Aeronautics Star, Volume 5, Number 4, September/October 2004 Page: 1 of 8
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Convair/General Dynamics Newsletters and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.
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Students and LM Aero unite to build homes
and protect the environment.4)_
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Dragon Lady streamlines efforts
in mod line.Aero Diva
Business magazine
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Handy Safety
Gear and procedures keep hands and fingers
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k-.Customer, LM Aero mark F-16 Block 60 training phase
By Mike Nipper
The United Arab Emirates F-16E/F Block 60 pro-
gram is off to a flying start, as commemorated by U.S.
ceremonies that stretched over two states Sept. 13-14.Maj. Gen. Khalid al Buainnain, commander of the
UAE Air Force and Air Defence, arrived in Tucson, Ariz.,
Sept. 14 to celebrate the start of Block 60 pilot training
for UAE pilots. Almost 100 UAE pilots will be trained
there by the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Air National
Guard, which already provides F-16 training to many
international air force pilots.
The day before, Khalid and other UAE dignitaries
were on-hand in Fort Worth to recognize the Block 60
team for its service. LM Aero executives and UAE Air
Force leadership honored around 350 employees who
helped advance the program to reach the current training
milestones.
LM Aero President Dain Hancock congratulated
Khalid on becoming the world's newest Block 60 pilot,
referring to his orientation fight that morning in a
new Block 60 aircraft. Hancock praised the general's
vision and leadership in bringing this major program to
fruition in the UAE. He also mentioned the advanced
capabilities on the Block 60 and the many accomplish-
ments on the program since the UAE selected the F-16
in 1998.
Khalid shared that flying the aircraft and seeing it in
production was his dream come true. He described theX
Photo by Tom Arbogast
LMAero test pilot Steve Barter and Maj. Gen. Khalid al Buainnain, commander of the UAEAir Force andAir Defence, inspect one of the new
F-16 E/F Block 60s, which are now in training operations in Arizona.importance of these F-16s to the defense of the UAE and
the Arabian Gulf region and expressed his anticipation in
seeing the first squadron there next spring. Khalid praised
the UAE and Block 60 teams for their diligence in provid-
ing solutions to the challenging issues that face them on
this new block configuration. He also named other mem-
bers of the team - the U.S. government, General Electricand Northrop Grumman - and thanked them for their
important contributions.
At the end, he expressed his trust in Lockheed Martin
and the United States as strategic partners with his coun-
try, working to bring the most advanced F-16 ever built to
full operational capability next year.C-130: Saving lives around the world
By Sheri Oppenheimer
Fifty years after its initial flight, the
C-130 continues to provide the United
States and its allies with the ability to
bring relief and support to people who
need it most. Within the past few months
the C-130 has been used to track hur-
ricanes, stop wildfires and bring human-
itarian relief to people in need around
the world.
When Russia was left to deal with
the aftermath of the September terrorist
attack at an elementary school in Beslan,
C-130 crews were there. The terrorist act
claimed the lives of more than 300 people
and left hundreds more in critical condi-
tion, a majority of whom were children.
When the United States offered as-
sistance, the Russian government imme-
diately accepted. The U.S. sent two C-130
crews from Ramstein Air Base, Germany,
to drop off approximately 36,000 pounds
of medical and humanitarian supplies,
including everything from sheets and
blankets to medicine, burn kits and spe-
cialized medical equipment for the vic-
tims. The C-130 made it possible for the
U.S. to immediately offer humanitariansupport to more than 500 victims
thousands of miles away.
A few weeks earlier,
residents in California struggled
to battle wildfires that were
sweeping across the southern
part of the state. In an effort to
extinguish the fires, C-130 air-
craft equipped with the Modular
Airborne Fire Fighting System
(MAFFS) were sent to the area,
and crews dropped more than
129,372 gallons of fire retardant.
The fire retardant, primarily a
mixture of water and fertilizer,
is able to coat an area approxi-
mately 1,500 feet long by 100
feet wide.
And as residents in California
battled severe wildfires, Floridians
were hit with back-to-back-to-
back hurricanes. As Florida resi-
dents evacuated their homes and
moved as far away from
Hurricanes Charlie, Frances and
Ivan as possible, Air Force
Continued on Page 2A
4
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File Photos by John Rossino
C-130s have been the deliverers of humanitarian aid throughout its life, including these relief efforts in Congo
in 1996 and Honduras (upper right) in 1998.;.
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Lockheed Martin Astronautics (Firm). Aeronautics Star, Volume 5, Number 4, September/October 2004, periodical, September 2004; United States. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1023851/m1/1/?q=mod-tim: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.