Afghan Air Force achieve flying milestone

Photo By Capt. Robert Leese | An Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopter practices takeoff and landing at a landing strip north of Kabul.  

KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AFGHANISTAN

03.04.2011

Story by Capt. Robert Leese 

438th Air Expeditionary Wing

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan Air Force aircraft with an all-Afghan aircrew demonstrated the ability to fly heads of state and Cabinet level personnel without a NATO Air Training Command – Afghanistan advisor.

Brig. Gen. David Allvin, NATC-A Commander stated, “I am very proud of their success as they have recently achieved another milestone by flying a head of state in marginal weather without an advisor on board.”

Several elite AAF personnel are aggressively working toward self-sufficient operations.

In total, these elite aircrew members will be trained as the first self-sufficient unit in the AAF with capabilities ranging from all weather flight, night flying with night vision goggles, tactical contingency operations for security of their world-leading passengers.

• Date Taken: 03.04.2011
• Date Posted: 03.05.2011 02:28
• Story ID: 66522
• Location: KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AF