This C-130, piloted by Schomaker and his crew, was built in 1974 and is shared by all of the other crews in this air wing. Each of these planes has its own quirks, Shomaker points out. The air conditioning in this particular craft went on the fritz during the return flight.
Warzone Photos: Inside a Combat Landing in Afghanistan -- US News and World Report
C-130 crew contends with anti-aircraft weapons, dangerous conditions to link critical air bases.
BAGRAM AIRBASE, Afghanistan—The nose of the Air Force C-130 cargo plane dips sharply as it hurtles toward the oncoming runway at one of this country’s largest military bases. It’s an alarming descent for the uninitiated, more used to the easy 3-degree glide path that most commercial jets employ.
But for pilots heading into Bagram, it’s the standard operating procedure. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans live within eight miles of the perimeter here, and Taliban fighters still operate among these towns.
In addition to the traditional threats from anti-aircraft weapons, insurgents have recently taken to shining high-powered lasers into the cockpits of oncoming planes in the hopes of searing the pilots’ eyes. Inbound aircraft turn off all interior lights to try to avoid detection.
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My Comment: I suspect that these landings are not for the faint of heart.
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