Air Force Reserve makes a splash at the EAA's AirVenture 2009

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jeff Schoen
  • 440th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
This year's EAA AirVenture proves again to be one of the world's largest aviation celebrations with more than 580,000 visitors from around the world attending the 2009 international airshow July 27 - Aug. 2 here.

At the center of it all: an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules from the 302nd Airlift Wing. For the 302nd AW's Modular Airborne Firefighting System aircrew, this event was a highlight.

"The EAA is the second-largest airshow in the world, with Paris being the first," said Lt. Col. Luke Thompson, 302nd Operations Group Current Operations Officer and aircraft commander for the 302nd Airlift Wing's EAA mission. "It's hard to say how many people came through the C-130, but we'd estimate a few thousand. It was a non-stop crowd for more than two days."

The Air Force Reserve crew and C-130 were flanked by the world's largest aircraft on its left, the Airbus A380, and on its right, the world's first civilian passenger spacecraft, Virgin Galatic's 'Eve.' But the C-130 stood its ground at "center stage," opening its doors for the entire world to check out the new Modular Airborne Firefighting System, known as 'MAFFS II.'

On the opening day of the airshow, upon its arrival, the AF Reserve C-130 performed the first-ever live water demonstration drop using the MAFFS II system.

"We were all looking forward to performing the drop with the new system. We had never demonstrated a MAFFS II drop at an airshow before. We weren't nervous, but we hoped the equipment would work to showcase its great capabilities," said Colonel Thompson.

If there were any concerns about the drop, spectators couldn't tell as the aircrew performed a perfect, on target water drop from the MAFFS II-equipped C-130 which dropped 3,000 gallons of water in a little more than five seconds on opening day.

"I wish we could have performed more drops (at the airshow)," said Master Sgt. Mark Skarban. The crew was limited to just one drop as equipment necessary to pressurize the system was not available. But that didn't bother the spectators that got a chance to see the MAFFS II unit up close or tour the cockpit.

"This is awesome," said seven year old Fred Short, as he stood in line to tour the C-130 cockpit. Fred traveled from Burbank, Ohio, with his father Gregg and nine year old brother Carl.

For more information about the 302nd or the MAFFS II unit visit us online at www.302aw.afrc.af.mil