Air Force Reserve Command’s 911th Airlift Wing at Pittsburgh ARS, Pa., simulated a ground re-supply mission recently, flying eight C-130 Hercules between Pittsburgh and Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus, Ohio. The second part of Exercise Bold Effort involved a cargo airdrop at a designated drop zone near Burgettsown, Pa. Airmen from the wing’s 32nd Aerial Port Squadron verified coordinates and wind speed. The 911th Maintenance Group commander, Lt. Col. Kenneth Honaker, called the exercise, which included a classic “elephant walk” by the unit’s eight Hercules, “an extremely phenomenal group accomplishment.”
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
