A C-130J aircraft from Little Rock Air Force Base will be in town this Friday, Jan. 28 at Drake Field Municipal Airport in south Fayetteville.
The primary reason for the visit is for training in the morning, but beginning at noon, a flight crew from the 19th Airlift Wing will be on hand to conduct tours and answer questions concerning the aircraft and the mission of the 19th AW, which provides the U.S. Department of Defense with the largest C-130 fleet in the world.
Tours will last until 2 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
City officials said flights into Drake Field provide realistic training in terrain similar to that found in Afghanistan where the 19th Wing is currently deployed.
According to a USAF fact sheet, the C-130J is capable of operating from small, rough, or even dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
From the release:
Airport management is eager to have the training conducted at Drake Field in order to build operations numbers in the current aviation environment where the number of flights into and out of Drake reflect the same reductions being experienced through the aviation industry. Contract Air Traffic Control Towers depend on takeoff and landing numbers to ensure federal funding.
More more information, contact Director of Aviation Ray Boudreaux at 479-718-7642.
C-130J aircraft tours
Date: Friday, Jan. 28, 2011
Time: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Drake Field Municipal Airport, 4500 S. School Avenue, Fayetteville
Cost: Free
