By Lochlan McTeague/Croinkite News:
MESA – The sound of airplanes soaring into the sky echoed around Falcon Field Airport in Mesa Thursday morning. Below the spectacle, an audience of several hundred stood under a canopy of two grounded Apache attack helicopters, which provided the backdrop for a 50th birthday unlike any other.
On Sept. 30, 1975, the Apache, also affectionately known as the Monster, took off for the first time, and on Thursday, current and former Boeing employees gathered to commemorate that first flight. They wore matching beige T-shirts featuring the helicopter in flight, with its impressive statistics on the back, to celebrate half a century of the iconic aircraft.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, U.S. Reps. Greg Stanton and Andy Biggs, as well as Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman, came to commemorate what employees described as “the best damn attack helicopter in the world.”
“The fact that there are so many elected officials here from both sides of the aisle demonstrates our commitment to the future of the Apache program here in Arizona,” said Hobbs, addressing the crowd.
The ceremony comes at a compelling time for Arizona lawmakers, following the 43-day government shutdown, which ended Wednesday night. During the shutdown, the production line kept moving at the Boeing facility in Mesa as all workers continued to work without pay, said Lt. Col. John Holcomb, who manages Apache production.
Hobbs and Biggs met for the first time since the representative announced he would run in the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race. They met face-to-face just one day after Biggs and his campaign released a statement about Hobbs’ donations from big corporations.
“While Arizonans are struggling to pay energy bills and find affordable homes in our state, Katie Hobbs is enriching political donors with multi-million dollar pay increases funded by taxpayers,” the statement read. “This is the type of cronyism that our state has seen too much of under Katie Hobbs, who continues to use her position to benefit her political allies.”
While Hobbs did not respond to his accusations, she described their relationship as “collegial.”
Hobbs and her campaign are once again facing questions about donations after she vetoed a bill last year that would require state contractors to disclose campaign contributions.
“The bill I vetoed last year was to score political points,” Hobbs said. “I didn’t do anything new that’s not already done; all of these contributions are already required to be disclosed.”
Hobbs said she is committed to raising money for her re-election campaign.
“I will be doing what I need to do to fund a successful campaign,” Hobbs said.
In the meantime, Hobbs said that Arizonans who have not received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits will receive them in the next few weeks. The governor added that most Arizonans received proper funding during the shutdown.
With Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Tucson, being sworn into Congress on Wednesday and providing the 218th and deciding vote in petitioning a House vote on the release of the Epstein files, Biggs said he will vote in favor of the release and felt no pressure from President Donald Trump to change his position.
“I don’t know what the Epstein files are, but what I’m in favor of is releasing and being transparent with all the documentation that they have,” Biggs said.
Despite the looming political clouds, the skies were clear as lawmakers and workers were unified in honoring the legacy of the Apache helicopter and its impact on the Mesa community.
“The Apache didn’t just fly, it soared, and it took Mesa with it,” Stanton said. “The city is a hub for aerospace and defense manufacturing anchored by great companies like Boeing.”
Boeing and the Apache have been the source of controversy in recent years.
Nearly 3,000 aircraft have been produced in Mesa, with more than 1,300 in operation around the globe, according to Attack Helicopter Programs Vice President & Senior Mesa Site Executive Christina Upah.
Over the last five years, more than 60 company expansions in the industry have generated over $2.8 billion in investment and over 12,000 jobs in the state, Hobbs said.
Lt. Col. Holcomb sat taller than most in the front row of seats and marveled at what the base had become. The ceremony didn’t just reflect on the past; it also served as a clear message that there are no signs of slowing down.
“Looking around this facility, I’m reminded that while the name on the buildings may have changed, the mission has remained constant,” Holcomb said. “To deliver the best damn attack helicopter in the world.”
