A US Air Force Reserve Command crew flew their C-130J stretch model Hercules from the Mississippi Delta to Germany and then 3,500 miles nonstop to the Dubai air show in United Arab Emirates. The AFRC C-130J from the 815th Airlift Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss., made the 8,000-mile trip “with payload,” says Lockheed Martin. Company officials noted that the J model has to its credit 54 world aviation records for speed, altitude with payload, and short take-off and landing with payload. The 815th AS Flying Jennies received their first C-130J—the original shorter version—in 1999.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
