Fairchild Airmen train with McChord teams for AMC Rodeo 2007

Published July 11, 2007
By 1st Lt Tristan Hinderliter
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MOSES LAKE, Wash. -- Airmen who will represent Fairchild at the bi-annual Air Mobility Command Rodeo 2007 teamed up with their counterparts from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., for four days of training this week at the Grant County International Airport here.

This year's "Rodeo," the name given to the major international air mobility competition, will be held at McChord AFB, just outside of Tacoma, Wash., July 21-28. Fairchild will be sending teams to compete in the operations, maintenance and security forces categories.

"It's a great honor to be selected to represent Fairchild and the City of Spokane at the Rodeo," said Maj. Greg Hankins, Fairchild's team chief. "These Airmen that have been selected are truly the best of the best."

The competition will include 45 U.S. teams -- including three from the Marine Corps and one from the Coast Guard, as well as international competitors from as far as Australia, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Bragging rights are at stake, said Major Hankins -- but the competition is about more than that, he said. It is about teamwork, building camaraderie across units, sharing information and improving professional abilities.

As part of their training this week, the operations team on Tuesday afternoon flew a sortie to refuel two McChord C-17s - one from the Air Force Reserve 446th Airlift Wing, the other from the active-duty 62nd Airlift Wing.

The two-hour sortie over north-central Washington, piloted by Capt. Anthony Mariapain and Capt. Bif French, focused on air refueling and precision flying -- two skills that will be judged at Rodeo. At about 22,000 feet, the first C-17 came into view through the boom pod window, slowly climbing nearer and nearer until it was close enough for boom operator Master Sgt. Jim Pittman to secure the connection.

Unlike most training, which involves lots of contacts and less sustained connection time, this was practice for exactly that -- 20 minutes of continuous connection, something the team will be required to do at the competition.

This skill is often required in combat, said Staff Sgt. Lindsay Moon, Rodeo team boom operator. When the tanker is required to offload large amounts of fuel downrange, extended contact time on the boom is required, he said.

The precision flying aspect of the competition will entail passing a specific point in the sky, then circling around to hit as close to the exact same point as possible within a given time, said operations team chief Captain French, co-pilot on Tuesday's sortie.
The team will also be evaluated on instrument approaches and timed landings and takeoffs, said the captain.

According to competition rules, no more than half the crew can have previous Rodeo experience, he said. This is the first Rodeo for all of the operations crew. Nevertheless, Captain French and Major Hankins are optimistic about Fairchild's chances.

"We have a great team put together," the major said. The key to success is solid performances across all three categories, he said.

Major Hankins praised the maintenance team, headed by Capt. Bill Hargrove, for their ability preparing the aircraft and recovering it afterward.

"Our maintainers are phenomenal," he said. "Without them, none of the rest would be possible."