Four firefighters with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield last week responded to a civilian airplane crash at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, the wing’s home location. “They responded under the minimum time required by the Federal Aviation Administration and did a terrific job extinguishing the fire, securing the aircraft, and providing aid to those on board,” said Lt. Col. Chuck Coderko, the wing’s fire marshal. The aircraft came to rest off the runaway in the grass during the Jan. 6 incident. Two of the six persons on board were injured. When the 183rd FW relinquished its F-16 flying mission in 2008, it retained nearly 20 full-time firefighter positions. These Air Guardsmen serve as first responders at the airport and support local fire departments. That said, last we heard, the wing is scheduled to lose the firefighters in September. (Springfield report)
Due to the prolonged delay in deliveries of the Tech Refresh 3 version of the F-35 fighter, Denmark is pulling six of its TR-2-configured F-35 jets stationed in the U.S. back to home base in order to consolidate aircraft and get better training for its pilots and maintainers, the Danish…