The Aviation Magazine No:46 September-October 2016 | Page 80
Cannon AFB, home of the 27th Special Operations Wing, bills
MC‐130J Combat Talon II refueling simulation of a pair of
CV‐22 Ospreys
itself as the “Western Home of America’s Air Commandos.” It
held its biennial Open House and Air Show on Memorial Day
weekend, May 28‐29, 2016. Headlining the show were the
USAF Thunderbirds and the USAF Academy’s Wings of Blue
Parachute Team, but what brought us to “Air Commandos on
the High Plains” was the opportunity to see the many Special
Operations aircraft both in the air and on static display.
The gates opened at 9AM and parking was as close as you
could get, right on the tarmac. Security was conducted
quickly and efficiently, leaving plenty of time to visit some of
the many informational booths set up on the apron and in
open hangars. There was plenty of room along the very long
flightline to set up folding chairs, and several free bleachers
provided some elevated vantage points. The static ramp con‐
tained no less than five C‐130 USAF Special Operations vari‐
ants. Other Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)
aircraft on display included the CV‐22 Osprey, HH‐60G Pave‐
hawk and UH‐1N Huey. AFSOC also maintains a fleet of Non‐
Standard Aircraft (NSAv) such as the U‐28A and C‐146A. The
U‐28A is a modified, single‐engine Pilatus PC‐12 that oper‐
ates worldwide as part of AFSOC’s Light Tactical Fixed Wing
fleet. It provides a manned, fixed wing, on‐call/surge capabil‐
ity for improved tactical airborne intelligence, surveillance,
and reconnaissance (ISR) in support of special operations
forces. The C‐146A Wolfhound is the military version of the
Dornier 328 turboprop commuter airliner modified to permit
cargo and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) missions. Both of
these rarely‐seen aircraft were on static display and also took
part in the flying demonstrations.
The static ramp also featured quite a number of regular Air
Force aircraft, among them the C‐17 Globemaster III, KC‐
135R Stratotanker, RC‐135V/W Rivet Joint and A‐10C Thun‐
derbolt II. The US Army brought an AH‐64E Apache. At the far
end of the tarmac was the hot ramp, where the warbirds
were stationed. Joining the various AC‐130 aircraft was the
venerable AC‐47, the first of the “Spooky” gunships. It was
scheduled to fly a Heritage Flight formation with the modern
gunships but unfortunately blew a prop seal shortly after
takeoff on Saturday and did not fly the rest of the weekend.
The air show began with a member of the USAF Academy’s
“Wings of Blue” parachute demonstration team flying in the
flag as the National Anthem played. The rest of the team
then jumped from the MC‐130J Commando II, putting on an
impressive demonstration of precision maneuvering. The
Academy’s glider then put on a similar demonstration of un‐
powered flight.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming a larger part
of today’s fighting force, but it’s an asset not normally seen
by the public. So it was a real treat to see the MQ‐9 Reaper
flying display. For only the second time at a public air show,
the Reaper took to the skies. Flown by operators based at
Creech AFB outside of Las Vegas, it performed a demonstra‐
tion that included multiple low‐level passes, its optical sen‐
sors slewing left and right to cover the crowds.