LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Lt. Gen. John
Baker, Air Mobility Command vice commander, delivered the Air Force’s
second active-duty C-130J to the 314th Airlift Wing here April 5.
The aircraft will be part of the 48th Airlift Squadron, which has
been training aircrews to fly and operate the C-130J since February
2004.
“The airplane is performing exceptionally well in the [area of
operations] today in supporting the combatant commander, and we have no
doubt that as we continue to bring this airplane onboard it will
continue to do as well as it’s doing today,” said General Baker.
Col. Tim Vining, 314th AW vice commander, echoed the general’s
sentiment.
“The C-130J represents the latest technology and is a fantastic
tool for combatant commanders to ensure delivery of critical supplies in
the toughest of conditions,” said Colonel Vining. “Key to that
capability is the aircrews we train at the 48th Airlift Squadron.”
The 48th AS has been training with three C-130Js. The first
active-duty J-model arrived here in March 2004 and two are currently on
loan from the Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing at Keesler Air
Force Base, Miss. Five more C-130Js are scheduled to arrive here this
year.
General Baker praised the wing’s effort over the last several years
both in supporting the test and delivery of the C-130J. “It has been a
remarkably efficient -- remarkably effective job in preparing to accept
this airplane and train all of the wonderful men and women who will be
coming onboard over the next several years,” the general said.
Since the first C-130J arrived, 75 pilot and loadmaster students and
more than 400 maintenance personnel have graduated from J-model
training. The 48th AS has flown 897 training missions with 2,459 flight
hours on the aircraft. Additionally, the C-130J has achieved a 92.7
percent mission capable rate.
“A 93 percent mission capable rate is a phenomenal number to be
working with,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Blalock, 48th AS director of
operations. “This has allowed the flying training unit to operate with
only three aircraft.”
The arrival of additional C-130J models will enable the wing to
expand the number of students the base can train, creating a “pipeline”
of new aircrews to supply the warfighters, said Colonel Vining.
The C-130J provides 40 percent more range and flies 24 percent faster
than the C-130E and H-models. The new model is also capable of taking
off on shorter runways and has avionics that allow for better data
capability and control. The J-models are also larger, with enough room
to transport 128 people, compared to the 92-troop capacity of earlier
models.
“The C-130J represents the future of tactical airlift,” Colonel
Vining said. “Little Rock Air Force Base has a proud legacy of
preparing C-130 aircrews for combat missions. Our expansion, to include
this newest airlifter, demonstrates that we are the Department of
Defense’s C-130 Center of Excellence.”