Laughlin has trained pilots over Del Rio since the wing arrived in 1972

The 47th Flying Training Wing arrived at Laughlin on September 1, 1972. The wing says it has trained more than 15,000 pilots for the United States and allied nations since then.

Its current training aircraft are the T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon. That makes the aircraft overhead part of a working classroom, not an occasional air show.

The Texas House called Laughlin an important county employer and the Air Force's largest pilot-training facility in a 2025 resolution. For an inbound household, the official base site is the useful next stop for current arrival and service information.