Hasta La Vista: More than 140 Uruguayan airmen, marines, and soldiers for the first time parachuted out of the back end of an Air Force C-17 transport Nov. 4 as it flew over the skies of Montevideo, Uruguay. The exercise was part of Operation Southern Partner, Air Forces Southern’s two-week partnership-building endeavor in Latin America that concluded Nov. 7. “We couldn’t have picked a better day to jump,” said MSgt. David Hernandez, the drop zone coordinator from the 563rd Operational Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. The C-17, assigned to the 535th Airlift Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, made two trips from Carrasco International Airport near Montevideo to accommodate the Uruguayan jumpers, who landed at a local cattle ranch designated as the drop zone. (Montevideo report by TSgt. Roy Santana)
Air Force F-16 pilots are testing out new sensors that could help maximize their performance and avoid deadly accidents while flying fast fighter jets under heavy G-forces and stressful conditions.