Courtesy Photo | An MQ-9 Repear flown by the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing arrives at...... read more read more
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ROCHESTER, New York--For the first time on August 9, the New York Air Guard’s 174th Attack Wing flew one of their MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft to an airshow.
The MQ-9 that launched from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base and landed at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, will be one of the centerpieces of a weekend airshow along with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team, according to Monroe County Executive Adam Bello.
It’s the first time the annual Rochester airshow, which runs August 12 and 13, will feature the plane, Bello said on Wednesday, August 9.
In the past when the 174th commander decided to display an MQ-9 at an airshow, maintenance teams had to break it down, truck it to the location and reassemble the plane.
Thanks to new satellite control technology, and coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Monroe County Airport Authority, the wing could fly the aircraft directly to the airport and land without having a ground control station on the other end, according to Col. John O’Conner, the commander of the 174th.
"Flying to the Rochester Airshow gives us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of this amazing aircraft to our local communities," he said.
"It's another airplane with a pilot controlling it landing at the airport," he added.
The MQ-9 will not fly during the airshow, but wing members said they were looking forward to speaking to airshow visitors.
“We look forward to sharing all the information about the plane with the public this weekend, “Chief Master Sgt. Robert Tenny told WROC -TV in Rochester.
New technology has also eliminated the need for large maintenance teams on the ground to service the MQ-9, according to Col. Brett Batick, the commander of the 174th Maintenance Group.
Recent advances in technology have enabled light, easily mobile, and agile maintenance teams to move quickly to service the aircraft at different locations, greatly expanding landing site and servicing options locally and throughout the world, he explained.
"Flying into the Rochester Airshow, though it may seem like a routine operation, is the result of years of training improvements and advancements in hardware," Batick said.
“Pushing past those barriers will greatly accelerate the efforts to have this platform and those like it be recognized for their ability to safely operate in the national airspace structure like any other aircraft,” Batick said.
The ability to fly the MQ-9 to more places, means the wing can quickly respond to local, state and federal agencies with critical capabilities such as search and rescue, real-time situational awareness, and a robust communication relay for first responders in hazardous terrain, according to Lt. Col. Lee Nietzel, the commander of the 174th Maintenance Squadron.
"The dual-purpose nature of the Air National Guard Airmen and the MQ-9 is a valuable tool to support our neighbors in distress locally as well defend our freedoms abroad federally,” he said.
The 174th Attack Wing flies the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft from a command center at Hancock Field within New York and around the world.
The wing also conducts training for the pilot and sensor operator teams which fly the aircraft and the mechanics who keep the MQ-9 flying. The wing trains Airmen from the active Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard, and allied nations.
The 174th Attack Wing transitioned from the F-16 Falcon fighter to the MQ-9 in 2010.
The wing was the first Air Force unit to fly an MQ-9 from a commercial airport in 2015.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2023 12:01 |
| Story ID: | 451193 |
| Location: | ROCHESTER , NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 191 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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