C-130 training simulator makes its move to base

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Now that the nearly 700,000-square-foot complex in Area B that will house the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing and their USAF School of Aerospace Medicine has been completed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, equipment is being moved in -- including the fi rst of two Lockheed C-130 trainers that will be used by the school.

USAFSAM uses the fully functional C-130s and other aircraft simulators to train aeromedical evacuation teams, including fl ight nurses, aeromedical evacuation technicians and critical-care aeromedical evacuation teams, said Col. Charles Fisher, USAFSAM commander. The fi rst C-130 arrived at WPAFB March 5 from Brooks City-Base near San Antonio, Texas, and was pulled into USAFSAM's Aero-medical Evacuation Training Center early on March 7.

Barbara O'Brien, deputy director, Programs Division, 88th ABW Civil Engineering, said, "This BRAC program for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - 13 projects, $353 million in construction, and nearly six years in the making - has culminated here with delivery of the largest project, the 711th Human Performance Wing Complex, nearly three months ahead of schedule."

88th ABW Civil Engineering's efforts began with site surveys back in 2005 followed by project programming, concept development and master planning, Ms. O'Brien said, culminating in their partnership with the Louisville District of the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers to lead the massive design and construction effort for the installation.

"Of course, despite many challenges, such as geographic separation of the multiple using agencies and their evolving missions, along with the integration of complex research equipment and a very aggressive BRAC timeline, we have delivered early with this project, and we will finish our other major construction effort later this summer for the Air Force Research Laboratory's Sensors Directorate," she said.

Ms. O'Brien noted that the 711th Human Performance Wing Complex is the largest single civil engineering effort for the installation in more than 50 years.

"Of course, many (civil engineers) would not encounter this unless you were building a new installation or going through a base realignment and closure," she said.

88th ABW Civil Engineering's and other entities' efforts have not gone unrecognized, she said: "This is an award-winning program. We have garnered several Air Force Design and Department of Defense Value Engineering Awards, and we are certainly pleased to participate in what may be a once-in-a-career program for many Air Force Civil Engineers."

Colonel Fisher said, "I can't say enough about the team that we've put together to do this. What you're seeing here is the result of a great partnership that I should acknowledge. We've enjoyed a wonderful partnership with the 88th ABW Civil Engineering, with the Army Corps of Engineers and our joint partner contractors.

"This particular move is being conducted by Daystar International, a local Ohio contractor, who has absolutely been great to work with, and who has thus far accomplished this move absolutely flawlessly," he said. "We've enjoyed a great partnership with our civilian and contract partners and with the 88th (ABW CE) to make this whole complex happen."

The C-130 simulators will be joined by a Boeing C-17 Globemaster, a Boeing 767 and a helicopter, all to be used to train aeromedical evaluation teams and troops, including flight nurses, aero-medical technicians and others necessary for providing critical care of evacuees from combat theaters.

"To do so, we place them in an immersive training environment that includes very realistic flights with high-technology simulated patients in each of our two C-130 trainers," Colonel Fisher said. "These are fully instrumented, fully operational aircraft without wings. We can simulate onboard emergencies with them. When you are inside, the sound, the feel, the environment, is absolutely realistic, and we are able to challenge our team with highly complicated missions that are modeled on actual missions and challenging patients who have returned from combat environments."

He added that the school's staff participates each week in global telephone conferences to discuss new technologies, capabilities and patients.

"With this training, our graduates are able to return people home with an almost 100 percent survival rate," he said.

The C-17 simulator is in final construction in San Antonio and will come to WPAFB in several months. The Boeing 767 is a civilian reserve air fleet trainer, the only one of its kind in the world. Plans call for it to be located alongside the building.

"What you are watching is the movement of a massive organization from Brooks City-Base to here with no break in mission along the way," Colonel Fisher said. "We have continued all of our classes, lab work and consultations and created and staffed a whole new facility, without disrupting the mission along the way. We've done that with a lot of work and a lot of very long hours for the entire staff to keep that bridge going. Despite the challenges of moving, the school continues to function every day. The school's laboratories process about 45,000 specimens each week, and haven't missed a day of productivity due largely to the incredible coordination and dedication of the staff."

Daystar Transportation of London, Ohio, took six days to move the C-130 trainer from Brooks City-Base to WPAFB over a carefully considered route of about 1,600 miles, said company owner Keith Howard. Its top speed was 50 mph, he added.