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Dawn delivery

Mar
2010

A C-17 Globemaster III waits for an air crew going on an air delivery mission at an air base in Southwest Asia Feb. 2, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Angelita Lawrence)

Tech. Sgt. Kevin Owen sits on the ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III while flying over the mountains of Afghanistan after an air delivery mission, Feb. 2, 2010. Sergeant Owen, a 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, and the crew delivered 34 container delivery system bundles to a base in Afghanistan as part of a combat re-supply mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Angelita Lawrence)

Centennial of American military flight

by Chris Taylor

Mar
2010

March 2nd, 2010 was a significant anniversary in the history of American military aviation, and the Company regrets that we did not mark it properly. One hundred years ago on that date, then-Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois—assigned to the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Signal Corps, forerunner of today’s U.S. Air Force—made the first all-military flights in a powered, heavier-than-air craft.

The celebration honored Maj. Gen. Benjamin Foulois, a Signal Corps pilot who flew the “Wright “B” Flyer” aircraft. In his honor, a demonstration of two Wright “B” Flyer replicas were watched by the more than 1,500 in attendance at the MacArthur Parade Field at Fort Sam Houston.

On March 2, 1910, this parade field was where General Foulois made his first take-off, solo flight, and landing and after four flights, his first crash. He survived.

– McGovern, Matthew (Technical Sergeant, USAF). “Military, civilians celebrate 100 years of military flight at Fort Sam Houston.” Defense Media Activity-San Antonio, 2 March 2010.

Here’s a sample of four images from the AF.mil photo essay that accompany the article:

Members of the Texas Military Forces Museum dressed in replica Army uniforms of 1910 render a salute during the opening ceremonies of the Fort Sam Houston Centennial Reenactment March 2, 2010. The ceremony honored the first flight of Signal Corps Aircraft No. 1 on the Fort Sam Houston Parade Ground. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

Don Gum, pilot of this Wright "B" Flyer, stands before the aircraft before taxing down the Fort Sam Houston Parade Ground during a reenactment of the first all-military flight in America, March 2, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

Don Gum, a Wright "B" Flyer pilot, taxis the "Yellow Bird" down the Fort Sam Houston Parade Ground March 2, 2010, during a reenactment of the first all-military flight in America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

Rich Stepler and Don Stroud, Wright "B" Flyer pilots, performed a demonstration flight of their "Brown Bird" March 2, 2010, over MacArthur Parade Ground at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, during the Foulois Centennial Military Flight Celebration event. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Replica 1911 Wright “B” Flyer

by Chris Taylor

Mar
2010

At the controls is Lieutenant Commander John Warlick, U.S. Navy (Retired).

Scramble over Europe ‘68

by Chris Taylor

Mar
2010

Another interesting mix of Sixties incidental music and of-the-era film footage, by YouTube user jrrylpz. This one features an RAF English Electric Lightning launching to intercept a Russian Tu-95 Bear, set to Neil Richardson’s “Riviera Affair”.

When You Know (1936)

by Chris Taylor

Feb
2010

Chevrolet funded this 8-minute film, drawing equivalences between safe flying and safe driving.

8 Wing, CFB Trenton get new CO

by Chris Taylor

Feb
2010

Lieutenant Colonel D.B. (Dave) Cochrane, CD, will take command of CFB Trenton and host unit 8 Wing on February 19th, 2010, following his promotion to full colonel. Col. Cochrane was previously commanding officer of 426 Transport Training Squadron from 2006 through 2009; this unit prepares aircrews to fly the CC-130 Hercules tactical airlifter.

Col. Cochrane takes over from LCol. David Murphy (8 Wing Operations Officer), who was designated acting CO last Tuesday following the arrest of Col. Russell Williams.

UAVs over Haiti

by Chris Taylor

Feb
2010

There are some who hyperventilate whenever the employment of UAVs is mentioned, imagining them to be nothing more than platforms for the trigger-happy to launch missiles at Afghan wedding parties. Thus when unmanned aerial systems come to our shores or get sent to an area where kinetics do not seem to be required, the hand-waving ratchets up. This, however, is the kind of capability they can bring to humanitarian efforts: Examining the urban infrastructure and identifying passable and unpassable roads—somewhat necessary if you hope to use those roads to reach the injured and needy.

This image from an RQ-4 Global Hawk shows passable and obstructed roads in Haiti. This photo demonstrates the assistance Global Hawk is providing to relief and rescue organizations in Haiti. The image taken by a Global Hawk from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and analysts from the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing's 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Beale AFB provided assessments of the image to assist in all aspects of recovery and relief. The 480th ISR Wing is a subordinate unit of the Air Force ISR Agency, which has its headquarters at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo)

MTJA airfield flow and relief operations

by Chris Taylor

Feb
2010

Here’s a brief update to my prior post on the Jacmel aerodrome, as I have become aware of additional information. There are a number of good articles from multiple sources, each providing lots of good information. (Specifically a January 30th article in the Winnipeg Free Press; a January 29th article from Agence France-Presse; a January 19th article in the Globe & Mail; and an undated DND press release.)

