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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES November 29, 2007 TRAI Staff Sgt. Alan Rydman scans the terrain for a safe landing zone during a combat search and rescue integration exercise at Camp Williams. Rydman is a 34th Weapons Squadron flight engineer from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The exercise expanded the integration with Utah's 211th Aviation Group AH-64 Apache Joint Rotary Wing, 4th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon assets from Hill AFB and special operations forces. Exercise participants also conducted extensive joint combat search and rescue operations against surface-to-air threats. The exercise was conducted earlier this month. MASTER SGT. KEVIN J. GRUENWALD U.S. Air Force Left, far left, pararescuers make an urban village assault during an extraction of a simulated downed pilot during the Above, Utah National Guard Soldiers and 19th Special Forces members retrieve a fast rope after being dropped into a landing zone by an HH-60 Pave Hawk during the exercise at Camp Williams. Members of the 34th Weapons Squadron from Nellis AFB led the search and recovery training. Left, a Utah National Guard soldier and 19th Special Forces member are lifted onboard an HH-60 Pave Hawk. pilots enhance their night flight skills with training runs The active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing at Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau mishaw@standard.net Hill share a fleet of Block 40 F-16s, and when deployed, they make up the ILL AIR FORCE BASE — Hill largest F-16 close air support wing in Air Force Base pilots are up at the world. night — literally. The pilots fulfill monthly and annual Since Oct. 1, Hill's 388th and 419th night-training requirements to prepare them for the darkness and special Fighter Wing pilots have been connighttime equipment capabilities. ducting night-flying missions, taking off from the base and flying to During night operations, pilots train the Utah Test and Training Range in with advanced targeting pods and Utah's West Desert. night-vision goggles. from early evening until shortly Night flying is not all that different after midnight Mondays through from flying in the day, but there is a Thursdays, local residents may hear learning curve, Schmidt said. the blazing roar of F-16 jet engines as "In some regards, we try to do pilots take off to hone their nighttime almost the same thing we would do combat flying skills. during the day," he said. "What will "Night flying has become mainchange might be our formations and stream during the past 15 years or the special capabilities that we have. so — basically after Desert Storm," Some special capabilities we have only said Lt. Col. Paul Schmidt, a pilot with exist at night." Hill's 388th Fighter Wing. Just like anything else, repetition "We have requirements to train at prepares pilots for night conditions,' night because we fully( expect to deSchmidt said. ploy at night in combat." "It is different flying at night," he BY MITCH SHAW H said. "For probably the first five to seven flights, it's a pretty big adjustment. Then after a while, you develop the skills you need that will be used at night and you begin to feel comfortable." One of the biggest hurdles to overcome with night flying is a decreased field of vision caused by the night-vision goggles, Schmidt said. "With night-vision goggles, you have to completely move your head around because you lose that peripheral vision." The winter months are the best time for Hill to conduct night-flying operations because of the long nights and short days. "The middle of the summer is the hardest for night flying," Schmidt said. "During the first hour after sunset, it's not dark enough. You can get what we call sun glow in your nightvision goggles, which is very distracting. But in the winter, sometimes our entire day's flying could be at night." Night-flying operations are mainly designed to benefit those inside the planes, but they also benefit maintenance crews on the ground. During night flights, maintenance crews get a chance to work on the jets under the stars. Sgt. Kevin White, specialist section supervisor with the 419th Fighter Wing, said the maintenance job at night is very similar to the way it is done during the day. "Everything is basically the same for us, other than it's dark outside," he said. "The only real concern is safety. Sometimes, you have to slow down a little." The flight line at Hill is equipped with stadium lights, which make White's job much easier. "The facilities we have here are fantastic. You almost don't even realize you are working at night," he said. "Now, there are definitely some deployed locations where the facilities aren't as fantastic and we have to use portable light stands, but it isn't too big of a deal." |