的時候，幾乎是沒有什麼問題的)
對於美軍的航展來說，這是一個宣傳軍力與招募人才的機會，對於航迷來說也是一個可以近距離欣賞各軍機的好時機，除了空中飛的，地面也有許多靜態展演，筆者就參觀過許多戰機或是運輸機的駕駛艙，也在說明的軍官的協助或是允許下拍照留念。通常來說一天下來都會收穫滿滿，但也被太陽烤曬整日，飲水與熱量的補充千萬注意，常有在航展，因為天氣溫度過高，有觀眾中暑的情況，這點請前往各航展的朋友務必注意自身安全。
在每天離場時也請各位朋友不忘給執勤軍人們一聲感謝與讚賀，基地開放雖然是不收費的，但也是許多軍人放棄休假在基地提供我們一個讓全家大小出遊並欣賞的活動。
U.S. Air Force 4th Fighters Wing – Seymour Johnson Base “Wing of Wayne” Event
Seymour Johnson Base is located in Goldsboro, an hour or so east of North Carolina’s capital city of Raleigh, and is the base for the 4th Fighters Wing. It is the only Air Force base in the U.S. named after a martyr from another branch of the military.
The 4th Fighters Wing was formed from the Army Air Corps during World War II. The 4th had many records in World War II, such as being the first to attack Nazi Germany and escort the Berlin bombing mission.
I currently live in the state of North Carolina and have visited Seymour Johnson almost every time the base opened for the past decade or so. During the Airshow, nearby bases such as Fort Bragg (Liberty) Army Base in Fayetteville may send the AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache to participate, or the CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters from the Cherry Point Marine Air Station may come to join the event and brought the Humvees via airlifting and drop on the ground for a joint combat display. Seymour Johnson’s F-15Es also often travel to nearby bases for fly-by or static displays.
During the Desert Storm, the entire 4th Wing was relocated to Saudi Arabia, and all four squadrons under it had more than 1,000 combined missions in the area, and provided air defense and various patrolling in the area for peacekeeping and other combat assistance.
In addition to the U.S. Military’s own airshows in the past few years, Foreign demonstration teams sometimes get the invite to participate in airshows, such as the Canadian Royal Air Force’s CF-18 team, which made appearances at airshows a few years ago, or the French Patrouille de France, which toured across the from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to the East Coast of the United States.
The U.S. Military has two main aerobatic teams, and they are the Thunderbirds of the Air Force with F-16 C/D models and the Blue Angels of the Navy with F/A-18 E/F models as their main aircraft. The Air Force and Navy teams have slightly different performance programs. This year we have Blue Angels from the Navy join the event.
Airshows might have the Combine Arms Demo, or CAD for short. Seymour Johnson’s CAD, the demo use a few F-15s in the air as aggressors, followed by four to six F-15Es in the air, and possibly the A-10s that came to the show, with the release of flares and civilian demolition team will provide and create a large explosion scene with great sound and light effects. If Marine Corps came to join the event on the day of the show, we will see paratroopers jumping from C-130s to the ground after the blast, and the CH-53s will hoist a carriage, followed by the MV-22 Osprey bringing a squad of infantry then they will gather in front of the show’s command deck, while the F-15Es and A-10s will continue to hover in the air until the commander orders all personnel to evacuate the scene. The MV-22s took all the infantry away to complete the show. Due to the length of the daily schedule, the CAD would normally perform again right before the aerobatic team.
Generally, most bases open at 9:00 am. It is highly recommended to line up near the base gate about a half hour early, but do not go to the gate, as the guards will usually ask you to leave. Once inside the base, please follow the instructions to park and then you may have to walk a mile or two into the secure area of the airshow. Some airshows provide transportation by bus because the parking area is too far away, but since the parking area is usually not marked, please remember where you parked. Once you arrive at the security area, you will be searched and screened, usually in the same manner as airport security, so be sure to check the base’s Facebook or website closely the days before the airshow to see if there are any changes. Currently, ice buckets and large coolers are usually prohibited, but folding chairs, diaper bags for children, and baby food are allowed, so please try to leave anything you don’t need in the car to avoid security problems.
Audiences who like to take pictures usually bring camera equipment, so far, I use the Thinktank Airport Security roller case (same as the boarding suitcase) and Airport Accelerator large backpack, have not been stopped by security, but often have to go through security two to three times, to different security officers to check and re-check, if you encounter similar situations, please smile and cooperate, and usually the security officers are quite friendly.
(Note: You may not be allowed to bring a large backpack into the security checkpoint, but usually the earlier you arrive, the fewer people there will be, so there is almost no problem)
For the U.S. Military’s airshow, it is an opportunity to promote the military and recruit folks, and for fans, it is also a good time to see the military aircraft up close, in addition to those flying in the air, there are also many static displays on the ground. Usually, the whole day event is quite a lot to see, but also it’s outside all day long, drinking water and use sunscreen properly, often in the airshow, because the weather is too hot, there are cases of audience heat stroke, please pay attention to your own safety.
When you leave each day, please don’t forget to give a word of thanks to the military personnel on duty. Although the base is open as a free event, many military personnel give up their day off to provide us with an activity for the whole family to go out and enjoy.
