SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - Lt. Col. Matthew Ahern, C-5 Galaxy pilot with the 9th Airlift Squadron here, was one of 14 crew members who flew on a mission that was the Air Force’s first direct delivery airlift mission through the Arctic Circle from the United States to Afghanistan.
The flight, which took place on June 5-6, 2011, was aboard a C-5M Super Galaxy from Dover Air Force Base to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The flight was the first time a U.S. Air Force plane flew this northern route from the U.S., over Canada and into the Arctic Circle, then back down through Russian and Kazakhstan airspace to Afghanistan.
U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command officials at Scott AFB, Ill., said the mission was a “proof of concept” flight that will help establish future sustainment operations in Afghanistan. AMC's 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center planners at Scott AFB tasked and built the mission plans for the effort. It is part of TACC's continuing effort to support and control airlift and air refueling missions around the globe.
To make the entire 15-plus hour flight to Afghanistan, the C-5M was refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the New Hampshire Air National Guard's 157th Air Refueling Wing and Pease Air National Guard Base. The refueling took place over Northern Canada. The C-5M flew with the call sign “Reach 220.”
Ahern said the mission achieved what it was designed to do.
“From planning to execution, this flight was a success for all those involved with it,” said Ahern, whose hometown is Yarmouth, Mass. “This mission validates all the hard work TACC planners do every day.”
According to his official Air Force job description for an Air Force airlifter pilot, Ahern did exactly what he was trained to do during the Arctic mission. The job description shows an airlift pilot like Ahern is required to “pilot airlift aircraft and command crews to accomplish airlift, training and other missions.”
To fulfill his work as an airlift pilot, Ahern reviews mission tasking, intelligence and weather information, the job description states. He supervises mission planning, preparation, filing a flight plan and crew briefings and he ensures the aircraft is pre-flighted, inspected, loaded, equipped and manned for each mission.
Airmen like Ahern also pilot aircraft and command crews. They are trained to operate aircraft controls and equipment and perform, supervise, or direct navigation, in-flight refueling, and cargo and passenger delivery. They also ensure the operational readiness of the crew by conducting or supervising mission specific training and they develop plans and policies, monitor operations and assist commanders with functions related to airlift operations, the job descript shows.
Pilots like Ahern also have to maintain mandatory job knowledge in the theory of flight, air navigation, meteorology, flying directives, aircraft operating procedures and mission tactics.
As for the Arctic mission, AMC officials said the historic flight was made possible by close diplomatic cooperation and culminates months of operational planning. It further illustrates the military's commitment to finding innovative new ways to operate with increasingly constrained resources. USTRANSCOM planners said this flight is just the beginning of understanding new ways to strengthen the northern corridor for direct delivery missions to the deployed theater.