The 310th Airlift Squadron at MacDill AFB, Fla., in October received world-wide recognition when Gulfstream Aerospace named it one of the inaugural winners of the Gulfstream Outstanding Flight Award, presenting it with the Alber-Rowley Trophy. “It was an amazing feat and a humbling experience to win,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Uptmor, the squadron’s commander. The unit, which operates C-37A transports that are based on the Gulfstream V aircraft, was recognized for shuttling a four-star general on an eight-day, 13-leg expedition to Southwest Asia. During it, squadron members flew into a combat zone, encountered heavy snow flurries and low visibility, and faced the threat of small-arms fire. Uptmor said it was an “intense mission” that took the flight crew to maximum duty days on “a tight and unforgiving schedule.” (MacDill report by A1C Katherine Holt)
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.
