Members of the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 154th Training Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base hope to begin using the Walnut Ridge Airport in the north-central part of the state before the end of the year as a night-vision goggle training base. The airport, a mere 20 minutes flying time from Little Rock, was used during World War II as a training site for the Army Air Forces. “Walnut Ridge is a great place because it gives us a low-traffic, low-light environment for NVG training,” said Maj. Tom Parker, the squadron’s scheduling officer and person in charge of finding a suitable location. Members of the training unit scouted the airport May 3. If it gets approval, the Guard C-130s could be using Walnut Ridge by October. (Little Rock report by MSgt. Bob Oldham)
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.