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Rodeo 2000: Flying events showcase personnel, cargo drop

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (USTCNS) --- The opening ceremonies of Rodeo 2000 showcased one of airlift's most direct combat applications as the 82nd Airborne spilled from a string of C-130s above the airdrome. Airdrops, like the one that marked the beginning of competition, put troops and supplies into forward areas, fueling the fight.

They are also an ongoing aerial event for C-130, C-17 and C-141 crews currently being evaluated on accuracy and timing of release for three different loads over a minimum-size drop zone.

For C-130 Hercules crews, often a majority of their mission is spent focusing on "time on target."

"It's pretty well 70 percent of the mission we do back home-70 percent of our flying is tactical flying," said Canadian Air Force Capt. Mark Gaulden, 426th Squadron, Trenton, Ontario.

Conducting drops over unfamiliar terrain and in the context of competition is slightly different, Haulden explained, preparing to drop heavy equipment at Fort Bragg's Nijmegan and Holland DZs.

"It's a little bit different in this environment. It's a lot flatter down here and of course when your competing, your tactical flying goes out the window a little bit so you can be more precise. It's pretty similar as far as timing and control and the way we do our drops," Haulden said.

For the 3rd Wing from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, airdrop work frequently involves dropping Army paratroopers from neighboring Forts Richardson and Yukon. Team Elmendorf encountered challenges in weather and formation while dropping paratroopers over the Rhine-Luzon DZ, according to Capt. Artie Bagomolny.

"One of the different factors for us is that this is a single-ship competition and normally we're used to flying a tighter formation," he said. "We were dealing with some very strong winds that we're not used to facing everyday, but we were prepared for this if it came up," he said.

Successful airdrops and overcoming unfamiliarity are dependent upon planning and crew coordination, according to 426th Loadmaster Sgt. James Jeckell.

"Environmentally we're not familiar with the territory and the heat is a factor but if you plan ahead and plan for the unexpected, everything will fall into place," he said.

"[Airdrop work] encompasses total team work. Ultimately it's the work between the navigator and pilot and loadmaster -- the whole crew concept has to come together. If one of these links breaks and you lose control, if you're not on time on target, then it all falls apart. It only takes one broken link and it all comes crashing down on you."

A vital link between the pilot putting the aircraft over target and the loadmaster releasing the load is the navigator. According to Team Elmendorf navigator Capt. Robert McCrady, a successful drop goes beyond the proper calculations.

"You do all the calculations and you decide exactly where you need to release but actually doing that is an art unto itself," he said. "You can either do it by ground reference or you can measure it by the land geometrically to determine what the angle is and as soon as it's at the correct angle, you call ground references."

The complexity of determining where to release increased during Team Elmendorf's personnel drop Monday.

"The winds were calm at the surface but at altitude they were up to 20 to 30 knots and it was really difficult to figure out where the [wind] shear was going to drop off," McCrady said.

McCrady made his calculations and the 130 crew released the paratroopers at 800 feet -- the same altitude the 82nd jumped from over the opening ceremonies-this time showcasing crew coordination and teamwork. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).

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