In fact, this particular Hercules came all the way from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, where it is assigned to the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.
"Leadership is aware of the incident, which is under investigation. Once the investigation is complete we will provide additional information."
What the crew of the 53rd was doing in the Martha's Vineyard area last week, is unknown. Losurdo said they were performing "an off-station training mission" before making "an unplanned stop," but did not share additional details.
Should we blame a crew member for making a quick pitstop to pick up their bike on the way back home? Yes. Take care of your business on your own time, on your own dime... and by the fact that the motorcycle was on Martha's Vineyard, the young idiot can AFFORD to get the motorcycle on their own, without using a god damn 4 engine Hercules.
A spokesperson with the 403rd Wing confirmed the incident, Lt. Col. Marnee Losurdo, the wing's Chief of Public Affairs, has to put up with the nonsense that the young idiots cause, and keep a straight face with the public when saying "The crew picked up a motorcycle that belonged to one of the crew members,"
A social media post from Doug Ulwick, who was patronizing the Plane View Restaurant, described a “freakin’ huge” U.S. Air Force airplane landing, then that the plane dropped its cargo ramp, collected a motorcycle, and then immediately took off again. “Don’t see that everyday.”
The plane was at the airport “probably not more than 15 minutes,” Ulwick said.
Tristan Israel, a county commissioner, saw it too. He was at the Plane View eating lunch. “I saw a vintage BMW motorcycle. I used to own old vintage BMW motorcycles, so that’s how I know,” Israel told The Times. He guessed it was pre-1972, based on the logo.
The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, a component of the 403rd Wing located at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., is a one-of-a-kind organization. It is the only operational unit in the world flying weather reconnaissance on a routine basis https://www.403wg.afrc.af.mil/About/Fact-Sheets/
So, stopping on the island to get your vintage BMW bike... naturally. Might have ridden it there for a vacation, might have bought it from someone on EBay, maybe even inherited it.
But using a cargo plane belonging to the taxpayers to collect it? Not cool
Wot? No picture of the bike?
ReplyDeleteHappens more than you may think, I sold a Jeep to a guy in England, I had a drop point to park the Jeep.....Jeep & about 12 motorcycles were placed on board a British military flight in NY....I later learned they did this about once a month.
ReplyDeleteThe crew of the Herc has to do a mandated number of flight hours and take off/landings to stay qualified.. If they chose to do that and rescue a neat scooter, I have no problem with that..
ReplyDeleteI was on a aviation training base back in the late '60s; some of the training flights had to go into busy airspace .. we got fresh lobster sometimes that got pretty much flash frozen in the storage spaces (ammo boxes?) in the jets wings.. There was a lot of beer flown in as well .. but the number of hours on the planes and the number of take off/ landings would have been the same regardless of what the cargo was.. Small compensations for the terrible pay and sometimes terrible working conditions in the military..
the key words that point out that they were NOT authorized to do this?
Delete"Losurdo said they were performing "an off-station training mission" before making "an unplanned stop,""
and
" the incident, which is under investigation. "
SO, yeah, this ain't in the operations that are authorized, not in the realm of things that the Air Force can cover under the umbrella of "training"
Take offs and landings for qualifications? Those can take place on a MILITARY BASE, not Martha's Vineyard municipal airport for Pete's sake.
Oh, and as for getting away with shennanigans? Hey, whatever doesn't get into the public view, and goes unnoticed? Fine.
But landing a Herc on the billionaire island club? Nope.
I've celebrated a LOT of military airplanes that chilled beer, went on food runs, etc etc.
DURING WW2 and that beer run in Vietnam. THESE yabbos aren't covered under the "what happens during the war" clause.
Good Info from Poncho-Train but Jesse has it pegged that in this instance it was not authorized.
ReplyDeleteIn 1997 a C130 was doing a "training flight" from Dulles International Airport to Newfoundland. The inboard starboard engine broke sending the propeller thru both sides of the cargo hold continuing to take out the inboard port engine and the the extended fuselage cell just past it. It dumped the remaining fuel in the starboard side extended fuselage cell and made an emergency landing at the Lake Clear NY Airport in the Adirondack. One of my best friends happened to own a hanger there and was also on the board of directors. He called me and told me to come up and look at it. I got to go inside and on both sides there was a gaping gash from the propeller severing dozens of hydraulic lines in each side. How they landed it was a miracle to say the least. However inside of the C130 which was owned by the United Arab Emirates was a brand new, first year available Mercedes G320 SUV and a shit load of furniture!
ReplyDeleteSo training mission, I don't think so but it was definitely pretty cool to see.