D.C. Guardsmen have worldwide mission

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bob Haskell
  • National Guard Bureau
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AFPN) --  It would be hard to pick out pilots David Morales or John Moring III in a crowd most days when they are flying for the District of Columbia Air National Guard.

And that is just the way they like it. They wear civilian shirts, ties and slacks, so they will not draw attention to themselves as U.S. military officers in potentially dangerous parts of the world.

The same can be said about the two newest airplanes they and the other members of the 201st Airlift Squadron here are flying all over the world from a base, which is better known as the home of Air Force One.

The white planes with an American flag painted on the tail and the Minuteman, the National Guard’s symbol, painted on the main wingtips are nearly new Boeing 737s. They represent a quantum leap into the 21st century for this Air Guard squadron, which is part of the district Air Guard’s 113th Wing and has a unique mission.

Flying members of Congress and other dignitaries doing their government’s business to some out of the way places is how the squadron earns its keep, and now it has the airplanes to keep up with the Joneses -- the active Air Force and most commercial airlines.

The two modern 737s, C-40s in the military nomenclature, have replaced older 727 model 100s that the squadron has flown long and hard for about 17 years.

They began flying the 737s in October 2002, within 30 days of their arrival. The squadron expects to receive its third 737 next August.

There are more differences in the two airplanes than just the numbers, said Morales and Moring, both lieutenant colonels, during a Thanksgiving Day flight from Macedonia back home to the United States. Maj. Scott Yackley was the aircraft commander.

“Range and capability are the big advantages that these twin-engine 737s, which where built in 2001, have over the three-engine 727s that were built in 1963,” said Colonel Morales, the squadron’s chief pilot and a 737 captain for United Airlines.

The 737s can fly from Washington to Moscow, a distance of 4,250 miles, or from Honolulu to Washington, without having to stop for fuel, Colonel Morales said. They can fly for about 10 hours. The old 727s, which could fly for about five hours, had to be refueled in Newfoundland and Ireland during a routine flight to Germany.

On average, the 737s can carry a full fuel load of 63,000 pounds and burn it at a rate of about 6,000 pounds per hour. The 727s carried a maximum fuel load of 56,000 pounds and burned an average of 10,000 pounds per hour.

The new planes are easier to maintain, because parts are available worldwide, and safer to fly because they have state-of-the-art technology, including Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning and Global Positioning Systems, Colonel Moring said.

“We have worldwide communications because of satellite links. Someone on the ground knows what this airplane is doing all the time. A text data phone lets us communicate from anywhere in the world,” Colonel Moring said. “Safety-wise, that’s a major plus.”

Flying safely is a paramount concern for the squadron since Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Sen. John Warner are among its frequent fliers and they fly to remote places.

The 737s have significantly changed the way the squadron uses the biggest airplanes in its fleet, Colonel Morales said.

“With the 727s, we flew about 80 percent of our missions within the continental United States,” he said. “With the 737s, we fly about 80 percent of our missions outside of the U.S.”

The new planes have also enhanced the perception about the squadron’s abilities to fly its passengers in style, said Col. Linda McTeague, the squadron’s former commander, who assumed command of the 113th Wing in December.

The squadron no longer stands out because it is flying some of the oldest commercial airplanes in the military’s inventory. Instead, the 201st AS blends in with its military counterparts, such as the 89th Airlift Wing here, because it is flying some of the newest airframes.

“When you can fly the most state-of-the-art, brand-new airplanes that are available, you have a lot of credibility with people,” Colonel McTeague said. “We’re not looked upon as flying old, worn-out airplanes. We’re flying the same kind of C-40s that the active duty has. I think that has increased our visibility as well as our credibility.

“I think it’s a big morale boost for the folks in the unit to have first-generation equipment versus old stuff,” she said.