The sleek plane gradually slows and loses altitude as it moves into the final leg of the approach and lines up with the runway at the Alva Regional Airport. Easing the plane down while correcting for wind, the pilot tries for a smooth glide onto the concrete surface. After a short rollout, the pilot shoves in the throttle, pulls back on the stick and lifts off the plane for another go around.

For several months now, students and instructors from Vance Air Force Base in Enid have been using the Alva airport as a practice area for touch-and-goes. Takeoffs and landings require more skill and dext...