The crew of a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 fighting fires in the northwestern United States had to make an emergency landing at Hill AFB, Utah. There were no injuries among the six-member crew in the Aug. 17 mishap, according to a Hill release. However, the C-130 sustained damage upon landing, which included a small fire breaking out, states a separate release. A photo posted online by Salt Lake City’s Fox 13 TV News showed the C-130 nose-down on Hill’s runway. The Wyoming airmen, members of Cheyenne’s 153rd Airlift Wing, became aware of a potential malfunction of the nose landing gear of their airplane and then declared an in-flight emergency. They were already scheduled to land at Hill to refuel and resupply.
The new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.