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 Air Force just got its hands on its first operational T-7A trainer jet, and officials are already thinking about adding a slew of upgrades—including some that could help the service use the Red Hawk to train less experienced pilots.