Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo., held its annual certification training for the C-130 aircrews that operate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, announced Air Mobility Command officials. “We are providing annual MAFFS certification training for all four units,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Grimes, AMC’s airlift training branch chief, in the command’s April 24 release. In addition to the 302nd AW, there are three Air National Guard MAFFS units: the 145th AW in Charlotte, N.C.; 146th AW in Channel Islands, Calif.; and 153rd AW in Cheyenne, Wyo. “Having worked through significant budget cutbacks,” the MAFFS units “remain prepared to support the US Forest Service this year,” said Grimes. The training took place from April 19 to April 23. A MAFFS-equipped C-130 can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide, according to the release. (See also MAFFS Force Stands Down from Wildfire Support.)
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.