I will collate and summarise the data points below to make it easier to comprehend, so that one does not have to flip between the various sources to get the big picture.

All of 8 Wing’s airlifters—CC-150 Polaris, CC-177 Globemaster, and CC-130 Hercules—are involved in shuttling personnel, gear and supplies to Haiti.

The strat-lifters (CC-150, CC-177) typically operate between CFB Trenton (CYTR) and Norman Manley Intl Airport (MKJP) in Kingston, Jamaica. The tac-lifters (CC-130) then take the cargo from Kingston to Jacmel. (See map below for more details.)

The CF installed airfield lighting at Jacmel in order to permit 24-hour flight operations; a fueling station has also been set up.

HMCS Halifax remains on station in Baie de Jacmel, providing radar coverage for air traffic separation.

CFB Trenton is burning through 500,000 litres of fuel a day. Keep in mind, though, that this is for all of CFB Trenton’s flight operations (training, flights to Afghanistan, etc), not just those relating to Haiti.

MGen Yvan Blondin elected to have Canadian Forces aircraft utilise Jacmel; USAF had previously surveyed the field and decided that its 3,300ft asphalt runway was too soft to handle the stress of high optempo, and too short to provide adequate margin of error for tactical airlifters.

CF engineers determined that the runway could sustain regular CC-130 operations, so long as the aircraft’s total weight (aircraft, fuel and payload) does not exceed 100,000 lbs / 45,359 kg.

The minimum landing distance for a CC-130H with a 100,000lb payload is approximately 3100 feet (1000 foot touchdown zone, 2100 foot rollout distance). This gives pilots a 200 foot margin of error.

The aerodrome has handled up to 64 aircraft movements in a single day. This breaks down as 2.67 movements every hour, or one every 23 minutes.

The runway is already pitting and suffering damage from the optempo surge. High optempo is likely to last for 60 days and slacken thereafter.

Here’s an image I created using data from the Great Circle Mapper, showing approximate transit times for CF flights.

And another pre-earthquake image of Jacmel’s tiny terminal and apron.

Canadian Forces CC-130 landing at MTJA Jacmel Airport

by Chris Taylor

Feb
2010

817 CRG deploys to Haiti

by Chris Taylor

Jan
2010

The 817th Contingency Response Group is a USAF unit that can rapidly deploy personnel to quickly open airfields in remote locations. It is focused on conducting three main missions:

Initial Airbase Opening (IAO)
Joint Task Force—Port Opening (JTF-PO), where USAF and US Army units create logistics and distribution chains
Expeditionary Air Mobility Support (EAMS) where CRG personnel augment or relieve existing mission forces

On January 14th and 15th, these were very busy folks. A fuller account of their work lies here, courtesy of Joint Base Charleston’s PA folks. I have included a small sample of six images from the accompanying photo essay.

Tech. Sgt. Robert Mabry, a reservist Loadmaster with the 317th Airlift Squadron, 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, conducts pre-flight duties on the Charleston AFB flightline, en route to support relief efforts to Haiti Jan. 14 in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

Team Charleston members prepare to depart to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., Jan. 14 to pick up humanitarian supplies to deliver to Haiti following the devastating 7.0 –magnitude earthquake that hit Tuesday morning. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Lauren Main)

Tech. Sgt. Robert Mabry, a reservist with the 317th Airlift Squadron, pushes cargo with help from Airmen from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., as they load cargo onto a Charleston AFB C-17, supporting a swift and coordinated relief effort to Haiti Jan. 14 in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

Airmen with the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., catch a ride on a Charleston AFB C-17 just past midnight Jan. 15 en route to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in support of the relief efforts going on there after a devastating earthquake. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., off load cargo from a Charleston AFB C-17 in the early morning Jan. 15 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in support of relief efforts in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua L. DeMotts)

Tents on the edge of the flightline in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, provide shelter to personnel participating in the relief effort in Haiti after a devastating earthquake Jan. 15.

As you look at that last photo, it is worth remembering that the tarmac where those tents are pitched was also conducting 24-hour flight operations. Not easy to get any rest with turbines screaming in your ear all night.

Taylor Empire Airways

Tag-Archive for » military aviation «

Dawn delivery

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Centennial of American military flight

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Replica 1911 Wright “B” Flyer

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Scramble over Europe ‘68

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When You Know (1936)

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8 Wing, CFB Trenton get new CO

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UAVs over Haiti

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MTJA airfield flow and relief operations

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Canadian Forces CC-130 landing at MTJA Jacmel Airport

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817 CRG deploys to Haiti

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