SHREVEPORT, La. - It is one of the most lethal aircraft in America's Air Force; the F-18 Hornet. One of the pilots of that incredible aircraft was born and raised in Shreveport. His name is Mitch McCallister, our Hometown Patriot.
The Barksdale Defenders of Liberty air show is coming next weekend. Growing up on that base Rick has been to many of those shows but never flew in one of the aircraft. However, the same cannot be said for a young man from Shreveport who went to Captain Shreve High School. A fighter pilot named Mitch.
It was the early 80s and as a young boy Mitch McCallister saw the Blue Angels fly overhead and caught the fever to fly. He wanted to be an astronaut.
To get there, he was going to become a naval aviator. He then applied to the Naval Academy. He was turned down on his first attempt for admission.
Mitch went on to spend a year as LSU Shreveport. He applied again and this time he made it in. It still wasn't easy as his first semester was miserable. Though, not close enough to graduate, he entered pilot training.
Finding himself above an aircraft carrier, he attempted to make his first landing. One of the most difficult things for a pilot is making a night landing, and Mitch missed his first attempt.
On the morning the towers fell in New York, 9/11, Mitch had just finished his F-14 Tomcat training. Within weeks, the freshman pilot was getting shot at over Afghanistan.
Mitch is still flying combat 16 years later and just returned from Iraq. He has his name on a Hornet as Commander of Fighter Squadron 105, The Gunslingers.
He loves his plane and what he does but says he is no Superman and would not be here without the help of others. The little boy who saw his first fighter jet fly over one afternoon 30 years ago said I can do that, but not alone.
Mitch isn't the only local to fly in the air show. A young man from Bossier City, Airline High School will fly in the show this year as well.
