Air commandos tour flight simulators

Photo By Chip Pons | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Nathanael Meyr, 27th Special Operations Wing executive services, receives instructions before taking control of the MC-130 J Commando II simulator during a tour April 21, 2015 at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. This tour gave airmen who would not normally have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the simulators or who have career fields that limit access to Cannon’s aircraft, an inside look as to what is required of Cannon’s pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Chip Slack)  

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NM, UNITED STATES

04.21.2015

Story by Airman 1st Class Chip Pons  

27th Special Operations Wing

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - While most aerial training assets are for pilots and their crews, members of the 27th Special Operations Wing Staff Agency had the opportunity to get in the cockpit of the MC-130J Commando II flight simulator, April 21.

Lt. Col. Ken Pedersen, 27th SOW Inspector General and former commander of the 551st Special Operations Squadron, led a group of 15 air commandos through the simulator and explained the magnitude of the wing’s training capabilities.

“Simulators are a cornerstone for many air commandos as they undergo initial qualification training to eventually support 27th SOW missions,” said Pedersen. “By using simulators, operational units are able to conduct robust training and enhanced emergency procedure training that typically cannot be conducted on the actual aircraft.”

During the tour, WSA Airmen were afforded the chance to simulate an authentic flight plan under the guidance of Cannon’s Lockheed Martin flight instructors, became educated on all that goes into training aircrews and were briefed on the simulator program’s history at Cannon.

“The simulators at Cannon range in age and are forecasted by Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters based on the projected aircraft footprint on the base,” Pedersen explained. “Each aircrew position—pilots, combat systems officers, flight engineers and loadmasters—have different training and operational requirements in the simulator. The 551st SOS students follow a training syllabus before transitioning to the actual aircraft. Aircrews in the 27th Special Operations Group use the simulators to enhance readiness and to meet a specific number of training events over a semi-annual period. The simulators enable a larger number of aircrew to maintain proficiency, and it lessens the impact of external factors like weather and aircraft availability.”

Giving Airmen who would not normally have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the simulators or who have career fields that limit access to Cannon’s aircraft was a major motivator to make this tour happen, according to coordinators.

“Throughout my time at Cannon, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the ops group, but had little knowledge of the numerous missions being performed,” said Staff Sgt. Leslie Smith, 27th SOW NCO in charge of the command section. “This experience has helped broaden my perspective as an administrator and how my duties connect and support the overall mission.”

Every air commando assigned to Cannon and throughout the Air Force has a specific skill set they utilize every day to excel in their designated career fields. Events like this help bridge the gap between Air Force Specialty Codes and display how the overarching mission cannot be carried out without each of the agencies working cohesively.

By gaining a better understanding of what teammates do on a daily basis, an environment is created for Air Commandos to thrive professionally. This ensures that each moving piece of Cannon is operating to its fullest potential.

“The Airmen in the WSA are in charge of many critical functions for Cannon,” said Pedersen. “The ability to share the flying mission with them provides another perspective and increases their knowledge of other core functions that occur on the base.”

• Date Taken: 04.21.2015
• Date Posted: 04.28.2015 10:49
• Story ID: 161520
• Location: CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NM, US