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NEWS | March 30, 2006

Visiting Airmen patrol Langley skies

By Matthew R. Weir 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Members of the British Royal Air Forces 54 Reserve Squadron will fly home today after flying missions from Langley Air Force Base for the last two weeks.

The British Airmen flew their Boeing E-3D Airborne Warning and Control System jet here as the final part of a six-month training course designed by the British Royal Air Force train crew members across all AWACS specialties.

Squadron Leader Duncan Sackley, a U.S. Air Force major equivalent, said his unit flies in the European theater as much as possible, but deploying to Langley and working with American assets is essential given today’s nature of battle.

During the Gulf War, British and American E-3s flew side-by-side to control Middle Eastern airspace.

“This deployment is essential for us,” said Squadron Leader Sackley. “We can achieve all the basic training qualifications we need to graduate the students.

The 54 Reserve Squadron has deployed to Langley several times, this was the first time his unit was able to control the Raptor. While in the sky, the AWACS crew also controlled F-15s, F-16s and Marine Corps assets.

“It was very exciting to control the Raptor,” said Squadron Leader Sackley.

He compares the E-3D to that of a conductor in front of an orchestra, directing the flow of battle.

The 1st Operations Group chief F-15C standards and evaluation officer agrees.

Airborne Warning and Control System crews are important, especially to F-15 pilots, because they provide the pilots with a 360-degree field of view, according to Maj. Brad Oliver.

“When we are on our way to defend a target or we are not pointed at the threat, they can tell us everything that is out there,” he said.

United States Air Force assets routinely work with coalition forces.

“Training with them allows us to learn how they do business and allows them to learn how we do business so we can work together efficiently in battle,” Major Oliver said.

The British crew will graduate from the six-month course once they return to Royal Air Station Waddington. The training received here was beneficial to the crew and the Royal Air Force as a whole, according to Squadron Leader Sackley.

Another crew will deploy to Langley in six months to a year, and they will again be welcomed to Langley with open arms.