Airforces

14 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// FEBRUARY 2018 #

North America

New C-130J delivery to Ramstein

ANOTHER NEW

C-130J-30 has been

delivered to Ramstein Air

Base, Germany, to join

the 86th Airlift Wing’s

37th Airlift Squadron

(AS) ‘Blue Tail Flies’.

The aircraft, 15-

‘RS’ (c/n 5831), is the

latest to join the US Air

Force inventory and left

the factory in Marietta,

Georgia, on November 29,

flown by a 37th AS crew.

The crew, led by Colonel

Joseph H Wenckus,

86th Airlift Wing vice

commander, ferried the

aircraft across the Atlantic

Ocean before arriving at

Ramstein on December 4.

It replaces 08-8604, one

of the 14 existing C-130Js

in Ramstein’s fleet, which

has been transferred to

the 374th Airlift Wing’s

36th Airlift Squadron

‘Eagle Airlifters’ at Yokota

Air Base, Japan, where

it arrived on September

20. The concept is
    referred to as ‘Enterprise
    Fleet Management’ and

allows extended aircraft

life by rotating aircraft

among units across the

USAF. Some aircraft are

more vulnerable due to

their mission demands,

shortening the lifespan of

any given aircraft.

Dave Allport

US Air Force C-130J-30 serial 15-5831 ‘RS’ departs from the factory in Marietta, Georgia, to begin its delivery fl ight to the

37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein. Lockheed Martin

Draken

International

acquires

Cheetahs

THE FLORIDA-based

contractor air services

provider Draken

International has concluded

a deal to buy 12 former

South African Air Force

(SAAF) Cheetah fighters

from Denel Aeronautics.

Announced on December

12, the sale includes

return to service and flight

acceptance tests in South

Africa and aircraft delivery

to the US. Denel also

hopes to provide post-

delivery logistics support

for the duration of aircraft

operations. Draken

representatives visited

Denel in July last year

and a letter of intent was

received a month later.

‘Scarface’ takes delivery of its fi rst

AH-1Z Vipers in Hawaii

MARINE LIGHT Attack

Helicopter Squadron

(HMLA) 367 ‘Scarface’ has

taken delivery of its first

three AH-1Zs to replace

AH-1Ws flown by the unit at

Marine Corps Base Hawaii,

Kaneohe Bay, as part of

Marine Aircraft Group 24

(MAG-24), 1st Marine Air

Wing. The trio, comprising

168962 ‘QT-20’, 168525

‘QT-25’ and 168802 ‘QT-30’,

arrived at Joint Base Pearl

Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii,

on board a US Air Force

C-5 on December 15.

They had been loaded

onto the aircraft at Marine

Corps Air Station Miramar,

California, where they had

been operating with MAG-

39. Following reassembly
    at Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
    they were flown to MCB
    Hawaii to join HMLA-367 on
    December 19. Dave Allport

Full operational capability

for 327th Airlift Squadron

FULL OPERATIONAL
capability (FOC) has been
achieved on the C-130J-
by the 913th Airlift Group’s
327th Airlift Squadron. US
Air Force Reserve Colonel
Christopher Lay, 913th AG
commander, declared FOC
for the unit on December
2 at Little Rock Air Force
Base, Arkansas. The
327th AS and 913th Airlift
Group had worked towards
this capability status
since forming a classic
association with the 19th
Airlift Wing in December

2015 and transitioning from

the C-130H to the C-130J.

The 327th AS is now

capable of fulfilling both Air

Force Reserve Command

(AFRC) and Air Mobility

Command missions. The

913th AG is the only C-130J

classic associate unit in

the AFRC. Dave Allport

Right: 327th AS C-130J-

07-4638 fl ies over Sri Lanka

Air Force Station Ampara

on September 15 last year,

while participating in Pacifi c

Airlift Rally 2017. USAF/Major

Marnee A C Losurdo

US Marine Corps AH-1Z 168962 ‘QT-20’ arrives at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to join HMLA-

367. The helicopter was one of the fi rst three AH-1Zs delivered to the unit on that day.
     USMC/Sgt Alex Kouns

‘Spitfi re’ look for VFA-122 T-34C

Above: US Navy/VFA-122 T-34C 160478 ‘NJ-78’ on the fl ight

line, alongside the St Johns River at NAS Jacksonville, after

its respray. The aircraft had previously worn an overall gloss

black colour scheme. US Navy/Victor Pitts

A US Navy Beechcraft

T-34C Turbo Mentor, 160478

‘NJ-78’ operated by Strike

Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122

‘Flying Eagles’ at Naval Air

Station Lemoore, California,

has been repainted in a

distinctive new scheme

inspired by the World War

Two-era British Supermarine

Spitfire. The project began

when VFA-122 sent a photo

of an RAF Spitfire to Fleet

Readiness Center Southeast

(FRCSE) at Naval Air Station

Jacksonville, Florida, asking

if its scheme could be

replicated on a T-34C.

The completed aircraft

was rolled out in its new

colours on December 4

and later delivered back

to Lemoore, where it

will be used by VFA-

instructors to clear bombing

ranges and serve as a

safety aircraft by flying at

the no-lower-than altitude

during dive-bombing

training. Dave Allport